1919: The Romanov Rising by Tom Kratman, Kacey Ezell and Justin Watson

A Book Review

It’s weird. Most of the Alternate History I’ve read (and I’ve read a pretty fair amount) has been set, in some way, shape or form, during either World War II or the American Civil War. Don’t get me wrong. That’s not a problem for me at all. I grew up on World War II movies, have written (for classes, nothing published) about both the Holocaust and the Manhattan Project and have visited three separate Civil War battlefields (Gettysburg, Antietam, and Manassas to be exact.) I like reading about WW II and the Civil War. The fact remains that those two conflicts seem to have become pretty well saturated in the market. I’ve often though that it would be nice if there were other stuff to read about, too.

Enter 1919: The Romanov Rising by Tom Kratman, Kacey Ezell and Justin Watson. This one is not set in World War II. It’s set in Russia/The Soviet Union at the end of World War I/during the Communist Revolution. Things are falling apart. The Reds are attacking everywhere. Their enemies are fractured and unable to fight effectively. That’s all until somebody rescues the three youngest Romanovs, the ruling family of the Russian Empire, all of which are young women.

Actually, that’s the plot of the first book in the series, entitled The Romanov Rescue. I just thought I’d catch you up and, let’s face it, no system is perfect especially if it’s mine.

So this time around, we’ve got the Russian royals (what’s left of the them) fighting the Commies. It’s not easy. There are lots and lots of Communists and Communists aren’t known for being nice to the people they disagree with. This tends to drive people to not oppose them out of fear. Things are rough.

But I like these Romanov girls. They’ve got pluck. When my daughters (currently 19 and 13) were young enough to put up with such shenanigans, I used to ask them what kind of people they were. They could add whatever else they wanted, but they didn’t get to walk away until they said they were “smart, proud, strong, tough, and brave.” I guess they didn’t always get it in that order, but as long as they gave the right traits they could go play. To the best of my knowledge and belief no one ever did that to the Romanovs, but someone my as well have, because they have all of the above traits.

1919: The Romanov Rising isn’t just about three Russian girls though. This is a war story and it’s brought to you by three veterans. Kratman is a retired Lieutenant Colonel of Infantry and so you can believe the tactics that these guys use. Watson is a retired artillery officer (his bio doesn’t give a final rank because he likes to make book reviewers hate life. I mean, I’m pretty sure that’s why it’s not there. It’s not like he ever told me I was wrong. Huh? Nope, I’ve never communicated with Watson, but what does that have to do with anything? ) and artillery does come into play in some of the battles so you know that’s legit. Ezell was an aviator (I’m thinking she retired as a major, but her bio doesn’t specifically say and everybody hates Jimbo today. :`() and there are some aviation scenes that you know she got right.

And if there’s anything you can count on, it’s that three veterans of the Armed Forces can definitely provide the military aura that these types of books require. The soldiers in 1919: The Romanov Rescue are what they should be: rough, determined, and sometimes a little worried. Bad things do happen in combat after all, and even if you stop worrying about yourself you might be worried about someone else. But these are men who do their duty even when it’s not easy. I like that about them.

There is, predictably, also a lot of politics in 1919. That’s awesome. I love politics in my books whether fiction or non-fiction. I like to talk politics in real life. Watching alternate politics play out makes sense. And what I like about what the various authors did in the book was that they made their characters act intelligently, either in support of their cause, themselves, or both.

Something the authors obviously get, and this is pretty basic for a military officer regardless of branch, but many civilians seem to miss this, is that wars are conducted for political purposes. They’re not just about money. They’re not just about hate. Factions fight each other when they have no other way to accomplish their goals. Everything that each side does is done in furtherance of their political goals. Taking and holding territory is how wars are won and how treaties are imposed.

There is a lot to 1919. I keep waiting to read a bit more about the American intervention in Siberia which would have been the subject of my master’s thesis if I had finished my masters degree (I didn’t. Long story.) So far, I haven’t read a whole lot about that. It featured troops from my home state. I have a desire to scream THAT’S SO UNFAIR!! and walk off sucking my thumb. I’m not going to and it is entirely possible that I’m overreacting but hey, pet projects are pet projects. I have a sneaking suspicion though, based on I’m not saying what, that the American military might be a wee bit more important in the next book. Call me crazy, but I’m predicting that now.

And, not to spoil TOO much, but 1919 is crying for a sequel. It is fairly obvious that there was a sequel to the tome intended before it was ever written. This is going to be at least a trilogy and possibly a lot more than that. If you know Baen Books, publisher of 1919, then you know they have a record of series that stretch off into infinity. This could very well be one of those. I’m actually hoping it will be. I know this much though: I’ll be waiting for the next one with bated breath.

Bottom Line: 5.0 out of 5 Dead Communists and my Dragon Awards nomination for Best Alternate History Novel.

1919: The Romanov Rising
Tom Kratman, Kacey Ezell and Justin Watson
Baen Books, 2024

1919: The Romanov Rising is available for purchase at the following link. If you click the line and buy literally anything from Amazon, I get a small percentage at no additional cost to you.

1919: The Romanov Rising