As I understand it, the main things to say about SST are:
1) There are US tanks. In the 1860s.
2) The US brings Democracy To The UK. By invading.
3) US warships have electric lighting.
edit - aha! Partial review:
https://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/review-of-stars-and-stripes-forever.97729/
Ah yes that's the one I was talking about, it is a very good review.
Its just a long read ... but it does cover the multitude of sins in book 1.
Its a pity that a comparable critique does not exist for books 2 & 3. I would love to see an interpretation of Harrison's fixation with Mexican food and how this vastly superior diet grants the locals victory, seriously this point is actually made, somehow missing the British Army's history of adopting local foods and their resulting proliferation around the world.
I would have believed a scene with a bunch of Tommy Atkins' complaining that this
Chilli stuff wasn't as good as proper
Indian Curry. (You can find curry on the menu at the Cavalry and Guards Club)
And it would probably be cruel to point out that elements of British cuisine have been adopted in other countries, its not as if the only museum in the world dedicated to the
Cornish Pasty is in
Mexico.
Then there are the woefully inaccurate descriptions of weapons ,technology, naval architecture, geography and military organisation.
When mis-describing the Spencer Super rifle, it becomes abundantly clear that he is actually mis-describing a Henry Rifle, although being Harrison he would probably call it the yet to be invented Winchester.
Apparently when describing his new magic warship USS Virginia, with a painful aside to the original ironclad, it is given a
Quadruple expansion steam engine. No one has even come up with a triple expansion design yet, and I have yet to find a major warship design (even in the 20th century) that used a quad. Then there is its fluid naval design, in book 2 it has two main turrets ... in book three it somehow has three main turrets!?
Okay RMS Titanic did have a quadruple expansion steam engine, a
civilian British design, 40 years later!
Then there is his assertion that not having sails would reduce crew requirements on an Ironclad warship by half. Somehow missing the concept that in action atleast 80% of a ship of the line's crew would be manning the guns, if anything the reverse is true with steam powered warships requiring larger engineering complements in action.
And he has the usual impossible feats of geography, inaccurate descriptions of fortifications, (did he ever see a Martello tower?) and human characteristics.
Not to mention somehow not being at war with France, the world's second power, after going to war with France in Mexico?
Apparently in the Harrisonverse Generals (Even 4-star ones) command brigades, whilst Colonels command divisions ... feel free to slap yourself really hard!!!
Then there is his interpretation of US race relations, which I'm sure even our ardent "
yay murica" cousins would find insulting. Not only does Ericsson fire his trained, experienced hard working white shipwrights and
only hire black ones, but, and your going to love this,
Jefferson Davis is killed by a black union soldier whilst riding in a bed sheet and setting fire to carpentry, I can't even tell you how that one works out.
And this is just book two, don't even get me started on the Ireland thing, let me just point out that my family is from the Kerry side of the Shannon, hence personal experience of the questionable geography (And I'm at least as Irish as Mr Harrison) and I find his scenario grotesque.
BOOK THREE ... Oh God it made my brain hurt!
My sincere apologies to everyone for the rant.