Product Description
In 1938, two men held history in their hands. One was Adolf Hitler. The other was British prime minister Neville Chamberlain, who, determined to avoid war at any cost, came to be known as “the great appeaser.” But Harry Turtledove, the unrivaled master of alternate history, has launched a gripping saga that springboards from a different fateful act: What if Chamberlain had stood up to Hitler? What would the Nazis’ next move have been? And how would the war—which Hitler had always regretted waiting eleven months to start—have unfolded and changed our world?

Here, Turtledove takes us across a panorama of conflict fueled by ideology and demagoguery. Nations are pitted against nations, alliances are forged between old enemies, ordinary men and women are hurled into extraordinary life-and-death situations. In Japanese-controlled Singapore, an American marine falls in love with a Russian dance hall hostess, while around him are heard the first explosions of Chinese guerilla resistance. On the frontlines of war-ravaged rural France, a weary soldier perfects the art of using an enormous anti-tank gun as a sniper’s tool—while from Germany a killer is sent to hunt him down. And in the icy North Atlantic, a U-boat bearing an experimental device wreaks havoc on British shipping, setting the stage for a Nazi ground invasion of Denmark.
 
From an American woman trapped in Germany who receives safe passage from Hitler himself to a Jewish family steeped in German culture and facing the hatred rising around them, from Japanese soldiers on the remote edge of Siberia to American volunteers in Spain, West and East is the story of a world held hostage by tyrants—Stalin, Hitler, Sanjuro—each holding on to power through lies and terror even in the face of treacherous plots from within.

As armies clash, and as the brave, foolish, and true believers choose sides, new weapons are added to already deadly arsenals and new strategies are plotted to break a growing stalemate. But one question looms over the conflict from West to East: What will it take to bring America into this war?
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Customer Reviews (14)

Like Reading an Alternate History Multi-Diary
++++++++++Warning: There are some spoilers below ++++++++++++

The premise set in the first book (the second world war beginning in 1938) with the two biggest changes being that Poland was fighting on the side of the Germans, and the Japanese had attacked the Russian Far East and the Trans- Siberian Railway, the story continues.All the original characters are back, though some don't make it through the volume and a few new ones are added.Typical Harry Turtledove middle novel.Like his prior series, Turtledove follows the war through the thoughts of his characters.

As best he can Turtledove follows what occurred during the war with some sidelights and sideways history.The Spanish Civil War continues, and we have people on both sides; the Wehrmacht has been stopped outside of Paris and the French and English are fighting the Germans in Norway.The Poles came into the war on the side of the Germans after being attacked by the Russian and central Poland is the primary Eastern European Battlefield.We have a captain of a German U-Boat operating in the North Atlantic, an American Marine at the US Consulate in Shanghai.In the Far East we have a Japanese soldier fighting the Russians in Siberia.The US is still neutral and you wonder when and if they will get into the war.

If you go to the Harry Turtledove website, you will see that the series is projected to be six volumes.The third volume, due early next year is titled "The Big Switch".Now this can have many meanings, but my guess is that it refers to either the US getting into the war, or the Germans making a deal with the French and English to fight against the Russians.But your guess is as good as mine.For now, the books are enjoyable like all of Turtledove's books, and we get to read over his shoulder and his characters as the story plays out.

Zeb Kantrowitz

Second in "The War that came early" series
Follows on from "Hitler's War" in which World War II started in 1938 after the Munich peace talks fail ...

"The War that came early" is yet another alternative version of World War II from Harry Turtledove. It is quite astonishing that he can still find new perspectives from which to write about that war, but he does. "Hitler's War" was more enjoyable than I expected and this second book, which was a bit more disciplined in its writing was if anything better.

In the opening paragraphs of the first book Turtledove made two changes in real history, and the series works from there. First, in 1936 General Jose Sanjuro wasn't killed in a place crash and consequently Sanjuro rather than Franco becomes leader of the Nationalist side in the Spanish civil war. Secondly, during the Munich negotiations, Henlein (the leader of the Sudeten Germans) was assassinated, giving Hitler an excuse to press for even more punitive terms against Czechoslovakia. In this history Chamberlain and Daladier finally recognised that Hitler was determined on war, and suspected that he had actually ordered Henlein's murder himself. They found the spine to tell Hitler that if he invaded Czechoslovakia Britain and France would honour their obligations to the Czechs. Hitler ordered the invasion of Czechoslovakia on the spot and the war started a year earlier than it did in real history.

There was (and is) a very commonly held view, both at the time of Munich and subsequently, that the democracies were not ready for war in 1938 while Hitler was ready. When I was a boy my father summarised this view in six words after I asked him why Chamberlain did not stand up to Hitler at Munich: he answered "We would have lost the war then."

This series is entertainment rather than a serious academic study, but it attempts to address the question of whether that view is right by projecting through what might have happened. Because in real history there were a number of developments such as the Nazi-Soviet pact between 1938 and 1939, the lineup of countries on each side is not identical.

And the book looks at the kit which would have been available to countries in an earlier war. Both Britain and Germany would have been forced to make more use of armoured vehicles armed only with machine guns (Bren carriers and the Panzer I), or very light tanks (most of the tanks available to the Wehrmacht in 1938 were Panzer Is or the barely more powerful Panzer II), and biplane fighters and bombers would have been used much more by all sides.

In real history, German war strategies in 1938 were based on a slightly updated version of the Schlieffen plan which had been tried and failed in 1914, but because a copy of those plans was known to have fallen into British hands, the Germans changed their strategy to the "Manstein Plan" for a punch through the Ardennes which knocked France out of the war in 1940. "West and East" starts after the Schlieffen plan has been tried again with pretty much the results which most military historians think it would have produced.


As usual for a Harry Turtledove book, the war is seen through the eyes of a large number of fictional viewpoint characters, one or more from each of the countries involved. This time these include an American woman caught in Prague by the outbreak of war who is still trying to get home, a Jewish family in Munich, a German panzer wireless operator, stuka pilot, and U-Boat skipper, British and Japanese sergeants, a Czech corporal who is now fighting with the free Czech forces in France, etc. Major historical figures like Hitler and Churchill get mentions as they impact on the lives of the main characters.

Turtledove's homework on the tactical capabilities of equipment available to the armed forces of all sides in 1938 is mostly pretty good, though he slips up in two cases. Submarine-launched torpedoes of the WWII era were often deadly against slow-moving targets, but hitting anything moving above 20 knots was extremely difficult, especially if the target was changing course frequently, as warships in battle usually did. (For an accessible account of how WWII-era cruisers could make themselves harder to hit by enemy gunfire without ruining the accuracy of their own gunnery, read C.S. Forester's magnificent novel "The Ship.)"

As shells move several orders of magnitude faster than torpedoes, cruisers or destroyers which were trying to dodge enemy salvoes were extremely hard to hit with 1930's unguided torpedoes which would have been only slightly faster than the ships they were aimed at. The marksmanship achieved by one submarine in this book would have been exceptional even with the vastly superior "Long Lance" torpedoes which the Japanese developed a few years later: with the torpedoes which would actually have been available in the late 1930's the scene is just silly.

A storyline about the development of a "Panzerbuster" variant of the Stuka is quite entertaining and interesting, but is much closer to the truth as it describes technical details which correspond quite closely to those of the real aircraft which the Luftwaffe brought into action a few years later than it is about the tactical effect which this weapon system actually had. Both the Germans and Allies made use of ground-attack aircraft designed to destroy tanks. The main impact of this kind of aircraft, whether equipped with airborne anti-tank guns like the Stuka variant on which the story is based, or anti-tank rockets like those carried by Allied Typhoons towards the end of the war, was not achieved by actually killing enemy armour. Without the precision guidance systems developed later in the 20th century, you just could not get the accuracy with air-to-surface weapons which was needed to kill large numbers of armoured, moving targets.

Specialised ground attack aircraft did have a significant impact on the battlefield, not by actually destroying enemy tanks, but by slowing them down. Few things are more intimidating than being attacked from the air, and armoured vehicles which came under air attack had a strong tendancy to look for cover, or after late-WWII tanks started to sprout anti-aircraft machine-guns, stopping to fire back. The scenes in the book where the anti-tank stuka goes into battle do not realistically reflect this.

Harry Turtledove is not particularly noted for his prose, but he does occasionally manage some great one-liners, and there are several brilliant ones in this book. For example, referring to the German MG34 machine-gun, there is a clever parody of a Shakespeare line, referring to "the slings and arrows of outrageous MG34s" and another in which the camoflage dazzle paint of British warships is compared to what a zebra might have looked like if God had been drunk when he created them.

This is the fifth alternative version of World War II which Turtledove has written. He has previously done a series with aliens from Tau Ceti invading in 1942 (the "Worldwar" series which starts with Worldwar: In the Balance (New English library)). He's also done a parallel history following pretty much the real track, in a world where technology uses magic rather than engineering (known variously as the Darkness, Derlavi, or 'World at War' series) which starts with Into the Darkness. There is an alternative World War II in his massive ten volume history of a Confederate States of America which survives for nearly a century following a Rebel victory in the US Civil War, and in which the same roles as in the historical WWII are carried out by different people (Settling Accounts). Finally there is a pair of novels, "Days of Infamy" and "End of the Beginning" which explore the possibility that Japan might have backed up the air strikes on Pearl Harbour with a land invasion of Hawaii.

Having done so many alternative versions of World War II, you would think he would find it impossible to say anything new about them or maintain the reader's interest. I suspect there will be at least a few readers who will describe "Hitler's War" and "West and East" as "more of the same."

I can only say that this does not describe my experience: both books had me completely hooked and I am looking forward to the next in the series. If you liked most of Turtledove's other books, there is an excellent chance that you will like this one.

An unnecessary alternative timeline
What if the conference in Munich between the European leaders had failed and WWII had started a year earlier? What if the war had started in Czechoslovakia instead of Poland? These are just a couple of the deviating historical focal points that Turtledove used to create his alternate WWII timeline in //Hitler's War// and continues to build in his multiple-point-of-view narration sequel: //The War That Came Early.//

While Turtledove's narrative is smooth and flows easily, it simply isn't enough to overcome the lackadaisical characterization and mostly interchangeable storylines. Within the first sixty pages of the book you're introduced to no fewer than fourteen main characters, which would be impressive, except that it becomes apparent rather quickly that with a few exceptions, all the storylines play out on one torn-up, shell-riddled battlefield after another. Worst of all though, is the persistent confusion as to why Turtledove bothered to write his story in an alternate timeline when the historical changes have no noticeable impact to the story whatsoever. Add in a seemingly unrelated Spanish Civil war, and page after page of characters complaining about the quality of wartime coffee and tobacco, and you're pretty much left scratching your head and asking why you bothered.

Reviewed by Heather Ortiz

The War That Came Early:West-East
Excellant book thatcontinues the first book of this series by that Master of Alternate History, Harry Turtledove.

solid Turtledove, entertaining
As a huge fan of Turtledove's work, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I can hardly wait for the next part in this series. Even though I could see how some people might complain about lack of depth in character development, or a sometimes noticeable repetitiveness of themes or phrases, I actually really appreciate these elements in Turtledove's writing style in this book, as it leaves more room for my imagination (to develop the characters by myself) and helps me keep track of the story and the various people in it (e.g. whatshisname, the tall guy who keeps bumping his head). Excellent read, and thoroughly entertaining (in particular after part one: Hitler's War). ... Read more

Product Description
Harry Turtledove’s acclaimed alternate history series began with a single question: What if the South had won the Civil War? Now, seventy years have passed since the first War Between the States. The North American continent is locked in a battle of politics, economies, and moralities. In a world that has already felt the soul-shattering blow of the Great War, North America is the powder keg that could ignite another global conflict—complete with a new generation of killing machines.

“Freedom! Freedom! Freedom!” In 1934, the chant echoes across the Confederate States of America, a country born of bloodshed and passion, stretching from Mexico to Virginia. But while people use the word to greet each other in the streets, the meaning of “Freedom” has become increasingly unclear.

Jake Featherston, leader of the ruling Freedom Party, has won power—and is taking his country and the world to the edge of an abyss. Charismatic, shrewd, and addicted to conflict, Featherston is whipping the Confederate States into a frenzy of hatred. Blacks are being rounded up and sent to prison camps, and the persecution has just begun. Featherston has forced the United States to give up its toeholds in Florida and Kentucky, and as the North stumbles through a succession of leaders, from Socialist Hosea Blackford to Herbert Hoover and now Al Smith, Featherston is feeling his might. With the U.S.A. locked in a bitter, bloody occupation of Canada, facing an intractable rebellion in Utah, and fatigued from a war in the Pacific against Japan, Featherston may pursue one dangerous proposition above all: that he can defeat the U.S.A. in an all-out war.

The Victorious Opposition is a drama of leaders and followers, spies and traitors, lovers and soldiers. From California to Canada, from combat on the high seas to the secret meetings where former slaves plot a desperate strategy for survival, Harry Turtledove has created a human portrait of a world in upheaval. The third book in his monumental American Empire series, The Victorious Opposition is a novel of ideas, action, and surprise—and an unforgettable re-imagining of history itself.


From the Hardcover edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (54)

Mediocre, read if nothing else in front of you
My review is the same for all books of the series.Decent story, a little slow, but also one of the most annoying series becuase he repeats things over and over. Examples are that southern tobacco is way better that northern and northern smokes taste terrible. Also,this black guy was former butler who worked for this white rich lady and was taught to talk like an educated white man and details about his time there. Many more things like this, so just about anytime a soldier smokes in these books( about 100 times) you have to hear about the tobacco, etc. Each character has something told about them over and over and over and over and over, see how annoying that is.

like character development? You'll need a bigger bucket
Somewhere along the line Turtledove must have been criticised for inadequate character development, and he really took it to heart.This book, as much if not more so than previous volumes, takes character development to the extreme. For one thing, there are quite a few characters, and he feels compelled to write in detail about all of them. I understand and respect the reason for having a cross section of characters, but I do not think it advances the story to spend two pages on how someone took their first drag on a cigarette, how they fried a chicken, etc. Nor do I think it is necessary to give a regular summary on each character everytime they re-enter the narrative. If I can't remember who they are after reading about them for the last several books/thousand pages, then I need to see a doctor to address amnesia.
Finally, while individual character development provides a few surprises, the concept of parallel developments in different geographical locations based upon the wrong person picking up a bundle of cigars in 1862 was interesting in its conception, but the notion that 60 years later the CSA would reproduce the experience in Nazi Germany is not particularly interesting. In fact, it is absurd.

I couldn't help but think as I was reading this that it would be just as interesting to read real WWII history.After reading this I read "Ghost Soldiers," and found it far more engaging even though it is non-fiction. I do not recommend this book for anyone who has not invested a great deal of time reading the prior volumes. If you haven't started, do not unless you have a high tolerance for tedious character development.

Part 7 in a series
I am once again trying hard to decide whether to give this three stars or four.On the one hand, everything wrong with TL-191 really begins here.That should probably drag it down below the three star mark, but I want to save the really bad ratings for the horrible Settling Accounts novels.

On the other hand--This book is really well written.It's story driven rather than character driven (I think HT consolidated to a few main POVs in response to complaints about diffuse coverage).Three old favorites die, which has the feeling of the last generation clearing out and the new one taking up the standard.(Let's get that out of the way right now: Nellie dies because she's clumsy.She tries to make a deathbed confession about killing Bill Reach but everybody thinks she's delerious.Her idiot grandson replaces her.Lucien Galtier dies while having sex.He's replaced by Leonard O'Doull.I had high hopes for O'Doull; I was wrong.Sylvia Enos, one of my favorite characters as a smart, strong, savvy female character who usually has only her own wits to survive, gets shot by Hemingway.Her son, who had told her to leave him and touched off an out-of-character stubborn streak in her, replaces her.I REALLY missed her in The Grapple.)Most of the surviving characters don't really go anywhere interesting; if they do, it's because they need to advance the story.

The story advances, but I'm not crazy about the direction it took.This is where HT started playing Mad Libs with a history book.The story is forced into parallels with OTL WWII--That had been true before, but in B&I and CCH there was reason to hope the details would be different.Not here.

