The Two Georges

A 1995 Alternate History novel by Harry Turtledove and Richard Dreyfuss (the actor), set in a world where a peaceful resolution was found to what in our world would become the American War of Independence. Essentially, the result was that the American colonies never left the dominion of the British Empire, later fusing together with Canada and the rest of what-would-have-been the United States to form the North American Union.

In this world, the titular "Two Georges" is a painting by Thomas Gainsborough commemorating the meeting between George Washington and King George III which ensured this peaceful resolution, and has come to be a potent symbol of unity between the United Kingdom and the North American Union. Which makes it a bit unfortunate when the "Sons of Liberty", a terrorist organisation demanding the separation of all ties between the UK and the NAU, manage to steal it. It's up to Colonel Thomas Bushell, the police officer in charge of protecting the painting, to recover it before it is destroyed — and in doing so, to expose and thwart their true plans.

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The Two Georges contains examples of:

• The Alcoholic: Bushell has trouble controlling his scotch intake.
• Allohistorical Allusion: Turtledove loves this trope, so naturally there's lots. Some examples include:
  • It's often discussed that the gun-crime statistics in the NAU are getting worse, with as many as five gun-related homicides that year in New Liverpool alone. New Liverpool is quite clearly the Alternate History's equivalent of OTL's Los Angeles, which has a much worse reputation for gun-related violence by several orders.
  • Tricky Dicky's murder has several similarities to the assassination of John F. Kennedy — who is still alive in this novel.
  • The Sons of Liberty have pretty much evolved into the alternate history's equivalent of the Ku Klux Klan, with a bit of the IRA thrown in as well.
  • At the end, Thomas Bushell and Samuel Stanley are knighted for their actions over the course of the novel. Bushell's inner thoughts state that he's never been prouder to be an American.
• Alternate History and many of the tropes associated with it.
• Alternate History Wank: Played with; the British Empire is still around, as are most of the pre-20th century imperial empires. However, with the obvious exception of the NAU, the British Empire and it's dominions aren't that greatly different from what they were at the height of the British Empire anyway, and it's often suggested that the Empire has gradually become more like the OTL-Commonwealth anyway, except with Britain remaining a lot more influential. There's also details that suggest that technological development has stagnated, with the world having less of the modern conveniences available in the OTL at that era.
• For Want of a Nail: Keeping ahold of North America means that Britain is a lot more powerful as an empire, meaning that Germany never unites or poses the same kind of threat to British interests, meaning that both World Wars are averted and the major colonial powers never fall. This has the effect of creating a more peaceful, stable world (albeit one with a non-nuclear Cold War between the different colonial powers rather than the USA / Soviet Union), but also one which is technologically less-advanced; the novel is set in the 1990s but with social, cultural and technological mores probably being around those of the 1930s/1940s.
  • The British also intervened earlier to stamp out slavery in the North Americas, with something of a cross between the American Civil War and a second American Revolution happening in the 1830s. Mainstream attitudes towards race are also consequently a lot more relaxed and peaceful, with racism being less of a concern (although it has been discussed with regards to how much of this is Politically Correct Alternate History).
• Honest John's Dealership: Despite not entering politics, Richard Nixon apparently has the exact same reputation for honesty and fair dealings as in our timeline, with many characters noting that the cars he sells are often very dodgy.
• Hypocrite: From Bushell's perspective, at least; it's often noted that a lot of the Sons of Liberty who view themselves as oppressed and struggling masses under a tyrannical regime are quite prosperous and have benefited greatly from the same empire they wish to overthrow. He's a bit more sympathetic to more struggling, poorer types (such as miners) who have more legitimate grievances against their treatment, however.
• In Spite of a Nail: A lot of people who otherwise probably wouldn't have been born are still around anyway (see Richard Nixon the Used Car Salesman).
• The Irish Question: It's still a problem in this timeline.
• Richard Nixon the Used Car Salesman: Trope Namer; in this world, Richard Nixon is a successful used car salesman. Other examples include:
  • John F. Kennedy is a newspaper publisher with anti-British sympathies.
  • Martin Luther King is the Governor General of the NAU.
• Space Filling Empire: In North America, at least; the NAU comprises of a union between Canada and what would be the United States in real life.
• Utopia: Played with; in many ways, the world of the NAU is a lot nicer than the world we live in — it's a lot more relaxed, peaceful and tolerant in many ways — but it's not without it's issues either.
• Zeppelins from Another World: Airplanes are around, but they're mainly for military use and the potential for them as a form of civilian transport is generally disdained; who needs to get anywhere that fast?