Cold War Hot

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Cold War Not So Hot - Rated
I'm a big fan of alternative history titles, in particular those supposedly written as text books after the event. Cold War Hot, however, proved to be one of the most disappointing I have read.
The premise is pretty straight forwards - how the Cold War could have turned out differently - but this appears to have generated pretty uninspired scenarios. Starting chronilogicaly the first 'event' considered is an exchange between Western fighter escorts and Soviet aircraft during the Berlin airlift, which results in the USAF pasting the Russians. Later chapters consider Soviet/US hostilities in Med, resulting in the US giving the eastern block a sounder thrashing than it recieved (notice the pattern forming here?). Things also get pretty outrageous - a Soviet cruiser is effectively knocked out by a F4 launched Sidewinder air-to-air missile! Why then 3, not 1 star? For me the work is almost worth it for the Quebec sepratist scenario which, in my opinion, is what alternative history should be all about: well researched, plausible (read the authors notes) and reaches its goal without too much suspension of disbelief. Incidently this is also one of the few scenarios which actually appears to signifcantly affect the course of the cold war (in the others, things tend to return to the historical path so have little real impact. The exception is the Invasion of North Vietnam scenario although as the author states this results in North-South Korea situation should this be classed, as argued, a US victory?). All in all a missed opportunity - try 'What If' or the 'Hitler Options' first - but one for students of Cold War politics rather alternative history.