Here's an example.Huey Long is governor of Louisianna and is suppressing the Freedom Party.Featherston wants to get rid of him in the worst way possible.When I started to read this I thought "Long will secede from the CSA and force Featherston either to let an enemy beat him or turn his back on the founding principle of his country.The USA will grant instant recognition to Louisianna and will go to war with the CSA to protect its sovereignty.Featherston will have to back down because he's not ready or go into a war for which he is unprepared, exactly what he accused the Whigs of."Nope.Louisianna goes down without a fight as Featherston consolidates political power in general.Clarence Potter goes to assassinate him at the Olympics but ends up saving his life instead.He meets his nemesis and they try to decide what sort of relationship to have.Though Featherston doesn't trust him--and he shouldn't!--he reinstates Potter in the Army, as a general.This is the last time we'll see tension in Potter's character, the Confederate patriot and simultaneous anti-Freedomite.From now on he'll do what the Snake wants, though he comes tantalizingly close to returning to that fascinating dynamic at one point.

Then came something I really didn't understand.He says "That reminds me. . . . " and calls Jeb Stuart Jr into his office to cashier the old man.That REMINDS me??Stuart was Featherston's archnemesis all through his long rise and fall and rise in the first two SA books!He's responsible for making Featherston the intense, hateful, larger-than-life character he is.And we're to believe this man who never forgets a grudge went halfway through his term and never got around to taking his revenge??

Anyway, Featherston pushes a very aggressive foreign policy against the US, whose will is faltering.His agents in the territory lost to the US at the end of the Great War create Freedom Party branches and violent uprising.He also encourages Mormon violence in newly-normalized Utah.The US leadership knows it's not ready to deal with the threat of Featherston and their sense of fear and helplessness becomes palpable in the later scenes.The new President, Al Smith, the latest in a long line of weak leaders, tries to appease Featherston, who demands plebiscites (which his agents will fix) to get the states lost in the Great War back.Kentucky and Houston return.The plan was to have these states demilitarized for 25 years, but we get an absolutely terrifying scene in which Cincinnatus, who returned to Kentucky to bring his parents north ahead of the genocidaires but instead got trapped there himself, watches the Confederate war machine files in.

Thrilling stuff--But there's no originality.To highlight just how true this is, the last page is Featherston, who has followed up the return of his states with even more unreasonable demands which the US refused, giving the order he's been waiting to give for a generation: a surprise attack on US military installations.

And Turtledove calls attention to the fact that it happens on June 22, 1941.The day Hitler invaded the Soviet Union.

The lead-up to this war is well-written, but it's too predictable.And the war itself will be predictable without being well-written.

You just might want to consider stopping now.

A Vengeful South Rises
Old enmities never die, especially when there are plenty of people to fan the flames and pile fuel on the fire.After two humiliating wars lost to the Confederate States of America, the USA had finally gotten back some of their own in the Great War of 1915.Not only had they won, but they had annexed significant chunks of Southern territory in the bargain.And they held sway over all of the former British Dominion of Canada, excepting Quebec, which the United States had helped to establish as an independent republic.

But things did not go smoothly.In the US, Socialist Party presidents had been unable to stop the economic chaos that led to a depression after the Collapse of 1929.And the Democrat who followed them did no better.Jobs were hard to find and money was tight.A ferocious drought sweeping the Midwest made things worse.

Japan had now long held the Philippines, Formosa, parts of China, and much of Southeast Asia.An inconclusive Pacific war in the 20's between the U.S. and the growing Empire of the Rising Sun left everyone edgy and wondering when the two nations would meet again.

Across the Atlantic, Europe was seething, too.Britain, France, and Russia were all growling at a victorious Germany, whose aged Kaiser was in failing health.France was particularly unhappy with the loss of Alsace and Lorraine; and a group called Action Français was bent on taking the reins of power to do something more than growl.

Canada had tried rising once against its Yank oppressors, but had seen that rebellion crushed quickly and ruthlessly.Now the hate simmered on, only occasionally manifesting itself with lone occupation soldiers being ambushed, US-owned vehicles blowing up, and package bombs killing American citizens or sympathizers.

Bitter dissatisfaction with government handling of the Great War and the Red Socialist rebellions which took place at that time had led to the rise of the Freedom Party in the C.S.A.Its leader, Jake Featherston, a former artillery sergeant with a will as strong as his bitterness, had risen to the Presidency.He was determined to get revenge on the United States which had beaten and robbed his beloved country, and on the Confederate politicians and bureaucrats who had made that defeat possible.But perhaps his deepest loathing was directed at the blacks who had stabbed the C.S.A. in the back with treacherous Marxist-inspired uprisings during the war.Featherston had plans for all his enemies, and it didn't matter how many people died to make those plans a reality.

American Empire: The Victorious Opposition is a big book with a large cast of characters in three countries acting over several years.Long-time readers will have met most of them in the author's previous The Great War series or in the American Empire volumes which came before this third installment.They include: Anne Colleton, a former South Carolina plantation owner and now an unofficial diplomatic cog in Featherston's machinations; Chester Martin, late a sergeant in the U.S. Army, currently trying to organize a building-trades union in the fiercely antagonistic Los Angeles area; Gen. Abner Dowling, who spent twenty years sitting on the restless Mormon community in Utah before being summoned East to Kentucky, only to have that state given away by a new President; Mary Pomeroy, a wife and mother in tiny Rosenfeld, Manitoba, who quietly makes bombs to avenge the losses of a brother, a father, and a country; Scipio, a black former butler and unwilling member of the Socialist Republic of the Congaree, hiding from the revelations which would cause his death; Hipolito Rodriguez, a Sonoran Confederado, enjoying the benefits of Freedom Party membership; and Flora Blackford (née Hamburger), U.S. Congresswoman and former first lady, whose conscience aches for both the actions and the inactions of her country.

Harry Turtledove weaves a vivid literary tapestry and makes history a fascinating subject.His imaginary alternatives are complex and compelling to read.All the characters, not just those with major roles, have depth and believable motivations.Many of the titles awarded to authors are sheer hyperbole, but Turtledove has earned (and continues to earn) plaudits as "The Master of Alternate History."

The next War Between the States approaches
This is the third volume of Turtledove's AMERICAN EMPIRE trilogy, and the seventh book in the eleven-book series that began with How Few Remain.

This book picks up where American Empire: The Center Cannot Hold (American Empire) left off - in early March, 1934 - right after Jake Featherston takes the oath of office as the CSA's new President.The parallels between the fictitious CSA of the 1930's and Nazi Germany are dead-on.Richmond even gets the 1936 summer Olympics; the same as Berlin did in actual world history.

Featherston's rise to power in the CSA in this fictitious timeline runs parallel to Adolf Hitler's in Germany in actual history.Featherston makes territorial demands throughout the late 30's, and the Socialist President of the USA acquiesces to his clamoring the same as Neville Chamberlain did with Hitler over Czechoslovakia.In the meantime, a few characters readers became familiar with during the Great War trilogy come to the end of their lifetimes.

The topper is when Featherston pulls his sneak attack on the USA - June 22, 1941; the same day Hitler invaded the Soviet Union.This ends the AMERICAN EMPIRE trilogy, and the four-volume SETTLING ACCOUNTS series picks up right after THE VICTORIOUS OPPOSITION.

All in all, this was the best of the AMERICAN EMPIRE books, mainly because it builds up to the next Great War at a good pace.
... Read more

Product Description
What if V-E Day hadn’t ended World War II in Europe? What if, instead, the Allies had to face a potent, even fanatical, postwar Nazi resistance? Such a movement, based in the fabled Alpine Redoubt, was in fact a real threat, ultimately neutralized by Germany’s flagging resources and squabbling officials. But had SS Obergruppenführer Reinhard Heydrich, the notorious Man with the Iron Heart, not been assassinated in 1942, fate might have taken a different turn. In this imagined world, Nazi forces launch a guerrilla war, using the quick and dirty tactics of terrorism to overturn what seemed to be a decisive victory. Suddenly the Allies–especially the United States–are mired in a long, seemingly unwinnable conflict while battling an invisible, unrelenting enemy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (43)

A Masterpiece! Turtledove Is BACK!
Harry Turtledove is BACK! The Master of Alternative Fiction really hits it out of the park with this compelling novel about a possible German resistance after the collapse of the Third Reich. This supposed scenario was a real worry for Dwight D. Eisenhower's Allied Armies and one of the reasons the Americans pushed into Bavaria, instead of heading east to capture Berlin.

In this The Man With The Iron Heart, Turtledove does what he does best and better than anyone else; he takes the 'what if' and shows, credibly, how it could have become a 'how can.' Then he wraps it all with a wonderful prose that makes this book such a compelling page-turner that you barely notice you've read it when you already have.

The book starts off like many other Turtledove novels; with a simple event that, historically took place but in this case, did not. In this case, Nazi henchman and Himmler's protoge, Reinhard Heydrich, the headd honcho in the remnants of Czechoslovakia, who was in real life, killed in 1942 by British agents, survives. He is then brought into the confidence of well-placed Nazis, as the war begins to fail, and put in charge of coordinating and leading a resistance to the Allies along the lines taken by the Vietnamese and others in wars seen much later in the 20th century.

The story quickly becomes a cat-and-mouse game, with Heydrich just barely staying one small step ahead of his hunters. In the meantime, his goons cause all kinds of destruction to both the Western Allies and the Russians too, and using weapons that quickly bring great fear to a weary American public.

In the meantime, back in the USA, a peace party has emerged that begins to tie President Truman's hands. Led by a very determined woman, who is mourning the loss of her son in the 'peace' that followed the collapse of Germany, a very real (almost too real) and plausible movement threatens to force the USA to aribitrarily leave Germany before the siutation is settled; much like the USA left European affairs after World War I.

Turtledove mines this very rich tapestry for all it's worth. The tension he creates, the uncertainties of the protagonists and the antagonists, along with all the political questions (many of which arebeing faced today, in current conflicts) are unearthed and laid bare. You truly never know where Heydrich will strike next and what impact that will have going forward. And just when you think you know where the author is taking you, he changes both the direction and the tempo of the story, and suddenly what seemed clear a second before is completely fuzzy again.

The Man With The Iron Heart, therefore, is truly a MASTERPIECE in the best and greatest sense of the word. By the time the reader is finished, you are quite satisfied in both the journey and the result. It is Turtledove at his best, at his most interesting, and at his most compelling too. I highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys good action, high drama, and political intrigue second to none.

Welcome back Harry, and thanks for a terrific read!

Very Disappointing
I had high hopes for this book, being the first Turtledove book I had read. As I love alternate history and as it is so often very bad, I was looking forward to reading a book by one of the supposed best authors in the genre. However, I found myself bitterly disappointed, for many reasons.

The setup is as follows: SS General Reinhard Heydrich survives his historical assassination in May 1942, and a few months later, after the German defeat at Stalingrad, asks his boss Heinrich Himmler for permission to set up an armed resistance movement in the event Germany is conquered. Cut to two years later, as Germany falls to the Allies and the Soviet Union, and Heydrich's Werewolf underground movement is launched.

My first problem quickly becomes clear after only a few chapters: The story is an EXTREMELY heavy-handed allegory about the Iraq/Afghanistan War. The Allies and Soviets become bogged down in a war of occupation against Werewolf, who use suicide bombs liberally, as their leader Heydrich hides in a cave (or salt mine, to be pedantic). Sound familiar? There's a clear Cindy Sheehan parallel as a main character, President Harry Truman often has George Bush quotes crammed in his mouth, and at one point the Werewolves hijack a transport aircraft and crash it into the Eiffel Tower. Subtle.

My second main problem is how the various sides are portrayed. Evidently, the Werewolves must plan really well, because every single operation they ever attempt goes off entirely flawlessly, with the Americans and Soviets completely stumped as to what to do. Allied and Soviet soldiers are all portrayed as clueless boors, as are all the characters who want the Allies to "cut and run" from Germany. The latter is clearly an indication of Turtledove's polotical beliefs, and the former isn't exactly the best way to engender likable (or realistic) main characters from those sides.

There are lots of other minor problems, like how dialogue is forced and unnatural, or the gratuitous (and somewhat unrealistic) amount of swearing and ethnic slurs Turtledove puts in his character's mouths, or the smaller historical anomalies that he ignores/misinterprets, but they don't require going into detail. I will say that of you want a good WW2 alternate history book, pick up 1945: A Novel by Robert Conroy. It's about the hypothetical invasion of Japan, and it's better in essentially every way.

Good, yet occasionally flawed
I've been a fan of Turtledove since I first came across Great War: American Front, and I can honestly say that, as a history fanatic, I find much of his work to be one thrill ride after another. With Man with the Iron Heart, I once again enjoyed the plethora of characters he creates, and laughed uproariously at the subtle (and not) commentaries and connections he made with the Iraq War/occupation. Nonetheless, I did find several parts somewhat off-putting, and on one or two occasions I found myself wondering out loud how idiotic and shortsighted some of the characters were. Some of the biggest problems I describe below (WARNING: Here be Spoilers):

1) The Cindy Sheehan-esque antiwar character Diana McGraw; I can understand why Turtledove would place such a character in this story to further illustrate his Iraq commentary, but I find it hard to believe that she would not be able to grasp the idea of the Nazis returning with ICBM-like rockets (which WERE on the drawing boards at the time), or that the Russians wouldn't just roll on to the Rhine if they even caught a whiff of Nazism reappearing. I did enjoy, however, the GOP congressman who essentially hijacks her movement to get his party back in the majority; typical move there. I also enjoyed (and didn't immediately catch) the subtle jab at 1940s American anti-Semitism, with the remarks between McGraw and a couple of her supporters after a heated conversation with a returning Jewish veteran (pg. 440)

2) The return of the German physicists to the occupied zones. Given what happened with Operation Paperclip in our history, I find it absurd that the British or the US would allow men with such knowledge to return to their former lives in Germany with such an insurgency as Turtledove describes running rampant. the likeliest outcome would have been their removal, as actually happened, to important positions in either the UK or the US; the rise of Werner von Braun in NASA is evidence enough of that probability.

3) The general antiwar attitude permeating both civilian and military bodies. From what I've studied of the postwar period, there was ample reason to bring home hundreds of thousands of soldiers, as well as countless amounts of materiel, and yet within the next five years, many of those are still (or back) in Europe as part of NATO. Granted, they didn't have a festering rebellion going on as in this book, but the unspoken reason for NATO's existence was, at the time, to "Keep the Americans in, the Russians out, and the Germans down." Skillful anti-Communist propaganda, as well as genuine (albeit misplaced) fear of nuclear devastation following the 1949 Soviet A-bomb test, was what kept the US in Europe to this day, and did the same all around the world thanks to the idiotic "domino theory", and I find it very hard to believe that Truman wouldn't be able to work both those concerns with members of both parties, and drown out the isolationists.

Overall, I enjoyed this book; it gave me a new angle to observe current events in Iraq, and rekindled my interest in Cold War studies. If not for the issues mentioned above, this would be one of Turtledove's great stand-alone works, up there with Ruled Britannia and the Guns of the South. As it is, Man with the Iron Heart is a decent read, but won't be one of my favorites anytime soon.

Believable, and frightening alternative history ripped from the pages of today's paper
In this not so subtle parallel of modern fourth generation warfare, Turtledove again weaves and alternative history. He leaves behind his favored series of a post Confederate victory history and weaves a new world of a post Nazi Germany where some refuse to surrender to conventional defeat. Instead, a growing resistance in Germany builds to a fever pitch leading to the inevitable rebirth of the National Socialists. This leads America to the horns of a dilemma between The Forever War or giving up hard-fought gains.It is the same dilemma faced in Vietnam in the late 20th century and now faced in Afghanistan in the early 21st. Did not Mark Twain say that history does not repeat itself but sometimes it rhymes? Turtledove reveals how true that could be with minor twists to what was which turn to what could have been, and what is now.

The characters are believable and easy to relate with. The plot is, in light of the distinct parallels with today's news, somewhat predictable yet immensely enjoyable all the same.As might be expected, the ending leaves one with an obvious opening to sequels whether such are in the works or not. A thought-provoking read that reveals that there are no easy answers and perhaps, in such situations, the choice between two paths may lead to equally unwanted historical consequences. Very well done.

