The first alternate history book I ever read was James Hogan's The Proteus Operation. The novel begins in 1975 with America preparing for the final war against Germany and Japan. Kennedy is the president. Its abundantly clear that the fascists will win.
Let's just say the United States Government comes up with a novel solution.
The second such book I read was Robert Harris' Fatherland. Its 1964, Joe Kennedy is president, and America is in a Cold War with Hitler's Germany.
The alternate history premise fascinated me at the time, as it does now obviously. Both books lit a fire within that has yet to die. This is being written as the last few tweaks to Operation Eastern Storm are being made.
The most fascinating parts of these novels were the little hints within. Through these James Hogan lets us know that there was a mass Arab resistance against the Nazis in the 50's and an African genocide in the 60's. He talks about America being forced to abandon the Philippines in 1970 and now being pressed by Japan to do the same with Hawaii.
Harry Turtledove does the same in Guns of the South, most intriguingly with the American war with Great Britain. He hints at what's happening. America has cleared the Great Lakes and taken Winnipeg. Boston and San Francisco burned!
The embers for me weren't the modern Nazi detective plot, or the final battle between the CSA and South African white supremacists, but the above little tidbits.
Isn't the backstory more interesting, anyway?
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