Newt Gingrich’s last novelistic foray left panting readers with an alternate view of history by posing the question: What if the south won the battle of Gettysburg?
The obvious answer is, well, then the south would have won the American Civil War. It’s all about states rights of course. Undoubtedly, Newt also posed an alternative way to abolish the inconvenient luggage of slavery in his vision of southern independence from those liberal abolitionists up north.
Now the former Georgian congressman and former House speaker is making a quick turnaround with a new novel. Yes, the south wins Gettysburg — but then surrenders in August 1863 instead of fighting another two years.
Think the plot twist has anything to do with his presidential ambitions?
Feel free to explore the possibilities at the National Press Club July 13 when Newt flogs sales for his new book. Here’s part of the press release:
The authors invented an alternative to how the Battle of Gettysburg was fought and won (in their version, the South won that battle) and offered a plausible consequence of the Confederate victory: namely, an advance on Washington, D.C. Now, the authors move up Lee’s actual April 1865 surrender to August 1863 and, in the process, create quite realistic and creative actions and movements for each side leading up to the war’s blessed end–with Lee realizing the futility of further Southern persistence…..
And Newt being elected president in 2008. Now THERE’S an alternatve view of history in the making….