Turtledove Jumps the Shark!
Having read almost every Harry Turtledove alternate history, I consider myself a devoted fan and also accepting of his idiosyncrasies, quirks, and deficiencies. Turtledove repeats and rehashes themes constantly and his alternate history takes shortcuts by using actual history as a template that is obviously transparent.Nevertheless, his style and methods usually work to make a good story. Somehow, he is usually very creative, predictable, fascinating, and plodding, all at the same time. I have previously reviewed several of his books favorably. My opinions often increased as I wrote each review with the realization that I really enjoyed the books and the positives far outweighed the negatives. Unfortunately, that is not the case with The Man with the Iron Heart. Turning post World War II Germans into Al Qaeda type fanatics did not work in my imagination. The portrayal of the home front peace movement in the U.S. had no believability either and dragged down the story. Worst of all, the book often bored me and seemed ridiculous at the same time. Perhaps I have reached the saturation point with Turtledove, or more likely, he is tired, rushed,and running out of ideas. Did Turtledove "jump the shark" with this one? ... Read more

Product Description
From the master of alternate history comes an epic of the second Civil War. It was an epoch of glory and success, of disaster and despair. In the "Second" War Between the States, the times, the stakes, and the battle lines had changed--and so would history. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (126)

Good start, nice middle, loses a touch at end
Okay book overall, great idea that the South won and kind of started his other series, and it didn't need to have unrealistic, and for that time, futuristic means for winning. If you plan to read his other books in southern timeline history, this will get you started, but the later books are unrelated in how the South won and doesn't have the future weapons involved etc.

Entertaining But Stuffy and Implausible
This prologue to a great series starts slow with a flashback to the time of Robert E. Lee's incursion into the north during the American Civil War. In this history Lee's special order 191 is not lost to McClellan's Army of the Potomac, insuring Confederate victory. In the following 200 pages a second civil war unfolds through drudging expository dialogue follows. Characters describe the events that transpire during the 2nd war between the states. Historical figures including Stonewall Jackson, Teddy Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln, and others skip around the country from flashpoint to flashpoint which gives the reader a hint at the scope of the conflict but leaves one looking for more. At the end of the day, while this book makes one think about the America that might have been, I long for a book that was either a bit more focused on a smaller group of characters interacting in a smaller theater or conversely, a larger field of characters with more emphasis on the scope of this second war. Either way, it's a good read; I'll be starting the next book in the series soon.

Interesting Alternate History
I love Civil War stories and Harry Turtledove. If you read "Guns Of The South" then you will need to read this.

Part 1 in a Series
How Few Remain is the first book in the TL-191 series, named after Special Orders 191, the famous "Lost Order" which the Union captured after a Confederate courier dropped it. This book opens with a Rebel foot soldier calling after that courier to come pick it up.The next scene takes place a few weeks later with Union staff officer George Custer telling the Federal army commander, McClellan, that the Rebels have turned the Union lines outside of Philadelphia.McClellan says "Boo-hoo-hoo, all is lost!" which is also what he said during the real Civil War, even while Grant and Sherman were sweeping the Rebels before them.

Fast forward 20 years and we learn the Confederates won the war and became independent.Now they're trying to become a two-ocean nation by buying the Mexican state west of Texas, and the state west of that, which has a Pacific coast.(Though they're still behind a chokepoint--I never understood why they didn't take Baja California while they were at it.)The President of the United States threatens war and the Confederate president calls him on it.To get Britain and France to support them, the Confeds need to promise the gradual end of slavery, which makes for surprisingly little controversy in Richmond.

Anyway, the war gets underway with Stonewall Jackson commanding all Rebel armies but mostly focusing on the army defending Louisville, Kentucky (the Rebs got Kentucky thrown into their treaty after the last war) against a US seige.The US commanders are dumb as posts but their numerical and industrial advantages allow them to stay in the field for about a year.In northern Montana the Anglo-Canadian commander is as dumb as the US generals and lets Custer and Theodore Roosevelt beat him.The two fight over the glory of the battle and become a pair of larger-than-life heroes for decades to come.Other than that the US loses everywhere and surrenders.Germany extends a hand in friendship and offers to help them get their military-industrial complex up to snuff.The Rebs reaffirm their friendship with Britain and France and everything's in place for the Great War.

I've heard it said that this book felt like a rush job to get in position for the sequel.I thought it stood alone quite well.The stupidity of US generals was a little hard to take but every one of them looked like Napoleon compared to the commanders at the end of the series.Book was pretty well researched and seemed more or less realistic.And it's the odd man out of the series: set in the nineteenth century, historical viewpoint characters, not part of a trilogy or tetralogy within TL-191.It's a 1990s Turtledove book so it's got its share of gratuitous sex, but it's well-written overall.If this style had held throughout the series I'd be happier than I am with what we do get.

pertty darn good
This was a delightful read. Mr. turtledove really does understand his characters and it reflects in his writing. All the "what-ifs" he presents are plausible and his historical characters come off as believable. Lincoln as a radical Marxist? You bet; TR clashing with G.A. Custer also very well done--Turtledove demonstrates how egomanical each one was but, he also demonstrates how political savy and street smarts make TR ultimately the winner. Best for last though, Sam Clemens is absolutely perfect, I was mildly surprised to find that Turtledove wrote clemens' editorials rather than (like Lincoln's speeches) adapting them from exsant writings. He has Clemens' attitudes and idioms to absolute perfection. That in fact was my major quibble with the book, I could have done with at least an epilogue's worth of Clemens and Lincoln and some of the others on recovery and reconstruction. I agree with one of the other reveiwers who commented likewise on how the book just sort of peters out.
Oh well, on to the GREAT WAR. ... Read more

Product Description
From Pearl Harbor to panzers rolling through Paris to the Siege of Leningrad and the Battle of Midway, war seethed across the planet as the flames of destruction rose higher and hotter.
And then, suddenly, the real enemy came.
The invaders seemed unstoppable, their technology far beyond human reach. And never before had men been more divided. For Jew to unite with Nazi, American with Japanese, and Russian with German was unthinkable.
But the alternative was even worse.
As the fate of the world hung in the balance, slowly, painfully, humankind took up the shocking challenge . . .
... Read more

Customer Reviews (113)

Awful
This is the first and the last book of Harry Turtledove that I wil read....awful....stupid....not at all what I expected in the least.....not good at all....very dissapointing......:(

Interesting at times...
In my opinion it was an interesting enough book.I enjoyed the references to history and historical figures.One of the best portions of the book was a short conversation/arguement between the Russian foreign Minister and Hitler.Mr. Turtledove has a wonderful grasp of history and meshes it well with the story.I did think there was too much innappropriate material in the book.For example, i did not care for or that the "Lizards" began to study "mating rituals" of the humans.I thought that was too much and unnecesary, it seemed like it was added for effect, the book and story could have moved along just as well without all the sex.It was interesting enough with all the history and interaction of historical figures with the fictional characters.But I would caution anyone looking for a good clean book, this ain't it.In my opinion it was not Mr. Turtledove's best work, but it was an interesting twist on history.Don't know if I will pursue the next book in the series though.

Entertaining
Worldwar: In the Balance, is one of Turtledove's alternate universe books, this time, describing what might happen if, during WW II, the world was invaded by aliens.The author picksabout 7 groups of people and headhops between them asa way of telling the story. As the war progresses, so do the characters and their lives.

I have enjoyed Turtledove's books in previous volumes, because he has a way of humanizing individuals and telling a story which is both entertaining and somewhat frustrating. Turtledove is the master of the `multiple POV switcheroo,' so just when you get used to reading about Jewish resistance members in the ghetto, he will switch to Chicago, or a spaceship and write about those characters.

This is the first book in a series of books which cover the same theme, so if you like this one, pick up the sequels.. I particularly liked the fact that the aliens were not big scary monsters, but child-sized lizards. Such a change from your typical invasion fantasy. I also liked the fact that the Germans weren't all portrayed as evil demonic people, but actually people just as ignorant and normal as everyone else.

Review of IN THE BALANCE
I enjoyed this book. It mixes science fiction with alternative history. Itdescribes historical figures and common people caught up in these alternate events. The aliens are very believable. And I like the idea that it is a series that goes on book after book. I wish the series could go on forever.

Excellent book, poor kindle execution
Love the book, is well worth the time and money spent, however, the kindle version is extremely poor as it is filled with typos and missing/incorrect punctuation that makes reading a chore. Thankfully, Turtledove's content and writing style make for a gripping experience that invites the reader to continue turning pages. When I finish this book, I doubt I'll buy the kindle versions of the others, but instead will go back to dead tree versions for greater readibility (even though I'll have to sacrifice the convenience of my ebook device).

Harry Turtledove = 5 stars
Amazon Kindle version = 1 star ... Read more

Product Description

When the Great War engulfed Europe in 1914, the United States and the Confederate States of America, bitter enemies for five decades, entered the fray on opposite sides: the United States aligned with the newly strong Germany, while the Confederacy joined forces with their longtime allies, Britain and France. But it soon became clear to both sides that this fight would be different--that war itself would never be the same again. For this was to be a protracted, global conflict waged with new and chillingly efficient innovations--the machine gun, the airplane, poison gas, and trench warfare.

Across the Americas, the fighting raged like wildfire on multiple and far-flung fronts. As President Theodore Roosevelt rallied the diverse ethnic groups of the northern states--Irish and Italians, Mormons and Jews--Confederate President Woodrow Wilson struggled to hold together a Confederacy still beset by ignorance, prejudice, and class divisions. And as the war thundered on, southern blacks, oppressed for generations, found themselves fatefully drawn into a climactic confrontation . . .Amazon.com Review
Harry Turtledove's second multivolume saga of 20th-century "alternativehistory," How Few Remain, takes place in a world inwhich the Confederate States win the Civil War and in 1914, allied withEngland and France, go to war against the United States once more. All thehorrors of World War I, such as trench warfare and mustard gas, arepresent, only this time they're situated in a North American theater ofoperations where the U.S. fights enemies on both its northern and southernborders while Confederate blacks, studying up on left-wing radicals KarlMarx and Abe Lincoln, prepare for the revolution. As in Turtledove'searlier Worldwar series, the majority of attention is paid to anassortment of people at the battlefields and home fronts, their storiesunfolding in gradual increments that, at least so far, only intermittentlyconnect with each other. And there's not as much in the way of "real"historical figures popping up in this first volume of The Great War series,save for cameo appearances by U.S. president Theodore Roosevelt,Confederate president Woodrow Wilson, an aging General Custer, and ahandful of others. It remains to be seen whether future entries in theseries will feature such obvious candidates for inclusion as the youngErnest Hemingway, and how they'll appear in this strange new world.--Ron Hogan ... Read more

Customer Reviews (122)

American Front (The Great War, Book1)
This series about what would have happen if the South won the Civil War, and a divided America faced the world during WWI and WWII and beyond gives great insite into history and our culture.

It's a long series of books, but that is a good thing!

America's Galactic Foreign Legion: Book 1: Feeling Lucky (Volume 1)

Good series, but tires you if you continue
My review is the same for all books of the series.Decent story, a little slow, but also one of the most annoying series becuase he repeats things over and over. Examples are that southern tobacco is way better that northern and northern smokes taste terrible. Also,this black guy was former butler who worked for this white rich lady and was taught to talk like an educated white man and details about his time there. Many more things like this, so just about anytime a soldier smokes in these books( about 100 times) you have to hear about the tobacco, etc. Each character has something told about them over and over and over and over and over, see how annoying that is. These irritating things are just minor pains right now, it continues though and is very tiring to read.

Part 2 in a Series
This book sets the pattern for the rest of TL-191.Here we meet many of the viewpoint characters who will, for better or worse, be with us up through the end.(Plenty will die along the way.)

The book opens with another flashback to 1862, the last time we'll see things as they were when this timeline diverged from our own.First we see Robert E Lee's army capture Philadelphia (we had heard about this in How Few Remain.)Next the British ambassador to the US visits Lincoln in the White House and twists his arm into recognizing the CSA as an independent nation on pain of war.The ambassador is a vile creature in Turtledove's hands but Lincoln has no choice and acquiesces.As the ambassador is leaving he says "I predict the day will come when the USA and CSA stand up as a pair of proud brothers."

I spent the next nine years wondering if that was supposed to foreshadow anything.It doesn't.Perhaps Turtledove threw it in as a misdirection.

Fastforward to 1914.A Serb kills Franz Ferdinand, Austria-Hungary goes to war with Serbia, Russia with Austria-Hungary, Germany with Russia, France with Germany, Britain with Germany . . . You know how this goes.Then the US (led by Theodore Roosevelt, a bit of an irony) declares war on France and Britain and is just dying to jump onto the Confederacy.Being in the Entente, Woodrow Wilson's CSA complies, and now it's on!

War between the USA and CSA on seven fronts, six of them being US invasions, though in their one invasion the CS takes Washington.(The US knew that would happen and had moved the seat of government to Philly years ago.)War with Anglo-Canadian forces on five fronts, all US invasions.A Mormon rebellion--In HFR they rose up and seized control of Utah before the US Army came in and occupied them.This time they're willing to make a real fight of it.Submarine warfare throughout the Atlantic.In the Pacific the US Navy attacks the Royal Navy in Hawaii and takes control.The British come back with Japanese friends but can't retake the islands.In Europe there's fighting--With no Canadians and fewer Brits in the trenches, the Germans are at much less of a numerical disadvantage this time.Fighting in Africa.Fighting in South America.Fighting in the Caribbean.

Only battles in North America get their own coverage, and not all of those.The rest are referred to offstage in a way that makes the reader feel like this is a real global war and we're witnessing only a small part of the whole--something very much lacking in the Second Great War of the Settling Accounts books.

Everything is covered by about a dozen viewpoint characters, all but one of whom actually survive the book!A lot of soldiers on both sides, a US sailor, a US fisherman, his wife, a Socialist radical from New York (socialists are the #2 party in this America since the GOP was discredited by two straight disastrous war losses.The once-dovish Democrats eliminated the hawkish GOP and celebrated by becoming hawks.The Socialists are by and large just a few short removes from Marxists--Remember this for later.) a US civilian trapped in occupied Washington, and a pair of Canadian farmers, one Anglophone and one Francophone, who get caught behind the lines.A Confederate aristocrat, a free-in-name-only black man who runs her household, and another black man from Kentucky, whose home is quickly overrun by the US.He works for the US Army and eventually gets roped into working for the Confed resistance, the Socialists, and the US secret police, all at the same time!

Much of the war is typical WWI style story: trench warfare, poison gas, machine guns, other pleasantries.The really dynamic element is that the barely-free blacks of the CS have bought into Marxism and are planning a revolution, with US support.At the end of this book the debutante's butler, Scipio, who had not been the most willing conspirator, watches the field workers rise up and burn the plantation and declare "The revolution begins NOW, Kip!"It was an exciting cliffhanger ending that left me dying for more.If I'd only known. . . .

Turtledove delivers another interesting "what if" scenario
This is the second volume in Turtledove's eleven-book series that began with How Few Remain.In this book, the CSA is allied with France and England while the USA is allied with Germany when what we know as WWI breaks out.In this storyline, the third War Between the States begins in 1914.

Turtledove borrowed an actual historical event for his "Christmas Truce" between U.S. and Confederate forces in 1914.On Christmas Eve, 1914, this actually happened in the muddy fields of Flanders in Belgium.German troops put up Christmas trees on trench parapets and began singing carols.Even though the language was unfamiliar to their enemies, the songs weren't.By Christmas morning, British, French and Belgian troops all along the front were in the "no man's land" between the trenches shaking hands with their German enemies, exchanging gifts, and also burying the dead on both sides.In some cases, they even played soccer; mostly with improvised soccer balls.This truce was over by New Year's Day, when repeated threats of court martial by officers on both sides of the line caused the troops to restart hostilities.Even though WWI dragged on for three more years, attempts to organize similar truces failed.

In AMERICAN FRONT, Turtledove uses this event as a template for his truce between U.S. and Confederate armies fighting in the trenches of Kentucky.Of course he changed the friendly game into American football, but the gist of the idea remained the same when men on both sides traded rations, visited with one another, and wondered why they were fighting at all.In this fictitious account, however, the truce is over by December 26th when the guns on both sides start shelling the opposing trench lines once again.

The story jumps around a bit because there are so many different characters fighting on all sides.One minute you're reading about civilians in South Carolina, and the next you're seeing the struggles of French and English farmers in Canadian provinces under United States occupation.If you're a student of history you'll enjoy these books tremendously.A word of advice, though - before reading AMERICAN FRONT, be sure to read How Few Remain first, or you'll be lost for certain.

Great book, except for one thing...
I haven't finished this book yet, but I must to say it's one of the best alternate history stories I've had the pleasure to read. However, there is one part of the book that I find a too hard to believe, and that is the Mormon Uprising that begins somewhat around the middle of the novel.

