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It's a good thing the author of the Dark Osprey War of the Worlds is British, or else he would be stoned by irate lovers of the Victorian era. Mr. Brunton takes no prisoners when he shows how proper Victorian attitudes would have had a hard time adjusting to the realities of a world turned upside down by H.G. Wells Martians. I mean they didn't fight like proper gentlemen after all with those pesky heat rays and clouds of poisonous black gases and invasive species like the red weed. Brunton shows how Victorian England was heavily dependent on ruling the waves to protect the home islands since most of her army was away policing the unruly colonies and those ungrateful savages that wouldn't accept Britain as top dog. In keeping with the fact that this is an attempt at quasi history, we get plausible explanations for Martian technologies and more details on how Britain resisted the Martian invaders. Brunton weaves in a few historical and fictional characters to round out his tale while leaving the reader to ponder why all the Martians died at exactly the same time since the succeeding waves of invaders had not been exposed to Terran microbes as long as the first landers. Priceless little gems dot this account. Cavalry officers being discharged because they couldn't maintain the proper lifestyle of a gentleman. Regrouping of forces based on where the best wine cellar was. The police more concerned with anarchists and looters than defending London against the Martians. You get the idea. This is one of the better Osprey Dark adventures and was obviously a labor of love by Mr. Brunton who knows the time period well. Worth a read for fans of the original work. Wells would have approved of it.Read full review
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