Guns of the South Trivia Quiz

Answer: 1864

It is now six months since the south lost the Battle of Gettysburg. General Lee's faithful depleted Army of Northern Virginia now stands on the defensive in Virginia, but everyone knows there is little hope of victory.

Answer: Rivington, North Carolina

Rivington is a small town the author made up. But the mysterious men calling themselves "America Will Break" do not sound like North Carolinians at all. In fact they do not even sound American; they all have strange not-quite-British guttural accents that remind some of Dutchmen. They also wear strange uniforms of green that seem to be designed to blend in with bush and trees.

Answer: Andries Rhoodie

Rhoodie makes his appearance in General Lee's camp at the beginning of the story. He is demonstrating a new gun he's "invented" and the southerners are astonished at its lethal firepower. They are even more astonished when Rhoodie claims he can supply as many AK-47s as they'd like - for next to nothing! Robert E. Lee is reminded of a passage in the bible when the devil offers somebody the whole world in exchange for worship.

Answer: Nate Caudell

The book has two protagonists, Lee and Caudell. Lee's point of view is for the upper echelons of the army and government, and Caudell's point of view is that of an ordinary solider and later an ordinary Confederate citizen.

Answer: Bean is really female

Melvin Bean's real name is Mollie Bean. Like Robert E Lee and Nathan Caudell she really existed, but Harry Turtledove invents why she joined the army and also her later marriage to Caudell. Later in the novel she is instrumental in finding out the truth about the mysterious gun manufacturers.

Answer: All these things

Lee invites Rhoodie into his tent and offers him some wine. Rhoodie indulges himself but keeps his answers vague and does not offer any further information, much to Lee's dismay. Lee finally decides to ask him point blank how he and his friends can do what they've done to help the southerners so far. Rhoodie smiles and said Lee wouldn't believe him if he told him - thinking he was either mad or lying. Lee said "Madman may babble of wonderful weaponry but they do not, as a rule, PRODUCE them." Rhoodie decides to admit everything.

He and his friends come from South Africa - in the year 2014. Readers have guessed as much so far, but assumed present-day not future South Africa. The time periods sound very similar, anyway. Apart from the time-machine America Will Break stole, their technology does not sound notably different from today's. Rhoodie also reveals something that horrifies Lee: the US will win the war in the next year!

Answer: All these lies

By now we realise the time-travelers from 2014 are fully supporting the Confederates - but they are also lying to them and using them. AWB want to make sure slavery is never abolished, so North America will support white supremacists in times to come.

Answer: He doesn't

He meets the victorious rebels at the gates of the White House and pleads with them one last time to throw down their arms and return to the union. He is nearly shot by a solider, but Nate Caudell intervenes in time. Then Robert E Lee rides up and goes inside with Lincoln to discuss a ceasefire. During their meeting Lee finds Lincoln more amiable and thoughtful than the South Africans said he would be if he'd won.

At this point Lee begins to wonder if they've told the truth.

Answer: Texas seceeds from the Confederate States of America

The years from 1864 to 1868 are quite eventful: the new country of the CSA makes peace with the USA, Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation becomes null and void, Kentucky votes to join the C.S., and the men from the future are agitating more and more for all blacks to stay in chains. Robert E Lee is one of a small growing number who wonder if Lincoln had a point about abolishing slavery after all, but Andries Rhoodie and his friends are furious when they find out. Rhoodie visits Lee and asks why he fought the war in the first place if only to free slaves later. Lee explains the war was fought so the south could free slaves when and if THEY wanted to, not the north.

Answer: A book

Mollie Bean, the not-quite-so-male member of Nate Caudell's old regiment, lives in Rivington with the men from the future. She is an active member of the, er...world's oldest profession. She is frequently hired by the South Africans and one night "borrows" a book from one.

She has been writing to Caudell in the years since the war (he taught her to read and write while they served together) and eventually brings the confusing book to him. He agrees, it is confusing. It's called "The Picture History of the Civil War 1861 - 1865" and it says it was written in 1960 published in 1996! At first they think the author Bruce Catton is a hoaxer, but the book (as well as containing colour photographs) just seems too meticulous to be a hoax.

When President-Elect Robert E Lee sees the book and reads about what REALLY would have happened if he had lost, he summons Andries Rhoodie.