As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I know that we would not do such a thing as this. In fact, one of the basic tenets of our faith is being "subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law."

I was greatly disturbed by some of the scenes in Utah, particularly those describing woman and children as young as eight fanatically attacking the U.S. troops, to the point that the Army essentially had to wipe out everyone in the town. To me, this is the behavior one would see in a cult, something that the LDS Church is not. Anyone wishing to challenge me on this point may feel free to do so, but privately and in a dignified manner.

[...].

As I said earlier, I've found this book to be an excellent read so far, and I'd recommend it to other alternate history fans as a good addition to their collection. ... Read more

Product Description
The twentieth century was awash in war. World powers were pouring men and machines onto the killing fields of Europe. Then, in one dramatic stroke, a divided planet was changed forever. An alien race attacked Earth, and for every nation, every human being, new battle lines were drawn. .

HOMEWARD BOUND

With his epic novels of alternate history, Harry Turtledove shares a stunning vision of what might have been–and what might still be–if one moment in history were changed. In the WorldWar and Colonization series, an ancient, highly advanced alien species found itself locked in a bitter struggle with a distant, rebellious planet–Earth. For those defending the Earth, this all-out war for survival supercharged human technology, made friends of foes, and turned allies into bitter enemies.

For the aliens known as the Race, the conflict has yielded dire consequences. Mankind has developed nuclear technology years ahead of schedule, forcing the invaders to accept an uneasy truce with nations that possess the technology to defend themselves. But it is the Americans, with their primitive inventiveness, who discover a way to launch themselves through distant space–and reach the Race’s home planet itself.

Now–in the twenty-first century–a few daring men and women embark upon a journey no human has made before. Warriors, diplomats, traitors, and exiles–the humans who arrive in the place called Home find themselves genuine strangers on a strange world, and at the center of a flash point with terrifying potential. For their arrival on the alien home world may drive the enemy to make the ultimate decision–to annihilate an entire planet, rather than allow the human contagion to spread. It may be that nothing can deter them from this course.

With its extraordinary cast of characters–human, nonhuman, and some in between–Homeward Bound is a fascinating contemplation of cultures, armies, and individuals in collision. From the novelist USA Today calls “the leading author of alternate history,” this is a novel of vision, adventure, and constant, astounding surprise.


From the Hardcover edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (80)

Best Science Fiction Series Ever
America's Galactic Foreign Legion - Book 1: Feeling Lucky

"Homeward Bound" is the conclusion of the best science fiction series ever written.Harry Turtledove is the reason I read science fiction.The world he created (aliens attacking Earth during World War II) and the history lessons it taught are amazing.

One long monotone note
I can't say I'm surprised, I did read the other reviews. But I will say I am severely dissapointed! I decided to read this book simply because I had already read the other six, so why stop now? But this book was a total waist, no rythem, not rise, no fall, just flat and monotone. There were so many opportunites for drama and conflict, none of which were taken. When I got to the end (last 1% on my kindle) I couldn't even "feel" the end, it might as well have been the middle, or the beginning for that matter. If you've read the other books and can't help but read this one (or have absolutely nothing better to do) I get it, but if your out there looking for a new book to read, and are thinking about this series, don't bother!

I wanted more.
The book is good when you look at the whole series. But I thought it was a bore compared to the other books.

The Race grows up and so does turtledove
I bought all the 3 worldwar novels, and then the Second Contact novels.
Never in my 35 years of existence have i ever read such a long series of books forgetting sleep, work and sometimes even food!
Turtledove is a master at work and you really feel him grow up the characters slowly.
Ttomalss feels the pains of a teacher being infatuated with a student AND a parent's feeling towards his ward. After all he struggled with kassquit from her infancy.
Atvar's pains to accomodate the Tosevites, and his understanding of their quick progress makes more interesting reading.
Turtledove does make some small mistakes known only to deep readers.
For instance the comments that Sam yeager makes. (Am not going to reveal it).
As expected, turtledove does not bring it to a clear conclusion. But it is still more enjoyable.
I have atleast started using the tags addled, hatchling, and the emphatic cough in my real life without knowing it.

Magnificent
Having now read all 8 books in the World War / Colonization saga - I am left wanting more. What a fantastic little (hardly) bit of fiction, the characters are well rounded and likable, the sort of people you can be friends with and never be ashamed to know them.

I, in my most humble opinion, would suggest that if you did not thoroughly enjoy these books that you check your pulse.

Well done Mr Turtledove, please continue with this series of characters and this fascinating saga. ... Read more

Product Description
When the Duke of Bari suddenly dies, the neighboring nation of Algarve, long seething over its defeat a generation ago in the Six Years' War, sees its chance to bring Bari into the fold...an action which the other countries surrounding Algarve cannot, by treaty, tolerate. As nation after nation declares war, a chain of treaties are invoked, ultimately bringing almost all the Powers of Derlavai into a war of unprecedented destructiveness.

For modern magic is deadlier than in ears past. Trained flocks of dragons rain explosive fire down on defenseless cities. Massed infantry race from place to place along a network of ley-lines. Rival powers harness sea leviathans to help sabotage one another's ships. The lights are going out all across Derlavai, and will not come back on in this lifetime.

Against this tapestry Harry Turtledove tells the story of an enormous cast of characters: soldiers and generals, washerwomen and scholars, peasants and diplomats. For all the world, highborn and low, is being plunged by world war...into the darkness.
Amazon.com Review
Harry Turtledove is known for his alternate histories; fromThe Guns of theSouth to TheGreat War: American Front, he's practiced at imagining theways society would have changed if various things had been differentin history. Sometimes it's a key figure surviving (or dying); othertimes it's a strange new variable, like aliens landing during WorldWar II. With Into the Darkness, Turtledove investigates a newwrinkle in this successful field: What if a world war were foughtusing magic?

Although Into the Darkness doesn't take place on Earth, thecharacters are humans, and they react in plausible ways. In fact, theuses of magic for political ends are eerily similar to the waysweapons have been used to wage cold wars in our own world. And as themagic grows more powerful, the destructive cost of war to the peopleof Derlavai grows as well. This is no enchanting fantasy world wherekindly old wizards use their magic to kill dragons and save fairmaidens. Turtledove has envisioned a place where the humans aredecidedly political and greedy, and where magic is just a way ofgetting what you want. --Adam Fisher ... Read more

Customer Reviews (65)

A fun look at how useless war really is.
This book has taken some flak (pun intended) for being predictable, having too many characters, and some other things.

I for one loved this book and look forward to the next.I enjoyed reading how everything was suttle in a sense of how similar all the people of each nation really were.It was a good look at how aside from clothes, language (and even that is similar between the nations), and how they flavor their sausage, the nations really are all in the same mindset.The peasants want to be left alone, the soldiers want to be away from war and in bed with women, and the nobles want to rule the peasants.

I also like how you get to see how some characters, who were left out for a while, got along through the eyes of others that run into them by happenstance.

Through all of these things I also enjoyed finding the similarities to reality.Matching countries, aircraft carriers, etc.

If you look at this book as predictable on a War stance, it will be, but if you look at it only in the storylines of the characters and not the bigger picture of war allegory it makes for a fantastic read.

War stories with a twist.Unique concepts well-exectued.
As the first volume in the massive World at War series, INTO THE DARKNESS successfully draws the reader in to Turtledove's very well-developed alternate reality.Here we get our first glimpse into the vaguely familiar, but starkly unique, world that is meant to mirror our own, but in a fantasy setting.Loosely based on our own history's World War II, this story may be more enjoyable for those with a greater familiarity with the major events and figures of WWII.That being said, this is still an enjoyable story even if you are ignorant of -or simply ignore- the connections between it and our own history.

The greatest complaint that this book has received has been the overabundance of point of view (main) characters.With each chapter being broken up into 5-10 short segments representing the view from one of ~16 primary characters, this book can be confusing at first.However, as you become more familiar with the terms, lands, and characters, you'll find yourself becoming comfortable with this style.One thing it does lead to though, is very slow character development.If each chapter was dedicated to a single character, most characters would only have had a single chapter all told.That doesn't leave very much room for really getting to know the characters.I at least hope that Turtledove stuck with the same POV characters throughout the series.

Another interesting aspect of this book is the complete lack of 'good' and 'bad' characters.Each of the them are cast as being very 'human' with good and bad qualities, and with unique perspectives that cause them to act and believe in certain ways.Soldiers on both sides of a war typically think that they are on the side of justice, and Turtledove manages to capture that aspect of war very nicely.You may like some characters over others, but you can't really pinpoint which characters are the heroes and which are the villains.

Overall, I enjoyed this read.Not as much as I had hoped for, but I look forward to continuing the series.Recommended for fans of fantasy, especially those with a good grounding in the history of WWII.

Episode I of a fantasy World War Two
"Into the Darkness" is the first part of Harry Turtledove's six-volume reworking of the World War Two story set on a planet where technology is based on magic rather than machines.

Dragon riders replace aircraft, Behemoths replace tanks, East and West have been transposed, Eurasia has been moved to the Southern hemisphere so that Scandinavia becomes equatorial, and names and superficial national characteristics have all been changed. But this is real history, not alternative history. Again and again the terrible events of the book are based on real historical incidents.

Some of the changes to racial characteristics are impishly amusing, such as the fact that the people who correspond to the Finns live in an equatorial climate and look like Zulus, while the Saraha Desert becomes "the land of the Ice people," the Gyongyosian people who correspond to the Japanese are physically large, and the Kuusamans who correspond to Americans have epicanthic folds.

Other changes are rather more biting - the "Kaunians" who correspond to Jews are tall, blue-eyed, and blonde.

What Turtledove appears to be trying to do with this series is to study how different people responded to a time of great evil. Some people were sucked into taking part in that evil, some fought against it, others just tried to live through it. The changes to the names and characteristics of the participants seem to be intended to give the reader an opportunity to leave behind some of our emotional baggage about the holocaust so that we can try, not to justify the wrongs which people did in terrible times, but to understand how it could have happened.

All but two or three of the characters in the first few books books are fictional - Hitler is King Mezentio of Algarve, Stalin is King Swemmel of Unkerlant, and Marshal Rathar gradually morphs into Zhukov. This actually makes the story more exiting, as the characters are presented well enough that you care about them: we all know how World War II turned out but the readers has no such certainty about the fate of the fictional characters.

The six books of the series each corresponds very roughly indeed to about a year's real historical events. The first book, "Into the Darkness", mostly covers events corresponding to those between the start of the fighting when Hitler invaded Poland to the fall of France in 1940: the last few pages of the book are mostly filler taking the story up to set the scene for Operation Barbarossa, Hitler's attack on Russia in 1941, which is covered in the second book, "Darkness Descending."

The series is best read in the correct sequence. All the books of this series have the word "Darkness" in the title, but the publishers refer to it as the "Derlavi" series, this being the name given in the books for the great continent which corresponds to Eurasia. It is sometimes also described as the "World at War" sequence. The full set of six books in their correct order is:

"Into the Darkness"
"Darkness Descending"
"Through the Darkness"
"Rulers of the Darkness"
"Jaws of Darkness"
"Out of the Darkness".

Bottom line: the mood is as black as the titles indicate, but the series is a very exciting read.

Yamabushi's mini reviews XXI
Turtledove, although a very good writer, seems to have no compunction about dragging out his stories into massive tomes that meander pointlessly for chapter after chapter. This series, an analogue of WWII, is more of the same; unnecessary characters, unnecessary information. Someone get this man an editor.

The Beginning Of The "Darkness" Series
One of the masters of the alternate universe brings us the "Darkness" series, a six book journey that takes us through six years of the world of Derlavai at war. There are multiple plotlines and points of view, characters too numerous to mention, triumphs and tragedies, drama, suspense, and surprise. Magic is a physical law on Derlavai, and is the subject of study and experimentation much like physics is on Earth - anyone can "perform" magic, as long as you are properly instructed. Magic is the primary source of energy, used for transportation, heating, lighting, and also for weaponry.

It didn't take long for me to realize that this entire series is an analog for the Second World War. Rather than guns and cannons, soldiers fight with magically-charged "sticks" and "heavy sticks". Dragons take the place of fighters and bombers, equipped with heavy sticks and dropping magically-charged explosive eggs. "Behemoths" (think a cross between an elephant and a rhinocerous) take the place of tanks. Rather than artillery, heavy sticks are mounted on wheels and pulled by horses or mules. Leviathans (large sea creatures roughly the size of a killer whale) are controlled by a rider and ply the seas in the place of submarines and destroyers. Mass transit vehicles travel on a magical grid of "ley lines" that provide locomotion, while individual carriages are still horse-drawn.

At the beginning of the series, Algarve (the analog of Germany) "reclaims" the Duchy Of Grelz under the pretext of "liberating" its largely Algarvic population. Forthweg (the analog of Poland) declares war on Algarve, who then conquer the much smaller Forthwegian army and procede toinvade Forthweg. Unkerlant (the analog of the USSR) doesn't want an Algarvian presence on its border (which they share with Forthweg), so they invade Forthweg from the west, essentially splitting Forthweg in half. A large percentage of the Forthwegian population happen to be Kaunians, descendants of the original, ancient inhabitants of Derlavai, displaced from much of their land and culture when Algarvian tribes invaded Derlavai in ancient times. Kaunians continue to be a persecuted people the countries inhabited by descendants of Algarvian stock, and when modern Algarve invades modern Forthweg thatpersecution is taken to extreme, and thus begins the Kaunian Holocaust.

One by one, most other countries enter the fray - Gyongyos is the Japanese analog, Kuusamo is the analog of the United States (and is also the home of a secret superweapon project), Valmiera and Jelgava are countries of Kaunian rather than Algarvian stock, and are roughly analogous to France and Spain. Lagoas plays the part of Great Britain, while Yanina is roughly equivalent to Italy.

Many Turtledove fans find this to be a weak series, but I thoroughly enjoyed it the two times I read it. Lots of action, romance, espionage, and traitorous activity for any fan. I recommend it. ... Read more

Product Description
In the extraordinary Worldwar tetralogy, set against the backdrop of the World War II, Harry Turtledove, the "Hugo-winning master of alternate SF" (Publishers Weekly), wove an explosive saga of world powers locked in conflict against an enemy from the stars. Now he expands his magnificent epic into the volatile 1960s, when the space race is in its infancy and humanity must face its greatest challenge: alien colonization of planet Earth.

Yet even in the shadow of this inexorable foe, the United States, the Soviet Union, and Nazi Germany are unable to relinquish their hostilities and unite against a massive new wave of extraterrestrials. For all the countries of the world, this is the greatest threat of all. This time, the terrible price of defeat will be the conquest of our world, and perhaps the extinction of the human race itself.Amazon.com Review
Harry Turtledove pays tribute to pulp science fiction,combining a favorite plot--invasion by technologically superioraliens--with an alternate history of WWII and its aftermath. His Worldwar Seriesbegan the story when a fleet of lizard-like aliens arrived to conquerEarth in May 1942. It ended in 1945 with a negotiated peace betweenthe Race, the nuclear powers (the Reich, the USSR, and the USA), andthe much-weakened Britain and Japan.

Colonization: SecondContact continues the saga, but you need not read the previousseries to enjoy it. When the colonists arrive in 1962, they'reunprepared for a half-conquered world. After several of their shipsare destroyed by a nuclear missile of mysterious origin, they accusethe conquest forces of incompetence. Muslims in the conquered MiddleEast are staging an Intifada, the Chinese Communists continueguerrilla warfare against the invaders, and everyone's smuggling ginger,which is powerfully addictive among the Race and has unanticipatedeffects on the female colonists.

Turtledove's cast of charactersincludes sharply drawn alien soldiers and civilians as well as a mixof convincing historical and fictional humans from all over theworld. He covers all the sixties issues: generational conflict, thedrug culture, racial inequality, the threat of atomic apocalypse, andthe frustration of soldiers in an unwinnable war. If you enjoyalternate history and old B movies, this book's for you. --NonaVero ... Read more

Customer Reviews (103)

Second Contact Colonization, Book 1
Harry Turtledove's entire Colonization series about aliens attacking Earth during World War II is the best science fiction I have ever read, and inspired my writting.Turtledove combined history, humor and drama to cread great greatness.

The Colonization series is the best of his alternative history ideas.

