Birth of a Nation

A group of friends create the opportunity to change history. They grab it with both hands, oblivious to what consequences altering time may bring. George Brinton McClellan is ecstatic over his latest promotion. Charged with bringing the rebels in Virginia to heel, he prepares to meet the rabble with a well trained, disciplined army. What he doesn't know is that events of the distant future are about to alter his life in ways he never expected. Birth of a Nation is a story of change, warning of the dangers when one people try to impose their will on others. The year is 1861 and the American Civil War threatens to ravage a continent. Can the band of friends from an uncertain future succeed in their quest, or is history doomed to repeat itself?

*May Contain Spoilers*

James Butler pens a novel where history is being rewritten. In a futuristic setting where the government has control over every aspect of citizen life, including internal thought, one man invents a time machine that opens a portal into the past. Birth of a Nation takes readers back to the Civil War, only this time, with help from the future, the Confederacy will succeed. 

James Butler is also the name of the main character in this book. He's intelligent, hopeful, insightful, and strong in his beliefs. When he transports hundreds of people and supplies to the year 1861, James is determined to alter the destiny of the United States. Readers will connect with him based on his dream to make a difference. 

The plot of the novel is intriguing by itself, even for a non-history buff and someone who can barely make it through war stories. I had trouble with the opening of the novel as it didn't strike me as being fully believable, especially the notion that the government had "Thought Police" and a single internal question could be considered treasonous. After the time travel device had transported the group of travelers back in time, the writing style and events became more understanding. Though the descriptive following of the Civil War was hard to keep a reign on and the characters ended up melding together. But, I kept reading. I enjoyed the time travel and altering history aspects of the book, but I couldn't help but wonder how much of history they were actually destroying because of what they'd taken to the past with them and how they planned on bringing parts of the future to the past. 

Rating: 2.5/5 Cups