Instruct: Classify a review into positive or negative sentiment.
Query: somewhere out in left field

The book is poor as literature. Alternate histories are good because they give us things to think about, but in order to be good it has to be based in some truth. It is my opinion that the South was missrepresented in this novel. I mean, blacks become communist? That's a bit extreem. I did like the concept of the book though and I do agree with Turtledove that if the South had won Lincoln's War they would have sided with the allies. Weather the North would have gone with the Central Powers is food for thought. I give this book 1 star for idea only. The concept is good even if the basis of the story is very poor.