America's Galactic Foreign Legion: Book 1: Feeling Lucky (Volume 1)

a wonderful cure for insomnia!
this SERIES is substandard at best. the pace is slower than glacial retreat. the writing is very badly done. for example: "bob" we shall call him.. every time bob appears in the book we see something along these lines .. "bob peddled his bike down the rode, cursing the pain in his legs from the nerve gas he was exposed to during the war with germany". the next time bob appears you get "bob walked up the stairs, cursing the pain in his legs from the german nerve gas...". the next "bob sat down rubbing his legs which hurt constantly from his exposure to german nerve gas..." ALRIGHT ALREADY I GET IT! HE WAS GASSED, HIS LEGS ARE SCREWED UP!

another case of pointless repetition is one of the members of the conquest fleet... a female. turtledove seems to be obsessed with her diddling herself. still another is the fact that pilot X flies a variant of a german A45 rocket named after his wife who is 1/4 jewish. over and over and over and....

i find that the most i can read of these books in one sitting is about 2 pages before i start nodding off from the boredom.

Not a war novel, but makes you think!
Ok, anyone reading this and thinking that it's going to be the fast paced war novel such as the WW2 series is going to be upset. That said, this book has LOTS going for it. It deals more with social issues and how the Race has changed the way we live. It also introduces female members of the Race. In summery, much slower paced, not a war novel, but darn good reading.

A complete waste of time
Having a great interest in history, when I heard about Harry Turtledove writing novels of alternative history, I was hoping that they were something I would enjoy.Perhaps if I had started with his earlier books, I might have, but this book definitely didn't interest me much.

Alternative history is one thing, attack and colonization by alien lizards who are constantly looking to get "high" by ingesting ginger was just a bit too much to take.

The only bit of the book that I found a bit amusing was a mention of a Spike Jones record playing.Instead of the actual "In Der Fuhrer's Face" song, in this book the song has become "In the Fleet Lord's Face".

Unless you plan on reading the entire series, of which this book is the first, you will be disappointed because nothing get resolved by the end of this book.IMO, even if books are part of a series, they should stand alone.If the author wants to continue the series that is OK but each book should have a conclusion and not end like a soap opera or an episode of "Dallas".

Turtledove takes an NBK quote to heart
"Repetition works, David.Repetition works, David"-Wayne Gale

Story: Very little happens.After having read the Worldwar series, I am thrust into the 1960s, and the Colonization fleet has arrived.The Lizards of the Colonization fleet are confused and stubborn and disillusioned that Earth hasn't been completely pacified for them.Then several of their ships are destroyed by an unmarked Human satellite with nuclear weapons, and there's suspicion as to whether it is the United States, the Soviet Union, or the Greater German Reich.No one finds out.

A coup-de-tat occurs in Russia in which the NKVD head Lavrenti Pavlovich Beria attempts to take power and oust Vyacheslav Molotov, only to be thwarted by the still-perhaps-loyal General Georgi Zhukov, who kills Beria and re-installs Molotov after David Nussboym betrays the NKVD and rescues Molotov.This all happens in the space of maybe 5 pages max, so you can see how much we're supposed to care about this turn of events.

Ginger is bad for the Race, but worst for Females, as it sends them into their mating season early, and causes lots of havoc as Males are forced to have sex with them.

Then there's the United States with a highly secret space project which gets as much security as the Nuclear Research project had 20 years earlier.Of course at the end, we're shown what the project's surface intent is, but not it's ulterior motive.

Now then, repetition.Now then, repetition.

This is a 200-300 page story, tops.Turtledove makes it 590+ pages by the grace of repeating the exact same effing crap every time he can.He leaves absolutely nothing to figuring it out by ourselves.Even the truly stupid among us would have figured out "OKAY, SO BREATHING IN NERVE GAS IS BAD AND CAN CAUSE BODY PROBLEMS MANY YEARS LATER!"

Some examples of Turtledove's unnecessary repetition:

- Molotov: He has a stone wall of a face that shows no emotion
- Mordechai Anielewicz: It hurts his body to go biking because of that nerve gas he breathed in 20 years ago when Otto Skorzeny gassed him to try and stop them from stopping him igniting a nuclear bomb in Lodz
- Ludmila Jager: She walks with a severe limp and has lots of pain because of that nerve gas she breathed in 20 years ago when Otto Skorzeny gassed him to try and stop them from stopping him igniting a nuclear bomb in Lodz
- David Nussboym: He is whiny about being shipped to the gulag by the Jews of Lodz, and having to snitch on people while there
- Barbara Yeager: Is still a stickler for proper grammar
- Liu Han: Was once a peasant woman who had her family killed by the Japanese before becoming a communist warrior
- Liu Mei: Doesn't smile at all
- The Muslims: Don't like the Lizards, and tend to try and fight them in Basra, while chanting "Allahu Akbar"
- Rance Auerbach: Is gritty and bitter at having been shot at by the Lizards and crippling him in the War
- Penny Summers: Has problems with ginger smugglers, and is still rather pretty
- General Curtis LeMay: Is angry and screams a lot
- Basil Roundbush: Is upper-crust British who is rather handsome
- Humans: Advance very fast
- Ginger: It's bad for the race
- Straha: Wishes he'd ousted Atvar as fleetlord, doesn't fit in with humans
- The Race: All problems they've ever had happened in ancient history

That's pretty much the big ones.Now take everything listed above, and repeat it every single time the character or place or group of people appear in the book, and you'll see how Turtledove has made a 200 or at most 300 page story into a 590+ page trainwreck piece of crap that goes nowhere slowly.For god's sake, the book even begins exactly the same as every book of the Worldwar series: Atvar sighs and brings up an image of a Medieval-era Crusader on horseback while wondering how the Tosevites advanced so quickly.

Two more issues:

One, Turtledove pretty much beats us over the head every chance he gets with how slowly the Race advances.It gets to a point of being utterly stupidly ridiculous, where Lizards say "By the Emperor" Lizard casts his eyes down at mention of sovereign, "It will take us THOUSANDS of years studying the Tosevites to figure out how they advanced so quickly"This is usually followed up very quickly by an INSTANTANEOUS hypothesis that it may have happened because the Tosevites have been warring factions with each other for so long.That's right, THOUUUUUUUUUUUSAAAAAAANDS of years to figure out what one Lizard did in a few seconds.Any alien species that takes THOUSANDS of years to figure out such trivial, banal things that could easily be hypothesized in a matter of minutes, and solved in a few days, tops, simply suffers from a disease called "TSTL", which means "Too Stupid To Live"


Two, a part which is beyond belief.These Lizards in the Worldwar series killed MILLIONS of people... brutally slaughtered them with nuclear weapons.They destroyed dozens of major cities.They tried to enslave the entire human race.They destroyed all the remaining empires of the world, and tooks control of HALF OF THE WORLD'S LAND MASS.

And kids around the world are shaving their heads and wearing Lizard-style body paint, licking ginger and pretending to be high, talking and acting like Lizards.

Now imagine... it is 1960s Israel, and a gang of Jewish kids come goosestepping down the streets in authentic Nazi uniforms, screaming "SIEG HEIL!" and "HEIL HITLER!"Now tell me with a straight face they will make it home alive and unharmed, and I will call you a liar or stupid.

That's a little unfair, as Nazi Germany didn't exist in the 1960s in real life.Let me try a more accurate one.

It is 1960s America, and a gang of kids comes marching down the streets in Red Army uniforms, talking in Russian, screaming praises to Stalin and glorious Mother Russia, and singing the Soviet national anthem.Tell me with a straight face that they will make it home unharmed, alive, or unarrested, and I will call you a liar.

The Soviet Union was in a Cold War with America.Soviet troops never killed American troops on a large scale.And still they were our enemies, they were strong, and the US would not, or would barely tolerate communists sympathizers in America.

Now imagine if the Soviet Union had attacked America during World War II, exchanged nuclear missiles with one another, and destroyed city after city after city.Now imagine 20 years later, kids dressing like communists and walking down the street hailing Joseph Stalin.


THIS IS NOT SPECULATIVE OR ALTERNATE HISTORY: THIS IS COMPLETE AND UTTER FANTASY!

The thought that ANYONE in the US could ever tolerate kids acting like Lizards---THE VERY SAME LIZARDS WHO MURDERED MILLIONS OF AMERICANS, and nuked Washington D.C.---is the equivalent of believing that the Jewish people would THANK the Nazis for murdering them in the Holocaust.

It is sheer insanity.

I can't curse on Amazon reviews, so I'll have to replace "screw" with a four-letter F word; For god's sake, Turtledove, screw you.Screw you for being so nonchalant and random with your alternate history.Screw you for being so stupid with your speculation, and for thinking that anyone would tolerate kids idolizing mass murderers. ... Read more

Product Description
"The maven of alternate history"( San Diego Union- Tribune) continues his epic tale of Atlantis.

Frederick Radcliff is a descendant of the family that founded Atlantis's first settlement, and his grandfather Victor led the army against England to win the nation's independence. But he is also a black slave, unable to prove his lineage, and forced to labor on a cotton plantation in the southern region of the country.

Frederick feels the color of his skin shouldn't keep him from having the same freedoms his ancestors fought and died for. So he becomes the leader of a revolutionary army of slaves determined to free all of his brethren across Atlantis... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Liberating Atlantis
A liberated view of race equalization in the 'new' world, well done for the most part.

Best of the series
Excitement and a compelling story line make this the best of the Atlantis series. It was a great read and makes one think about many things.

I'm looking forward to more volumes in this series!

Third in the "Atlantis" series - a civil war to end slavery

This is the third in the "Atlantis" series from Harry Turtledove which currently consists of

1) "Opening Atlantis"
2) "The United States of Atlantis"
3) This book, "Liberating Atlantis"

This series looks at the history of the United States through the prism of an alternative history world in which there is a large island or small continent in the mid Atlantic. The first book described the discovery of the island, named Atlantis, and its early history, which bore a remarkable resemblance to that of the US colonies up to about the seven years war. The second book essentially tells the story of the American War of Independence but translates it onto the island of Atlantis. This book tells the story of how slavery came to be abolished through a civil war in the mid-nineteenth century, though the parallels with real history are not nearly as close as in the second book.

During that second book, the character who corresponds to the historical George Washinton had an affair with a black slave girl, which resulted in the birth of a son.

"Liberating Atlantis" begins two generations later. Frederick Radcliffe, grandson of the general who defeated the |British and gained freedom for White Atlanteans, is a house slave on a plantation in one of the southern states of Atlantis. He doesn't usually dare use his famous surname within the hearing of his master or other whites because slaves are not supposed to have surnames. Annoying as his servile status is, be knows that as a house slave he is far better off than those blacks and "copperskins" (native Americans brought to Atlantis as slaves) who have to work in the fields. But for an accident he would probably never have chosen to rock the boat. But then events outside his control fill him with a burning sense of an injustice - and a chance to do something about it ...

Turtledove once wrote that alternative history provides a "funhouse mirror" through which we can take a different perspective on real history. He has put this into practice: others have described his novels as having taken their plots from actual events but with different historial and fictional individuals and races playing the same roles.

For example, in his book "In the Presence of Mine Enemies" a Third Reich which had won World War II eventually collapses in exactly the same way that the real Soviet Union collapsed. And Turtledove's massive eleven-book saga which begins with "How Few Remain" tells the dystopian history of a world in which the Confederate States of America won independence and survived for nearly a century but followed almost exactly the historical course which in the real world led Germany to Hitler's Third Reich and the Holocaust.

The parallels with real history are much less close in this book than in "The United States of Atlantis" but they are definately still there and looking for them is one of the more entertaining parts of the book. (I was particularly amused when one of the pro-slavery politicans makes a comment to the commander of the Atlantean army which in real history Abraham Lincoln made to one of his less aggressive generals - "If you don't want to use the army I would like to borrow it for a while.")

Includes a fascinating little passage about the extent to which important individuals affect historical trends. At one point two of the main characters are speculating about what course Atlantean history would have followed if Frederic Radcliffe's grandfather hadn't had the affair with the slave girl and he had never been born. They come to the conclusion that the particular war they are involved in would not have happened, but within a few decades something similar probably would have.

Turtledove also puts into the thoughts of his characters ideas which foreshadow future events. One or two of the characters in "The United States of Atlantis" (including, ironically, Frederick Radcliffe's grandfather) were more than a little uncomfortable that their fight for freedom for White Atlanteans did not include anything similar for blacks or "copperskins" in the southern part of the continent. Similarly, in this book two of the main characters opposed to slavery become uncomforably aware that some of the worst injustices against Atlantean women, white or black, will not be abolished with slavery. In both books the characters concerned reluctantly come to the conclusion which can be summarised as "one battle at a time."


All the books Turtledove writes seem to get slammed by some readers who hate them and praised by others who loved them. I am quite certain that this will be no exception. I enjoyed reading this series.

While none of the Atlantis books are a work of genius like "The Guns of the South" or "The Two Georges: The Novel of an Alternate America" they are nevertheless among Harry Turtledove's better novels. I liked the characters, I thought the action was well paced, the descriptions imaginative, the sequence of historical events broadly plausible. And he keeps his tendancy to repeat things too much reasonably well in check!

Intriguing premise and plots, but toxic writing - avoid the series.
All three books of this series were grave disappointments.I enjoyed and champion the Worldwar and Colonization books by Turtledove. But this trilogy was heavy slogging. Details on the Atlantis trilogy storylines are in other reviews. My problem is that the author wears you out with repeated bing-bang-bing mental monologues. About every page or two, Turtledove takes you inside the head of a main character while they debate or discuss some point with themselves or another character.The mechanical right-left-right thought debates wear you out. They always come to the expected conclusion, but a mandatory counterpoint is laid on. Meanwhile, the plot is frozen while some sardonic, rueful, or frustrated mental evolution is performed by the focus character. I was hooked enough by the Atlantis premise that I gutted it out through all three volumes, but only by skipping over dozens of these "Socratic" hairballs. My advice is to avoid the hook of starting the series, and spend your time with the author's earlier books.

A powerful sequel, recommended for prior fans of THE UNITED STATES OF ATLANTIS
The author of THE UNITED STATES OF ATLANTIS here explores the discovery of an eighth continent and its evolution in an ongoing saga. Frederick Radcliff is a descendant of the family that founded Atlantis' first settlement, and is a black slave forced into labor. His search for freedom leads him to become the leader of a revolutionary army in this powerful sequel, recommended for prior fans of THE UNITED STATES OF ATLANTIS. ... Read more

Product Description
The grand conflict for control of the continent of Derlavai rages on, in a battle with all the drama and terror of the Second World War - but for artillery and bombers, read magical fire and dragons. Yet hope may be dawning at last.The terrible onslaught of the conquering forces of Algarve - who power their battle magics with the life energy of their murdered victims - begins to founder as it runs into Habakkuk: a sorcerous ship of ice used by the embattled nations of Lagoas and Kuusamo to ferry their deadly dragons across the seas to war. But though the tide has begun to turn, the conflict is far from over. The widely disdained Kaunians still struggle desperately to escape as the Algarvians kill them by the thousands - for life energy, but also simply for the crime of being Kaunian.And as the death of innocent civilians on both sides continues to feed the flames of war, those who have struggled to survive and preserve their freedom have only their will to see them through... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

The end is in sight!
This fifth title in the overly long "World At War" series actually picked up the pace a bit from the previous plodding volume, Rulers of the Darkness, which in my opinion was the low point of the entire story.Here we really get to see some progression towards the conclusion of the story, as major events and revelations occur and some of the long-lived story arcs finally reach their purposes.Where the previous volume felt like a series stuck in a rut, this one steers towards definite conclusions, and brings the close of the story into sight.

JAWS OF DARKNESS finds Algarve hard pressed on all sides, as Unkerlandt relentlessly presses forward with their seemingly endless supply of everything in the West, and a Kusuuman/Logoan force establishes a beachhead in the East.It seems like a loosing fight now for Algarve and this book simply chronicles one defeat after another as their empire shrinks.Of more interest to the reader, each of the individual viewpoint characters undergo significant changes in this book, making it stand out to me as one of the best of the series.As each of these characters continue to be developed, many of their stories reach their full potential only in this book.As each is swept along by world events, with very little influence on where they'll be or what will happen to them, these stories are what really make these books worth reading.

