The old nursery rhyme begins "For want of a nail, the shoe was lost..." and goes on to warn how a great battle can be lost, "all for the want of a horseshoe nail." Great historical events do often seem to hinge on trifles like the shape of Cleopatra's nose, and certainly the outcome of many a battle has been influenced by random factors like horseshoes, the direction of the sun, or the state of someone's digestion. This rousing collection of "What if...?" stories revolve around the climactic battle of the Civil War and speculate about the many ways in which the course of American history might have been changed "if only" some little factor had been different. All of which may or may not strictly be true: underlying dynamics usually provide a steadying force to pivotal events. When a Union trooper picked up Robert E. Lee's battle orders on the eve of Antietam, the stage would seem to have been set for a real-life example, but General McClellan still managed to muff his glorious opportunity. Nevertheless, these stories are easy and fun to read, and students cannot help but absorb a great deal of genuine history. KLIATT Codes: SA￯﾿ﾽRecommended for senior high school students, advanced students, and adults. 2002, Berkley, 342p.,