Published: Jan. 02, 2010
Words: 110,280 (approximate)
Language: English
ISBN: 9784990516512

Short description

Beneath Gray Skies describes a 1920s world that might have been, had the American Civil War never been fought. The new Nazi party in Germany, Confederates, and British and American intelligence services engage in intrigue and treachery, as the giant Bismarck–the largest Zeppelin yet constructed–crosses the Atlantic carrying a priceless gift from the Old World to the New.

Extended description

David Slater, a conscript in the 1920s Army of the Confederacy, faces a dilemma. When he and his regiment were shipped to Germany to help stage a coup there, his Limey fellow-soldier Brian was acting strangely. David now has the choice of reporting his best friend to his commanding officers, or keeping quiet and just doing his job: preparing for the arrival of Bismarck, the giant Zeppelin flying Hitler and his Nazi cohorts to meet their new allies, the Confederates.

Beneath Gray Skies follows the adventures of David and those around him in a past that never happened-where the Civil War never took place, and the Confederacy survived as a pariah slave-holding nation into the 20th century. Confederates, Unionists, British and Germans plot and counterplot in a tightly woven tale of espionage, treachery and romance.

The cast of Beneath Gray Skies includes rogue British agent “Bloody Brian” Finch-Malloy, hard-drinking Henry Dowling, and Christopher Pole, a slave who escapes from the .. (Read more) David Slater, a conscript in the 1920s Army of the Confederacy, faces a dilemma. When he and his regiment were shipped to Germany to help stage a coup there, his Limey fellow-soldier Brian was acting strangely. David now has the choice of reporting his best friend to his commanding officers, or keeping quiet and just doing his job: preparing for the arrival of Bismarck, the giant Zeppelin flying Hitler and his Nazi cohorts to meet their new allies, the Confederates.

Beneath Gray Skies follows the adventures of David and those around him in a past that never happened-where the Civil War never took place, and the Confederacy survived as a pariah slave-holding nation into the 20th century. Confederates, Unionists, British and Germans plot and counterplot in a tightly woven tale of espionage, treachery and romance.

The cast of Beneath Gray Skies includes rogue British agent “Bloody Brian” Finch-Malloy, hard-drinking Henry Dowling, and Christopher Pole, a slave who escapes from the hell of the Confederacy-living against a backdrop that includes real historical characters. Adolf Hitler, Hermann Goering, and Dr. Hugo Eckener, the brilliant anti-Nazi Zeppelin captain, all live again in this “extraordinarily well-written piece of mind candy that becomes more and more difficult to put down” (Christopher Belton).
Almost without realizing what has happened, David finds himself part of a conspiracy within the Confederacy that includes “Bloody Brian”, which is working to prevent the airship’s arrival in Georgia, to seize the mysterious priceless treasure on board the Bismarck, and to halt the spread of slavery to Europe.

As David Slater and his President, Jefferson Davis III, confront each other on the doomed dirigible, David must ask himself once again where his loyalty lies: to his country, or to a higher morality. Beneath Gray Skies is the first published novel by Hugh Ashton, a British-born writer and journalist currently living in Kamakura, Japan.
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Tags

espionage, confederacy, nazi, steampunk, alternate history, airships, 1920s, nazis, nazism, adventure action, alternative history, airship, zeppelin

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Reviews

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Review by: Linda Rae Blair on Feb. 20, 2012 :
A compelling rewrite of history. Suppose Lincoln had not lived to emancipate the slaves; imagine slavery continuing in a seceded American South for which generations of Jefferson Davis's led a nation with no industry but a geographically gas-rich nation without a market. Then add the Nazis, anxiously looking for a fire-retardant fuel for their currently hydrogen-powered air ships. A great story. The character of Christopher Pole was interesting, but not terribly authentic as he was very well-spoken and, although I didn't find it unbelievable that a slave might--with encouragement--have developed skills far exceeding those of his peers, he didn't speak as one who had been kept in slavery. David was more believable, as he maintained a certain naivety that his upbringing would have manifested. As for the Jewish bride to a former slave--I cannot conceive of any changes in the Northern States that would have allowed, let alone encouraged the union, especially in the 1920s.

Despite these issues, the story is extremely interesting and had plot issues that far outweighed these character problems. It's a really good read and a very interesting premise. I was completely willing to take the leaps of faith to find out where the author took his story and was not disappointed.

I look forward to reading more of Mr. Ashton's work, especially his Holmes & Watson novellas which I know from experience to be excellent projects!
(reviewed within a week of purchase)

Review by: Domingo Santos on June 02, 2011 :
The story's “what-if” premise of the the Southern States peacefully seceding from the Union in the 1860s and forming a separate nation called the Confederate States of America (CSA) and then some decades later forming an alliance with Nazi Germany is an interesting twist on history. However, the reader will have to take a leap from “what-if” to a suspension of disbelief if you are to enjoy “Beneath Gray Skies” by author Hugh Ashton. For example, you will have to believe that a nominally-educated male CSA “Negro” slave is freed as a result of a stereotypical racist incident and then – with no vetting or prior intelligence experience – is embraced by the British intelligence service as an instant colleague. In addition, you will have to believe that this former slave and a beautiful, white, Jewish female, a member of the American intelligence community, have an instant chemistry on first-sight and fall in love, resulting in the former slave marrying the woman and being warmly welcomed into the woman's socially- and politically-prominent and quite wealthy family and social circle.

Next, you will have to believe that a character named “David” – a private in what is described as the uneducated “white trash” Confederate Army – is discovered to have extraordinary aptitude for the game of chess – a game that he had never played before – said skill causing him to gain the notice of his superiors who, in turn, determine David also has extraordinary skills in calligraphy, the ability to read well, and even do “some calculating with figures,” all of which lead David to an eventual rank of Sergeant and a key role with a group of Germans building a Zeppelin airdrome on Confederate Georgia soil.

Next is the enigmatic English hero, Brian, who darts in and out of the narrative with exploits of daring, deception, and spying in an effort to disrupt the CSA-Nazi alliance. Toss in a bunch of nasty Nazis and an equally nasty CSA President, a “save-the-world” United Kingdom intelligence service and its operative named “Dowling” (the former slave's original mentor), a plot to kill the bad guys, and it turns out that all's well that ends well.

The writing is adequate; however, with the exception of some British dialogue, the dialogue of most of the other characters too often lacked the ring of authenticity because what should have been dialects and idioms unique to those characters was lacking. Said another way, the drawl of the South and the unique syntax of German-to-English was missing.

Finally, I felt that the author also had a subtle and personal political and social agenda woven into the story – an agenda that can be explained best by reading both the author's preface to the first edition and his preface to the second edition.
(reviewed within a week of purchase)

Review by: Alan James on April 08, 2011 :
First, let me say, I think the premise of "Beneath Gray Skies" is the basis for a first rate novel. My problem is that I hold 'dialog' in high esteem when reading literature. The author, while telling a good story, failed (for me) at this level. His conversations were, in my mind, unrealistic, if not contrived. His understanding (or lack thereof) of people and their interactions (of the time) led me to (unfortunately) set the book down less than half way through. If somewhat shaky dialog is not a problem for you, then, you may find "Beneath Gray Skies" a comfortable read.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

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