That being said, this book still suffers from some of the same repetitive and often annoying descriptions and occurrences that have plagued the entire series.Most of this stems from Turtledove's writing style, with his insistence on relentlessly reminding the reader about each character's idiosyncrasies.If there is a single reader that doesn't remember Zuwayzi(sp?) don't wear clothes or that Forthwegians love mushrooms (and Algarvians don't) or that Gyongyosians won't eat goat, I would be truly surprised.Coming off as being almost insulting to the reader, this habit of Turtledove's to hammer in well-known ideas is something that he just can't seem to get away from and really has hampered my enjoyment of every book of his I've read.That, and the poor use of character dialogue to explain situations to the reader can make for a frustrating read, but if you've enjoyed the previous books of the series, you should enjoy this one.

Great series
Mr Turtledove does it again. I have rarely been disappointed in his books and he keeps up his high standards in this WWII analogue series!

Episode V of a fantasy World War Two

"Jaws of Darkness" is the fifth part of Harry Turtledove's six-volume reworking of the World War Two story set on a planet where technology is based on magic rather than machines.

Dragon riders replace aircraft, Behemoths replace tanks, East and West have been transposed, Eurasia has been moved to the Southern hemisphere so that Scandinavia becomes equatorial, and names and superficial national characteristics have all been changed. But this is real history, not alternative history. Again and again the terrible events of the book are based on real historical incidents.

Some of the changes to racial characteristics are impishly amusing, such as the fact that the people who correspond to the Finns live in an equatorial climate and look like Zulus, while the Saraha Desert becomes "the land of the Ice people," the Gyongyosian people who correspond to the Japanese are physically large, and the Kuusamans who correspond to Americans have epicanthic folds.

Other changes are rather more biting - the "Kaunians" who correspond to Jews are tall, blue-eyed, and blonde.

What Turtledove appears to be trying to do with this series is to study how different people responded to a time of great evil. Some people were sucked into taking part in that evil, some fought against it, others just tried to live through it. The changes to the names and characteristics of the participants seem to be intended to give the reader an opportunity to leave behind some of our emotional baggage about the holocaust so that we can try, not to justify the wrongs which people did in terrible times, but to understand how it could have happened.

All but two or three of the characters in the first four books appear to be fictional - Hitler is King Mezentio of Algarve, Stalin is King Swemmel of Unkerlant, and Marshal Rathar gradually morphs into Zhukov by about book four. In the last two books a few more historical figures such as Eisenhower are recognisable.

The fact that most of the characters are fictional actually makes the story more exiting, as they are presented well enough that you care about them: we all know how World War II turned out but the readers has no such certainty about the fate of the fictional characters.

The six books of the series each corresponds very roughly indeed to about a year's real historical events. This fifth book, "Jaws of Darkness", mostly covers events corresponding to those between late 1943 and late 1944, shortly after the fall of Paris.

The series is best read in the correct sequence. All the books of this series have the word "Darkness" in the title, but the publishers refer to it as the "Derlavi" series, this being the name given in the books for the great continent which corresponds to Eurasia. It is sometimes also described as the "World at War" sequence. The full set of six books in their correct order is:

"Into the Darkness"
"Darkness Descending"
"Through the Darkness"
"Rulers of the Darkness"
"Jaws of Darkness"
"Out of the Darkness".

Bottom line: the mood is as black as the titles indicate, but the series is a very exciting read.

The tide has turned
Harry Turtledove's major rewrite of World War Two fought in a world of magic moves to a conclusion, but the story is far from over.

The aggressor superpower Algarve (Germany) now finds itself on the defensive, having being driven from Unkerlant (Russia) into Forthweg (Poland.) In the east, Algarve is on the run from Valmeria (France) and Jelgava (Greece). Under pressure from Unkerlant, Yanina (Italy) breaks its alliance with Algarve and declares war on its former partner. In the north, Zuwayza surrenders to Unkerlant, and in the south, the Lagoans and Kuusanans begin to use their new magical weapons.

With all of Turtledove's stories, the individual characters are as appealing as the whole story. Ealstan manages to secret away his Vanai from the Kaunian quarter where she was captured at the end of the last story. Istvan and his comrades are captured by the Kuusanans. Pekka and Fearno are engaged in an affair during their research, and Pekka's husband Leino, who now comes out as a viewpoint character, has martial troubles as his own. Bembo is still fat and taking bribes. Krasta gets knocked up, but by who?

The series is slowing down, but you still want to read the conclusion.

YES IT�S GOOD BUT PLEASE LET IT END!
First let's get the platitudes out of the way.It is a good story.It has plenty of action.It is fun for a history buff to figure out which kingdom is which when related to WWII.Realistic detail to the extent that the use of magic seems almost normal.Good stuff eh?Yes BUT...

IT SHOULDN'T TAKE LONGER TO READ ABOUT THE WAR THEN IT TOOK TO FIGHT IT!!! Too long!My god it won't be finished until book six!And these ain't no little prissy poetry volumes either, we're talking several thousand pages here!But wait that's not all folks, the length of this tome is only exceeded by the number of principal characters he has.I know it's an exaggeration but it seems like hundreds!Just the process of slipping from one viewpoint to another makes you dizzy!Not only that but it becomes extremely difficult to keep all the names and storylines straight without the proverbial program right by your side.

This whole darkness series is a perfect example of where less is more.Three volumes with about half the characters would have turned a Good series into a Great series.

I RECOMMEND it but damn it could have been so much better! ... Read more

Product Description
The alternate history master and author of Days of Infamy brings his Pearl Harbor epic to a dramatic conclusion.

In this alternate history of World War II, the Japanese follow up their Pearl Harbor attack with the successful occupation of Hawaii, and America is marshalling its military forces-from east coast to west-to reclaim the islands from the enemy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (37)

Culllture Clash issues expored
America's Galactic Foreign Legion - Book 1: Feeling Lucky

The clash of cultures explored between America and the Japanese Empire are facinating as Hawaii is occupied by the Japanese Army.Would the enemy have been so cruel?It would have been worse.Just look at what Japan did in China to get the feel for what they intended for the world.

End of the Beginning, by Harry Turtledove
I remember WWII very well and this is a very interesting take upon how things might have gone at Pearl Harbor had the Japanese followed through on their sneak attack. It would have been quite a different situation than what really occurred.As far as I could see when the attack happened the feelings were that the people did as they were told by their warlords and there was nothing to disagree with that take in Mr. Turtledove's book.I have a lot of Japanese friends and many are old enough to know about the situation and many felt it was wrong but they had no choice other than to follow their leaders into a war most did not choose.What we did putting them into internment camps and dragging them out of their homes was reprehensible.We do tend to over-react in those situations.However, we did not do that to our German citizens.So it was rather unfair.That they bear us no rancor is a tribute to the true Japanese character.There were times in the book when I felt Mr. Turtledove was a little harsh on the ordinary Japanese soldiers.

Good Sequel.
End Of The Beginning is the sequel to Days Of Infamy, which dealt with a Japanese invasion of Hawaii. In this novel, the U.S. is trying to retake the islands. I thought it was a good read, with very detailed and vivid battle scenes on land, sea and air. The characterisation was very good also, the author has created characters who you really feel for, particularly when they are on tricky situations. I was on edge throughout the book wondering who would make it, and who would not.

Snapshot In Time
Just a snapshot in time for the characters. Left saying, "Okay, now what?". Happy trash reading in that fun to read, ponder someone else's "what if", but not as engrossing as other happy trash reading, "Cardinal of the Kremlin", "The Firm", etc. BTW, no offense meant with "happy trash". Have heard it called "beach reading" or "brain candy" also.

For what little it is worth, has been my same impression of the three other Turtledove books I've read. But note what I say there "three other" as the author must have enough of a draw for me to come back to.

Bottom line: many other books I would have rather read in "End of the Beginning"'s place but so many other books that I would read after "End of the Beginning".

Excellent conclusion to his "what if" of Hawaii invaded after Pearl Harbor sneak attack
Excellent conclusion to his "what if" of Hawaii invaded after Pearl Harbor sneak attack

I am a big Turtledove fan, having read just about every book he has published, and this sequel is another jewel in his writing crown. I found myself turning each page in anticipation of what would happen next. The same characters that you loved from "Days of Infamy" are back and each takes a different road to a perhaps inevitable conclusion.

Yes, Turtledove does tend to repeat himself at times. A perfect example being Joe Crosetti's repeated discussions of the landing process on a carrier and his intentions to "obey the wigwag flag man no matter what", but it is a small price to pay for what reads as a great examination of Americas attempt to re-capture the lost Hawaiian islands afterthe Japanese invaded after attacking Pearl Harbor.

The ending is somewhat predictable and if you do not see the outcome for Jiro ( the Elder Japanese Fisherman) coming from a mile away you should not call yourself a history buff. Overall, a great book that kept my interest and really showed a more detailed glimpse ofthe characters from the first book.

A must get book!

Sam Hendricks, author of "Fantasy Football Guidebook: Your Comprehensive Guide to Playing Fantasy Football".
... Read more

Product Description
A stroke of the pen and history is changed. In 1938, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, determined to avoid war at any cost, signed the Munich Accord, ceding part of Czechoslovakia to Hitler. But the following spring, Hitler snatched the rest of that country and pushed beyond its borders. World War II had begun, and England, after a fatal act of appeasement, was fighting a war for which it was not prepared.

Now, in this thrilling, provocative, and fascinating alternate history by Harry Turtledove, another scenario is played out: What if Chamberlain had not signed the accord? What if Hitler had acted rashly, before his army was ready–would such impatience have helped him or doomed him faster? Here is an action-packed, blow-by-blow chronicle of the war that might have been–and the repercussions that might have echoed through history–had Hitler reached too far, too soon, and too fast.

Turtledove uses dozens of points of view to tell this story: from American marines serving in Japanese-occupied China to members of a Jewish German family with a proud history of war service to their nation, from ragtag volunteers fighting in the Abraham Lincoln Battalion in Spain to an American woman desperately trying to escape Nazi-occupied territory–and witnessing the war from within the belly of the beast.

A novel that reveals the human face of war while simultaneously riding the twists and turns that make up the great acts of history, Hitler’s War is the beginning of an exciting new alternate history saga. Here is a tale of powerful leaders and ordinary people, of spies, soldiers, and traitors, of the shifting alliances that draw some together while tearing others apart. At once authoritative, brilliantly imaginative, and hugely entertaining, Hitler’s War captures the beginning of a very different World War II–with a very different fate for our world today. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (46)

The beginning of another never-ending saga
Perhaps even the title of this review is a bit of a spoiler, but I consider it to be more of a warning.This story doesn't end with this book, nor apparently with the next one.

The basic premise seems interesting enough, and I would be happy to read a tightly written, well-edited alternate history novel starting with the question of what would have happened had Mr. Chamberlain not given in to Hitler.

Unfortunately, Mr. Turtledove has fallen victim to "Successful Writer's Syndrome".This is where a writer is so popular that he no longer listens to editors, and never says something in ten words that he can say in 250 words, or even a full chapter.

This leaves the reader with dialog that doesn't move the story, spoken by characters that are irrelevant to any major plot thread.

Were the characters vibrant and fascinating studies of people in that time and place, this might be forgivable, but unfortunately, they aren't.Most of the Germans are caricatures, and many of the other characters seem ripped out of more modern times and transplanted into the late 1930's.

The book has its strengths.As always, the history is well-researched and the main plot lines are plausible outcomes of the basic premise.Had Mr. Turtledove given us a complete story within the covers of this book, the weaknesses would be less apparent and the result much more readable and enjoyable.

As it is, I may pick up the next one at the library and skim through it, but if my local library doesn't get a copy, I'll just skip it, as I cannot bring myself to care enough about any of the characters to spend money finding out what happened to them.

Chamberlain Angers Hitler
Hitler's War (2009) is the first Alternate History novel in the War That Started Early series.In 1938, Chamberlain was negotiating with Hitler within the Nazi headquarters in Munich.He was close to giving the Czechoslovakian border lands to the Germans to preserve peace.

In this novel, Adolf Hitler is the Fuhrer of the new German empire.He is dissatisfied with the lack of progress on the Sudetenland issue.Hitler is impatient with the delays in his conquest of Europe.

Neville Chamberlain is the British Prime Minister.He believes that the Allies can compromise with the Fuhrer.

Edouard Daladier is the French Prime Minister.He too is trying to compromise with the Germans.

Jose Sanjurjo is a Spanish general.He was exiled for his revolt against the Second Republic.He is caming back as the leader of the Nationalist army.

Francisco Franco is also a general in the Nationalist army.He is a subordinate of Sanjurjo.

In this story, General Sanjurjo is returning to Spain in triumph.He is using the same plane that previously carried Franco from the Canary Islands.His aides overload the plane, but Sanjurjo takes the pilot's advice and leaves his trunks of uniforms behind.

Two years later, the Spanish civil war has become a stalemate despite the German and Italian troops fighting for the Nationalists. Hitler is disappointed with the situation in Spain and the delays in Munich.Then Konrad Henlein -- leader of the Sudeten Germans -- is shot and killed by a Czech.

Hitler had considered having Henlein assassinated to provide a casus belli, but decide that the ploy would be too obvious.Now the Czechs have given him a good reason to declare war.Hitler announces the changed circumstances to Chamberlain and Daladier.

Unfortunately, the British and French Prime Ministers decide that the shooting was a German plot.Hitler is amazed and frustrated by their refusal to believe his announcement.So Hitler angrily declares war on Czechoslovakia.

The British and French then declare war against the Axis.British troops cross the channel to Calais and coordinate with the French.Of course, they do nothing to help Czechoslovakia and the country soon falls to the Wehrmacht, but not without fierce opposition.

This tale relates the progress of a war that came early.The Fascist Powers find themselves fighting against more dedicated -- if not more competent -- armies in Western Europe and Russia.The Japanese are fighting a much different war in the East.

America is staying neutral.Some Americans -- mostly Communists -- are fighting in the Abraham Lincoln Battalion of the International Brigade within Spain.American Marines in the legations within China are trying to keep a low profile and not irritate the Japanese occupation troops.

The decision point in this alternate timeline is the successful return flight of General Sanjurjo.He is a more popular figure than Franco and becomes the acclaimed leader of the Nationalists.Unfortunately, he is not as good a general as Franco.

Then Chamberlain reached a breaking point in his appeasement of the dictator.The British Prime Minister couldn't stomach the perceived hypocrisy.Of course, Hitler was going to take Czechoslovakia anyway, but in this timeline the Germans met more effective resistance from the Czechs.

This work is the closest examination by the author of the origins of the Second World War.Although two series addressed the war itself, now he dwells on the conflicts and thinking among the major political leaders in this conflagration.The actual combat scenes are much like his earlier works, both detailed and believable.

This story ends after about a year into the war.The next installment is West and East.Read and enjoy!

Highly recommended for Turtledove fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of military combat, political intrigue, and ordinary people caught in the conflict.

-Arthur W. Jordin

Turtledove is coasting
I read Turtledove for his grasp of history and consistency in developing plausible alternatives that ring true and accurate once you accept the premise--even in sci-fi alternatives such as the alien attack in the World War II saga and the AK-47 armed South Africans time-traveling to help the Confederates in Guns of the South.

He's a below average writer, but the plots and historic developments make his work well worthwhile, and his characters, if a bit wooden, generally draw some empathy.

This book is a poor cousin to others I've read. The subject matter is somewhat narrower and should only draw the interest of WW II weenies such as me. The characters are very flat--and I just don't care a bit about them. I got my copy in a book exchange at work and will probably continue if I can get the next book from the library. But I can't recommend spending money on these.

Sorry, Harry.

For really masterful what-if history with compelling writing and well-drawn characters, read the Civil War and Pacific War series by Newt Gingrich (yes, THAT Newt Gingrich--forget your politics) and William R. Forstchen

Absolutely awful
Even in his best novels there are always a few instances of writing almost too poor to be believed. Anyone who has read more than a couple of Turtledove's books knows what I mean.... those cringe-inducing paragraphs that appear sporadically. This book unfortunately is comprised entirely of those.Just awful.

the Danielle Steele of war novelists
To be fair, I just have not been able to get into Harry Turtledove's stories. I read my share of what I consider to be pop literature and understand that people's tastes differ, so I don't have a problem with people who like Turtledove (or Danielle Steele). They sell a lot of books, after all, so a lot of people must like them.

The analogy with Steele is meant to indicate an abiding interest in the subjective reflections of the characters that revolves around their (a) incredulity at their circumstances and (b) determination to overcome those circumstances (or, with Turtledove's WWII, a fatalism about whether survival is possible at all). With the wide variety of characters in the novel, just keeping everyone straight is a dizzying exercise. What makes it even more dizzying is that any given characters' reflections are not that different from the others; the similarities of their reflections makes it hard to keep track of just which of the dozen or so characters you're following at the moment, not to mention tracking which character you're catching up with in a new chapter.

