Book Review: "Fitzpatrick's War" byTheodore Judson

 

Book: Fitzpatrick's War by Theodore Judson (Daw Books, 2004)

    I heard of this book on a Whatifalthist video discussing it as one of a few books imagining what the world might be like after a popular backlash against the elites.

    Probably because of it being referenced by Whatifalthist, copies of the book are difficult to find and those that are available are selling for well over $1,000. Fortunately, thanks to inter-library loan, I was able to borrow a copy to read. 

    I will use modern political terms and references to explain the backstory even though those terms are not used by the author (in fact, his book predates certain terms in our modern political lexicon). WARNING: There will be spoilers.

    There seems to be a couple main themes in this book. First, through the backstory or history, we get an idea of a possible future where the Left pushes too far prompting a backlash and return to conservative principles. In this regard, the author seems to draw heavily on the ideas of Oswald Spengler and other similar historical theories postulating that civilizations go through periods of vigorous and creative growth, but mature and eventually transform into corrupt, decadent cultures rules over by money interests until it finally collapses to start over again. The second theme is, assuming the cycle is correct, is there a way to arrest the cycle so that a civilization stays in the growth (or Springtime) stage? 

    The story takes place in the 25th Century, but gives a rough idea of the upheavals of the 21st Century to understand the world of the main characters. Although the book is described as post-apocalypse, it doesn't really fit into that genre. It takes place so long after the apocalypse, among a technological civilization, that it lacks the elements of survival, exploration and rediscovery of old technologies that I associate with a post-apocalypse story. It would be like describing a story set in Renaissance Italy as post-apocalypse because it took place after the fall of the Roman Empire. 

    Briefly, the background or history before the story begins starts in the 21st Century. At that time, the multicultural, woke, globalist blue states obtain near control over the people that Hillary Clinton termed "deplorables". Such is the contempt held for the farmers and other rural folks that they began to be derisively referred to as Yukons (in reference to that territory's remoteness from civilization)--a term that the "Yukons" take to describe themselves (similar to how Christian was originally a derogatory term but was adopted by the believers to which it referred). Although not detailed, the blue portion of the country are referenced as being in severe moral decline, ruled by the basest passions and perversions--much like today, I imagine. The people of the cities eventually elevate to power a group called the Yellow Jackets which seems to be a mixture of street gang and political party. Eventually, fighting breaks out between the Yukons and the Yellow Jackets, ending with a Yukon army taking Washington D.C. and killing the politicians and impaling the Yellow Jacket leader on a wooden stake (a la Vlad Dracula's favorite punishment for his political enemies). 

    This is not the end for there follows plagues and wars culminating in a Storm Times where special satellites operated by a secret society of Yukons called the Timermen are used to destroy all electricity and electrical devices.

    The end result of this is a white, racially homogeneous Yukon Confederacy ruling over the former United States and Canada in North America, Australia, and New Zealand and a few other territories. The Yukon Confederacy is very much a conservative society (K-select for those familiar with Anonymous Conservative's theories) focused around God and Country with a strong and vigorous military and semi-feudal in nature. And behind the Confederacy are the Timerman--still operating satellites that dominate near earth orbit and provide both surveillance and communication services for the Confederacy, as well as limited navigational aid to specially equipped ships and aircraft. Because of their ability to destroy any electrical or electronic apparatus, the whole world (Yukons and everyone else) is relegated to non-electric technology: steam engines and other steam technology, chemistry (including advanced polymers), and so on. Apparently medicine is particularly advanced, but the only references to this is that most diseases had been eradicated and people--at least the Yukons--seem to have somewhat longer lifespans. Thus, there is a strong steampunk feel to portions of the story.

    As would be expected extrapolating from current demographic trends, the Turks have formed a new Muslim Empire that has conquered all of Europe (although the Yukons are able to recapture and colonize the British Isles) as well as North Africa, and the Near and Middle East. It is not clear what happened to white Europeans--the book mentions the Slavs maintaining their Christianity, but indicating that England was bereft of people when the Yukon Confederacy captured it. 

    The Chinese also have an Empire that rules from Central Asia to the coasts of East Asia (including Japan). India appears to be the master of its subcontinent and most of Southeast Asia. Africa and Latin America are a collection of independent countries, with Africa seemingly reverting to its normal level of primitiveness.

    The main characters of the story are Isaac Prophet Fitzpatrick the son of the Confederacy's consul (leading political leader) and part of a very wealthy and powerful family, and Sir Robert Mayfair Bruce, a poor, landless knight. Fitzpatrick's character arc is very obviously based on the life and death of Alexander the Great. However, Fitzpatrick's story is told through Bruce, who narrates the story (in memoir form) from his perspective as a sometimes friend and confident of Fitzpatrick. He essentially acts as Fitzpatrick's conscience throughout the book.

    The story essentially begins when Bruce is invited into a close group of Fitzpatrick's friends when at the military academy, and having tied his fortunes to Fitzpatrick sees his star rise with Fitzpatrick's. As a very capable military engineer, Bruce finds himself involved in much of the action, although not as the leading general or strategist. But he is close to many of the key players and, therefore, is able to give his perspective on the key events. 

    The bulk of the story is about Fitzpatrick's rise to power (including assassinating his own father to become the new chancellor and virtual emperor) and the buildup to and actual war between the Confederacy and its ally, India, against the Chinese. The Chinese are handily defeated but with much devastation to China and India. Through this, Bruce becomes more and more a humanitarian. 

    The pace quickens (or the details drop off, however you want to view it) after this war as Fitzpatrick forms a worldwide empire, even going so far as to build a new capital city in central Asia. But like Alexander the Great, Fitzpatrick seems to take on a certain madness even as he tolerates more and more decadence among the wealthy elites. Since Bruce is one of the few people he trusts, he keeps Bruce close at hand. But this merely puts Bruce in the position to see the worst excesses of Fitzpatrick and the ruling elites. Bruce eventually agrees to participate in a successful plot to kill Fitzpatrick and much of his court. 

    After this, the book becomes more like a history book relating events that Bruce is distant from. Needless to say, an even more corrupt group takes control of the government, until economic decline and a new revolution drives them from power, returns their wealth and lands to the low level lords and essentially destroys the money class,  resulting in a reinvigorated Yukon Confederacy.

    And through this, Bruce finds his greatest love and satisfaction to be his wife, family, and humanity.

    And thus we have the answer to the second theme to the book: how to reinvigorate slipping into its Imperial/decay stage. And that answer is to foster and support those elements that make it dynamic--the K-select aspects as expressed through military service, working the land, strong families and religious ties based around an ethnic nation--while eliminating those elements that corrupt society--large, dehumanizing cities and industries, moral degeneracy, the cosmopolitan and effete monied elites with the concomitant globalization of production and extreme disparity of wealth. And keeping life from becoming too easy through technology. 

    While Judson's book is very interesting and entertaining, the one flaw in his theory is that it required a secret cabal of technologically advanced savants to carry it off. A group that was wholeheartedly devoted to its mission but without being corrupted by the power they wield. It is not realistic: such a group would eventually become corrupted because it is human nature. The group would naturally evolve from playing God to believing they were gods.