Complicating the sameness of the characters, the big missing piece in this novel is any sense of a larger story arc that could provide a context for the individual ruminations. There's no sense of geopolitical reasons (past alliances or resentments, the need for oil supplies, logistical problems in various military strategies, etc.). The closest thing to geopolitical rationales for the war is Hitler throwing a couple of fits; Hitler's character is drawn in keeping with the others, in that an emotional tantrum is the sole motive offered within the novel's plot. For a novel about WWII, there's almost no sense of history at all (another parallel to Steele, or Dominique Dunne, for whom everything is always Present Tense). To be fair, this does supply the characters' reflections with an uncertainty of what might happen next, but the uncertainty winds up being a commonplace in the story.

The gold standard for this kind of multi-character, multi-front war story continues to be Irwin Shaw's 'The Young Lions'. ... Read more

Product Description
The dazzling story of a boy who rises from poverty and hardship to become the greatest leader his world has ever known

KRISPOS RISING
Born a ragged peasant, Krispos lives on the family farm until crushing taxes drove him from the land he calls home. With only a single gold piece to his name–a gift from a nomad chieftain who claimed it carried magic–Krispos heads for the imperial capital, Videssos, and into a world of peril and possibility.

KRISPOS OF VIDESSOS
Krispos’ reign as emperor of Videssos shows every sign of being brief and very bloody–for trouble is brewing.Civil war has erupted, and as rebel troops take the field against the untried emperor, outland raiders are sweeping down from the northlands in a tide of carnage. How long can Krispos hope to keep head and crown together?

KRISPOS THE EMPEROR
A strange heresy has taken root in the land and soon dissent flares into open revolt as Krispos faces his greatest challenge: To save his empire from tearing itself apart, he wages an evermore desperate war against an implacable foe, setting brother against brother and father against son. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

great book
great has all 3 books in this, but person sentit had bent back cover putting it package

Great books
The entire Videssos/Makuran series of books are very entertaining. i just wish Mr. Turtledove would write more!

Pretty decent book
This is a 3-book compilation which is nice.The original 3 books are as follows:Krispos Rising, Krispos of Videssos, and Krispos the Emperor.This is a somewhat typical fantasy tale of a young boy who becomes a good swordsman, who, after many trials and tribulations becomes the next emperor.Well written, I would give this book 7 stars if Amazon had a 10-star rating system instead of a 5-star system, but since I can't, I give it 3 and 1/2 stars, rounding down to 3.

Slow
Have not recieved this item yet. Very disappointed in lack of speedy service from this vendor.

Entertaining, Interesting Byzantine History
A couple days ago, I finished "The Tale of Krispos" by Harry Turtledove.It consists of a trilogy of books (Krispos Rising, Krispos of Videssos, Krispos the Emperor) published as one book.Basically, it is a fictional account of the rise and reign of the Byzantine Emperor, Basil the Macedonian.It's set in an "alternative universe" in which the map is flipped and some magic is possible, which can be annoying.Nevertheless, it's a fun piece of historical fiction which tries to show what it might have been like to live in the Byzantine Empire.If you like historical fiction or alternative history, you will probably enjoy this book.
... Read more

Product Description
England has driven the French from Atlantis, giving King George leave to tighten his control over the colonies. The Redcoats have seized the continent’s eastern coastal towns, depriving the Atlanteans of the markets where they sell their goods as part of a strategy to bend the colonists to their will.

Instead, England’s tactics have only strengthened the Atlanteans’ resolve to be free. As leader of the revolutionaries, Victor Radcliff will make the English pay for each and every piece of land they dare to occupy, and will stop at nothing to preserve the liberty of his people as a new nation is born—a nation that will change the face of the world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

2nd in Trilogy does not disappoint-can't wait for third
Turtledove picks up where he left off in Opening Atlantis (Opening Atlantis). Ok maybe it has been a few years since Victor Radcliff helped the British fight off the French, but now the Atlantis colonies are itching for a fight with the motherland. The parallels to the American Revolution are obvious, yet insightful. The characters familiar yet not perfect. It is Turtledove at his best developing people we may see again later.

I cannot wait for the third installment, Liberating Atlantis (Liberating Atlantis). It is not giving away too much by stating that it must be about an Atlantis civil war. Readers will remember that the first book had three sections, so for sometime I thought I had read all three books in this series. I am glad I realized my error and found United States of Atlantis.


Sam Hendricks, author of Fantasy Football Tips and Fantasy Football Basics

This was a really boring novel.Disappointing.
I've been a huge fan of Turtledove, but I couldn't finish this book.The quality of his last several books have dropped dramatically. I was looking forward to this novel, but it never caught my attention. Characterizations are weak and I felt the story was rambling.Can't recomend this one.

The Worst of Turtledove
This is the first time that I put down a Harry Turtledove book.Usually I can't stop reading and finish in the first day or two, but this one I didn't even plan to finish, except that I ended up on an airplane and slogged through to the end.

No one who grew up in the United States needs to bother reading this book, as "The United States of Atlantis" have the same history as the United States of America.This is basically a re-packaging of the American Revolution, with characters exactly mirroring those in real history.Like George Washington, Victor Radcliffe is the reluctant leader, upon whom greatness is thrust.There is a Benedict Arnold-esque traitor who goes over to the British.There is someone in France, impressing the court with his rustic charm a la Benjamin Franklin.There is even a Jewish guy somewhere funding the revolution.

Usually I like when Turtledove explains every detail of the military campaigns and goes into detail explaining the winning strategies.This time I was bored because of how similar it was to things I already learned way back when in 11th grade.

I would give it no stars if I could.

The United States of Atlantis
Harry Turtledove does an interesting twist on American history. This is the second book of a trilogy and can be read as a stand alone but is much more interesting when read in order.

Excellent Serivce!
The book arrived ahead of schedule and in excellent condition. I would definitely but from this seller in the future. ... Read more

Product Description
Communist China, Japan, Nazi Germany, the United States: they began World War II as mortal enemies. But suddenly their only hope for survival--never mind victory--was to unite to stop a mighty foe--one whose frightening technology appeared invincible.

Far worse beings than the Nazis were loose. From Warsaw to Moscow to China's enemy-occupied Forbidden City, the nations of the world had been forced into an uneasy alliance since humanity began its struggle against overwhelming odds. In Britain and Germany, where the banshee wail of hostile jets screamed across the land, caches of once-forbidden weapons were unearthed, and unthinkable tactics were employed against the enemy. Brilliantly innovative military strategists confronted challenges unprecedented in the history of warfare.

Even as lack of fuel forced people back to horse and carriage, physicists worked feverishly to create the first atomic bombs--with horrifying results. City after city joined the radioactive pyre as the planet erupted in fiery ruins. Yet the crisis continued--on land, sea, and in the air--as humanity writhed in global combat. The tactics of daredevil guerrillas everywhere became increasingly ingenious against a superior foe whose desperate retaliation would grow ever more fearsome.

No one had ever put the United States, or the world, in such deadly danger. But if the carnage and annihilation ever stopped, would there be any pieces to pick up? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (24)

The Saga Continues...
In reading the World War Series, I've found that people have much to say about the earlier books and little to say about the later ones in the series. Why this is I don't know, but I can't imagine its losing interest as the series is persistently enjoyable.

In this book, we follow the main characters following the Nuclear bomb going off before Moscow. The book starts off a little slow, with the only real action being between Teerts and his Japanese captors. But, oh boy, is it worth reading later on! Around about Chapter 18, all hell breaks loose and the Lizards are faced with a rather more desperate situation than they'd hoped for.

Along with this, there are also the subplots involving the Lizards attacking England (only to be repelled by a new + deadly weapon) and Jens Larssen (who has an interesting story...)

My one issue I would take is that, as mentioned, this is a neglected part of the series, even by the author! The number of typing and spelling errors I encountered were absolutely mad! Fair enough 1 or 2, but 20 in the last two hundred pages? All it needed was proof reading.

So, to conclude, this novel is well worth reading, just as the others were. I found myself that I could barely put it down and that the author's brilliant turn of phrase and occasional humour (e.g. Jens Larssen's mad conversation with a Jay), make it a worthy addition to the series.

Great Read!!!!
I have been a fan of this series since I read the first book. It is astounding how Turtledove manages to create a fictional culture (the Race) and make it totally believable. The nearest thing I can compare it to is J.R.R. Tolkien when he created a language and alphabet for Middle Earth. An intelligent and entertaining read.

A key piece to the puzzle is missing
To start, I greatly enjoyed this book as with its predecessors, despite the simplistic writing, great lack of world leaders' presence in the pages, and often repetitive subplot statements.

Little has changed in most of the war, until the Lizards invade Britain.In typical Turtledove fashion, this happens suddenly and with almost no forewarning to the reader.But this I can forgive in seeing the intent of letting the readers feel the same sudden horror and realization as the characters when discovering they are being invaded.The Britons resort to using mustard gas to fantastically lethal effectiveness, leading the Germans to use their own stockpiles of gasses far more lethal and efficient than mustard gas on the Lizards.

For me, some subplots bore me endlessly, such as Nieh Ho-Ting and Liu Han in China, Jens Larssen in America, David Goldfarb and Moishe Russie in Britain, but most are interesting, including a development in which Ussmak is forced to reveal his ginger addiction in order to save his landcruiser captain Nejas, or Ttomalss's attempts to raise Liu Han's baby by himself, which is very much touching and cute.

And if you notice I mention being bored with some of the human stories and greatly intrigued by some of the Lizard stories, you're a step ahead of me, or you've seen what I've seen and agree with me:

Something in this story, from book 1 on, is missing.Something is not explained or supported.Something does not add up, some piece of this masterful puzzle is missing, which without, could cause the whole story to fall apart:



Why does humanity hate the Lizards so vehemently?



Every human character on every other page rants and raves about how evil and how awful and how much cold furious personal hatred they have for the Lizards, and how horrifying the Lizards are and how the ENTIRE EARTH should sooner be destroyed than let the Lizards win the war, or how Jews and Nazis, or Nazis and Soviets, or Chinese and Japanese would sooner join forces and help one another than have the Lizards around.

And yet through all Turtledove's descriptions of the Lizards and their actions, they are shown to be more benevolent and merciful than any human empire in the history of mankind, as well as the most benevolent and merciful of sides in this conflict short only of the Americans and Britons.

Lizards are appalled to a vast degree at images of Nazi concentration camps, causing them to show a vast degree of latitude and benevolence to the Jews liberated from the ghettoes.Lizards never abuse their captives or conquered---in fact, the Jews in the ghettoes are fed far better, given more freedoms, and more status in the eyes of the Race; the only malnourishment is due to the world-wide shock the Lizard invasion has caused on the local economic infrastructures.

The Lizards are very generous to their human prisoners, and NEVER torture any of them.

The only sides in this conflict I can see easily fighting the Lizards to the death would be the Americans and Britons for freedom; I could just as easily envision the Nazis or the Soviets or the Chinese or even the Japanese (as they have an empire and emperor-worship, same as the Race) allying with the Lizards to help quash the worldwide resistance in exchange for great power over the defeated lands.

Even with a great suspension of disbelief, absolutely nothing in Turtledove's writing convinces me (or seemingly tries to convince me) that the Jews, who have been brutally mistreated, worked to death, and murdered by the Nazis, would so grudgingly fight alongside them, because the Lizards had the audacity to feed them and arm them and protect them and strip them of some freedoms they never had under the Nazis to begin with.

Nothing in the writing convinces me that the Chinese, who suffered among the worst war crimes in history at the hands of the Japanese (the Rape of Nanking comes to mind, as well as the gruesome "experimentations" of Unit 731 and others) would so easily cease fighting the Japanese to fight off the Lizards, who by the writing have seemingly done nothing serious to Chinese lands compared to the Germans or Americans.


In fact, aside from the three nuclear bombs dropped on Berlin, Washington D.C., and Tokyo respectively, the Lizards have done nothing to warrant such vehement hatred from almost unanimously the entire human race---and the nukes were only used in the heat of war.


Maybe I'm wrong, but I still find this impossible to get over.Compared to what the Nazis did with their concentration camps and Gestapo, the Soviets with their gulags and NKVD, the Japanese with their mass-rapes and murders, I can't imagine the Lizards being anything more than just an obligatory foe not nearly fearsome enough to stop most of the in-species fighting already taking place before they arrived.

The Most Realistic of the Series
As Worldwar: Upsetting the Balance opens, the Race isn't yet sure if the Soviets have another atomic bomb. But among the ramifications of the attack are an attempt led by Straha, third in command of the Race's fleet, to depose Fleetlord Atvar. When the vote fails, Straha defects to the United States and tries to persuade the Race's soldiers to give up the fight, broadcasting his rhetoric by radio.

Meanwhile, Teerts, a Race pilot held prisoner by the Japanese, escapes during an attack. Back with his own people, he reveals the details of the Japanese nuclear program, headquartered in Tokyo. In response, the Race drops its own nuclear bomb on the Japanese capital. While this cripples the Japanese effort, both the Americans and Germans are almost at the point where they can produce enough plutonium on their own to make a steady supply of atomic weapons.

The Race decides it needs to take the British out of the war, and so they invade England. In response, Churchill issues a demand that they leave or face a new weapon. The Race thinks Churchill is bluffing, only to be surprised by something they're completely unprepared for -- mustard gas. Not only do they lack the weapon themselves, they have no gas masks. And once the British start using chemical weapons, the Germans decide to deploy an even more deadly nerve gas. Until now, the Race has faced only inferior weaponry of types similar to its own. Now the war has entered a new stage.

While the war seemed rather static in the second book, major events fill Worldwar: Upsetting the Balance from the first scene. Turtledove still follows all of his major characters, depicting the war from many perspectives. But now the personal struggles are more often entwined with higher concerns, giving this volume more depth as well as more suspense.

Turtledove also returns to some humorous social commentary, something prevalent in the first book but strangely absent from the second. One sequence details the horrors experienced by one of the Race's psychologists who, as an experiment, is trying to raise a human baby. At another point, the Race's reaction to the concept of science fiction concisely illustrates the Race's views regarding the human ability to innovate.

Throughout the novel, the frustration of the Race's soldiers builds as the humans find new ways to fight them -- actually beating them in many cases. Turtledove is especially effective in portraying the reasons why the Race is reluctant to use nuclear weapons on a large scale and simply exterminate the humans. Overall, this is by far the strongest of the four novels in the series, and a victorious defense, which once seemed impossible, now seems inevitable.

I wonder now whether the whole series could have been greatly strengthened by cutting much of the second volume.

Yamabushi's mini reviews XX
And this is where I jumped ship. Seeing 4, count `em 4 volumes left in the series and comatose plot development I could take no more. A boring and nearly pointless entry in the series.
... Read more

Product Description
In a universe in which Constantinople never fell, the Byzantine Empire has flourished by developing technology and spreading its influence but finds itself at the mercy of its jealous enemies. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

First love
Like the earlier reviewers this was my first Alternate History book, and i thoroughly enjoyed it. Anyone interested in Byzantine or Medieval history will love this dream of what could have been.

One of Turtledove's first works
The reader is given several stories but all about Basil, a soldier for Byzantium.Basil loses his family in a plague and changes his career to a secret agent.The part where Basil loses his family to a plague is quite touching.I give a salute to the writing of Turtledove that he spares the reader the death of Basil's son by having Basil give him opium for the pain until the end, the child merely stops breathing instead of going through the agony of small pox.

Now, this is important.In one of the stories its found how to innoculate the population from diseases.Small Pox destroys large amounts of Byzantium's populace.This discovery is make 600 years before the discovery in Westerm Europe.So, the people running the Byzantium government work to insure the health of their citizens.The Byzantium army is spared the ravages of disease and is able to beat threats from Persian armies.

Harry goes into Greek fire, the secret of Byzantium's Naval success for years.It was natural that Basil is sent on a mission to discover the secret of black powder.This is the subject of one story and how it is employed in battles.

Basil also works to check the forces of Persia, what we now know as modern Iran.Strangely, while this story was written in 1987 the fact is the threat from Iran (Persia) seems just as real today.Basil battles a Persian spy who is quite like a Soviet spy master (remember, this was written in 1987).Basil is once again the hero and checks this threat from Persia and gains a lover to replace his late beloved wife.

Basil is also involved with one of the most weaking things that happen to Byzantium.It was a religious problem with Christianity and that involved the worship of Icons.People would worship the Icon of the cross instead of Jesus the son of God.While this does not seem of great concern to modern readers but form a historical context it's a deadly threat to Byzantium itself.Religious conflicts with the Roman Catholic church weaken Byzantium and let it be invaded by both Muslims and Western Europeans.Turtledove comes up with an solution to the icon problem that would actually not be available until the 16th century.Had the 16th printing press technology been availiable in the 12th Century then Muslim soldiers would not be standing in a ruined Constantinople in 1453.

Dr. Turtledove gives some sound historical reasons on how close it was for Byzantium (actually the real name was close to Romania)to being more of an eternal empire than the famous Roman empire that it outlasted by nearly 1000 years.Had just a few events and forces of nature been different then modern Islam would be a shawdow of its present self, the Protestant reformation would not have been needed, and we could have avoided lots of wars.

This is the middle of summer.This book is a good read and perfect for those summer vacations.

a new view of history
it was my first reading about alternate history and i love it from the first reading back at 1994.I love Byzantium and it was absolut astonishing to read something like that.I hope to find this rewiew helpful

The Name's Argyros, Basil Argyros
Imagine a 13th century Mediterranean and Middle East...

-Where the territories of western and southern Europe won back by the Romans during the 6th century reign of Justinian were not only maintained but expanded.
-Muhammad never developed Islam. Instead he converted to Christianity, becoming a holy man, and is now venerated as St. Moaumet.

In the absence of Islam's rise, both the Roman and Sassanid Persian (which has by now engulfed the entire Arabian Peninsula) empires remain as the two superpowers, existing in a sort of medieval cold war.

Into this world comes Basil Argyros, an agent of the Magistrianoi, the imperial secret police; sometimes he acts as a soldier, but more often he's a spy. During the course of his assignments as an agent of Imperial security, Basil also makes some exciting discoveries, thus making him an agent in another sense: as one who brings change and advancement to the Empire.From the Franks he steals a new weapon, recently cooked up by their monks--gunpowder.He returns from the lands of the Asiatic Jurchen nomads north of the Black Sea with an instrument we know as the telescope.He delivers to the emperor the secrets of printing, a recent Persian invention they've been using to foment insurrection in the Empire's eastern provinces.What perhaps is the most fascinating of all is Basil's witnessing the discovery of inoculation, made during a time of catastrophic plague in Constantinople.

Basil's nemesis in many of these stories is the beautiful and deviously clever Persian spy, Mirrane.As the two of them match wits, they develop a mutual respect and admiration, eventually falling deeply in love.

The Baen paperback edition contains the following seven stories:

"The Eyes of Argos"
"Strange Eruptions"
"Pillar of Cloud, Pillar of Fire"
"Unholy Trinity"
"Archetypes"
"Images"
"Superwine"

Only this edition contains the story "Pillar of Cloud, Pillar of Fire;" however, that story can also be found in Harry Turtledove's alt-history collection DEPARTURES (which also includes "Islands in the Sea," the story about Muhammad's aforementioned conversion to the Christian Faith.)

As someone with a Ph.D in Byzantine studies, Harry Turtledove knows the peoples and times upon which he bases this alternative world, making it a fun, fascinating read.

Sticks With You
It has been three years since I read "Agent of Byzantium" and after reading many more books of the same genre, I regard this short book among my favorites (along with "Lest Darkness Fall", and The Belisarius Series). Turtledove combines intrigue, technology, warfare, romance, and of course, Byzantine politics to make a great collection of short stories recounting the adventures of an ancient James Bond character. My favorite story recounts how the Empire gets their hands on gunpowder. The femme fatale Parthian spy clearly seemed created to support sequels, of which there have been none ... which is my only dissapointment ... Read more

Product Description
            Mike Gabrieli's brother Tom has always had one talent: getting into trouble. But this time, Tom has disappeared after mysteriously gaining possession of a priceless Aztec artifact. Mike sets out to find Tom, never suspecting that he is about to be shuttled back and forth in time, and between alternate universes. The descendants of the Incas have a plan to keep Pizarro and his conquistidors from overthrowing their ancestors’ empire. In spite of Mike’s sympathy for their cause, he faces the possibility that, instead of creating an alternate world with the Incas ascendant, he may be wiping out the world he was born into, and himself along with it.

            In addition to Fred Saberhagen’s novel, The Mask of the Sun, seven top writers have contributed stories set in the same universe. The contributors include New York Times best-selling authors David Weber and Harry Turtledove, as well as Walter Jon Williams, John Maddox Roberts, Jane Lindskold, and more, expanding on Fred Saberhagen’s concept and bringing their own perspectives to this volume of exciting alternate universe adventure. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (10)

What a storyteller!!!
I have read almost every book this man has written.This series is the best. Cannot wait until he writes some more.

A Good Ending
First, I will point out that I am a big fan of Harry Turtledove's alternate history novels, and have read them all.This though, was my first foray into his fantasy.

I think that the main purpose of this novel was to defeat the Rulers (the bad guys who come to conquer the good guys' homeland) and tell us what the story with this Golden Shrine is.In terms of winning the war, I liked his ending, even though it was a bit easy.As far as the Golden Shrine goes, other reviewers seemed to disapprove, but I was rather impressed.It is EXTREMELY difficult to come up with acceptable mysticism which a reader can actually buy without rolling his eyes.Most authors who make the attempt do much worse than Turtledove did.We live in a very rational society (at least ostensibly so) and it is hard for us to take seriously some sort of magic-based religion which involves a supernatural shrine.This is a common part of fantasy literature, and Harry Turtledove did a fine job of explaining it and not making my eyes roll.He was not trying to insert any sort of political message, and did not rely on trite plot motifs which have been done by dozens of authors.This already places this story into the top 10% or so of fantasy novels, at least in terms of explaining something magical or theological.He kept it simple, which made it more palatable.

The book held my attention from beginning to end, and when I finished I felt like all of my questions were answered.Is this going to become a classic?No.Is this some of Turtledove's best work?No.Is it worth a read?I think so.

Flamingnet.com Top Choice Book-unique characters anda fantastic plot
Harry Turtledove's third and final installment in the
Opening of the World series is as exciting as the first
two.At the start, Count Hamnet Thyssen and his friends
are finally showing resistance to the conquering Rulers.
With their new shaman Marcovefa seemingly unstoppable, it
seems only a matter of time before the Rulers are finally
pushed out of Raumsdalia.However, each small victory
weakens the band of fighters, and if the Rulers aren't
defeated soon, all resistance will crumble.It seems
their only hope lies in finding the fabled Golden Shrine.
Can the band of warriors find the shrine when no one in
history has managed to do so? Can they defeat the Rulers
in time, or will they finally find a way to stop Marcovefa
and bring Raumsdalia to its knees?

The Golden Shrine by Harry Turtledove is as thrilling and
exciting as the last
two in the series.With numerous twists and turns,
Turtledove keeps the reader guessing at what will come
next.His brand of comic relief helps keep the reader
entertained at even the least exciting point of the
story.With his style combined with unique characters and
a fantastic plot, The Golden Shrine is a book I would
suggest to any fan of Fantasy novels.

Sexual References
Drug Use

Reviewed by a young adult student reviewer
Flamingnet Book Reviews
Teen books reviewed by teen reviewers

The Final Battle
The Golden Shrine (2009) is the third Fantasy novel in The Opening of the World trilogy, following The Breath of God.In the previous volume, the Rulers came through the Gap and defeated many Bizogot clans.Then they went south to take on the Raumsdalian Empire.Only the magical skills of Marcovefa matched or exceeded the skills of the Ruler shamans.

Then Marcovefa was hit with a sling stone.She survived, but lost her memory and powers.When Sigvat sent for Hamnet, his friends returned to the steppe.

In this novel, Count Hamnet Thyssen is a Raumsdalian nobleman.He has been away from his home castle for a long time.He has been through the Gap and within the Imperial dungeons.He has lost two lovers, but now has Marcovefa.

Ulric Skakki is an adventurer.He had been through the Gap and seen the Rulers before any other Raumsdalian.

Audun Gilli is a Raumsdalian wizard.He has been exchanging magical expertise with Liv.

Trasamund is a Bizogot, the jarl of the Three Tusk Clan or what remains of it.He is an inveterate optimist about fighting the Rulers.His clan has hurt the enemy, but sustained great casualties in doing so.

Liv is a Bizogot, the shaman of the Three Tusk Clan.She is barely able to counter the magic of the Ruler shamans, but she is always willing to try again.She is Audun's lover.

Marcovefa is a shaman of a Glacier clan.Her people are descended from the Bizogots, but have been stranded on the Glacier for centuries.She is slowly recovering her magical powers.

In this story, Trasamund now leads survivors from many Bizogot clans.With Marcovefa's magic, they have been killing small Ruler bands.Now spring has come to the steppe.

Hamnet and Marcovefa are learning the speech of the Rulers.The Ruler captive teaching the lessons gets too full of himself.Marcovefa gives him a lesson in manners with a minor spell.

A scout rides into the Bizogot camp with word of another small band headed south.Trasamund leads out his warriors with their Raumsdalian allies.Marcovefa -- with help from Audun and Liv -- defeats the Ruler magic and the allies win another skirmish.

As spring advances, the allies head south to Sudertorp Lake.There they meet a gathering of Ruler shamans.The massed shamans fight Marcovefa to a standstill.So Hamnet and the other warriors kill the enemy shamans by physical means.

Then Hamnet and Skakki find a Ruler woman spying on them.They interrogate Tahpene and get little additional information.Tahpene finds it hard to believe that Marcovefa and Liv are respected shamans, so they let Tahpene escape to take some subversive thinking back to the Rulers.

A messenger from Emperor Sigvat II comes to the camp to ask Hamnet to return to Nidaros.Apparently the Rulers have issued a reward for him and the Emperor believes that Hamnet can lead the Empire to victory.Hamnet points out that he has already tried to help the Emperor and was thrown into the dungeons for his efforts.

Then the Ruler shamans send a sorcerous plague to the allies.Skakki senses the magic and informs Marcovefa.While she counters the Ruler magic, the battle is hard fought.The allies decide to head south toward the Empire.

This tale takes the allies through the Empire far to the south and then back to the Bizogot steppe.The main Ruler army turns from attacking Sigvat and starts chasing them.Even more are coming from the north and things are looking rather grim.

This novel concludes the trilogy.Many surprises unfold along the way.Read and enjoy!

Highly recommended for Turtledove fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of varied magics, armed combat, and stubborn noblemen.If anyone has not previously read this series, the initial volume is Beyond the Gap.

-Arthur W. Jordin

The Golden Shrine - or whatever
Not one of Harry Turtledove's best ventures.I have read over 20 of his works, and this one, is a disapointment.It starts off well, and seems to be building momentum; but then begins to fall apart, and starts to be very predictable. The manner of finding of the "golden shrine" is a major disapointment, a riddle which is best left unsolved. The reference to the 5th chapter of Daniel makes very little sense, leading to the ending and a potential sequelwhich would be best unwritten. Mr Turtledove seemed to lose interest in the story, and needed a way out. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (10)

What a storyteller!!!
I have read almost every book this man has written.This series is the best. Cannot wait until he writes some more.

A Good Ending
First, I will point out that I am a big fan of Harry Turtledove's alternate history novels, and have read them all.This though, was my first foray into his fantasy.

I think that the main purpose of this novel was to defeat the Rulers (the bad guys who come to conquer the good guys' homeland) and tell us what the story with this Golden Shrine is.In terms of winning the war, I liked his ending, even though it was a bit easy.As far as the Golden Shrine goes, other reviewers seemed to disapprove, but I was rather impressed.It is EXTREMELY difficult to come up with acceptable mysticism which a reader can actually buy without rolling his eyes.Most authors who make the attempt do much worse than Turtledove did.We live in a very rational society (at least ostensibly so) and it is hard for us to take seriously some sort of magic-based religion which involves a supernatural shrine.This is a common part of fantasy literature, and Harry Turtledove did a fine job of explaining it and not making my eyes roll.He was not trying to insert any sort of political message, and did not rely on trite plot motifs which have been done by dozens of authors.This already places this story into the top 10% or so of fantasy novels, at least in terms of explaining something magical or theological.He kept it simple, which made it more palatable.

The book held my attention from beginning to end, and when I finished I felt like all of my questions were answered.Is this going to become a classic?No.Is this some of Turtledove's best work?No.Is it worth a read?I think so.

Flamingnet.com Top Choice Book-unique characters anda fantastic plot
Harry Turtledove's third and final installment in the
Opening of the World series is as exciting as the first
two.At the start, Count Hamnet Thyssen and his friends
are finally showing resistance to the conquering Rulers.
With their new shaman Marcovefa seemingly unstoppable, it
seems only a matter of time before the Rulers are finally
pushed out of Raumsdalia.However, each small victory
weakens the band of fighters, and if the Rulers aren't
defeated soon, all resistance will crumble.It seems
their only hope lies in finding the fabled Golden Shrine.
Can the band of warriors find the shrine when no one in
history has managed to do so? Can they defeat the Rulers
in time, or will they finally find a way to stop Marcovefa
and bring Raumsdalia to its knees?

The Golden Shrine by Harry Turtledove is as thrilling and
exciting as the last
two in the series.With numerous twists and turns,
Turtledove keeps the reader guessing at what will come
next.His brand of comic relief helps keep the reader
entertained at even the least exciting point of the
story.With his style combined with unique characters and
a fantastic plot, The Golden Shrine is a book I would
suggest to any fan of Fantasy novels.

Sexual References
Drug Use

Reviewed by a young adult student reviewer
Flamingnet Book Reviews
Teen books reviewed by teen reviewers

The Final Battle
The Golden Shrine (2009) is the third Fantasy novel in The Opening of the World trilogy, following The Breath of God.In the previous volume, the Rulers came through the Gap and defeated many Bizogot clans.Then they went south to take on the Raumsdalian Empire.Only the magical skills of Marcovefa matched or exceeded the skills of the Ruler shamans.

Then Marcovefa was hit with a sling stone.She survived, but lost her memory and powers.When Sigvat sent for Hamnet, his friends returned to the steppe.

In this novel, Count Hamnet Thyssen is a Raumsdalian nobleman.He has been away from his home castle for a long time.He has been through the Gap and within the Imperial dungeons.He has lost two lovers, but now has Marcovefa.

Ulric Skakki is an adventurer.He had been through the Gap and seen the Rulers before any other Raumsdalian.

Audun Gilli is a Raumsdalian wizard.He has been exchanging magical expertise with Liv.

Trasamund is a Bizogot, the jarl of the Three Tusk Clan or what remains of it.He is an inveterate optimist about fighting the Rulers.His clan has hurt the enemy, but sustained great casualties in doing so.

Liv is a Bizogot, the shaman of the Three Tusk Clan.She is barely able to counter the magic of the Ruler shamans, but she is always willing to try again.She is Audun's lover.

Marcovefa is a shaman of a Glacier clan.Her people are descended from the Bizogots, but have been stranded on the Glacier for centuries.She is slowly recovering her magical powers.

In this story, Trasamund now leads survivors from many Bizogot clans.With Marcovefa's magic, they have been killing small Ruler bands.Now spring has come to the steppe.

Hamnet and Marcovefa are learning the speech of the Rulers.The Ruler captive teaching the lessons gets too full of himself.Marcovefa gives him a lesson in manners with a minor spell.

A scout rides into the Bizogot camp with word of another small band headed south.Trasamund leads out his warriors with their Raumsdalian allies.Marcovefa -- with help from Audun and Liv -- defeats the Ruler magic and the allies win another skirmish.

As spring advances, the allies head south to Sudertorp Lake.There they meet a gathering of Ruler shamans.The massed shamans fight Marcovefa to a standstill.So Hamnet and the other warriors kill the enemy shamans by physical means.

Then Hamnet and Skakki find a Ruler woman spying on them.They interrogate Tahpene and get little additional information.Tahpene finds it hard to believe that Marcovefa and Liv are respected shamans, so they let Tahpene escape to take some subversive thinking back to the Rulers.

A messenger from Emperor Sigvat II comes to the camp to ask Hamnet to return to Nidaros.Apparently the Rulers have issued a reward for him and the Emperor believes that Hamnet can lead the Empire to victory.Hamnet points out that he has already tried to help the Emperor and was thrown into the dungeons for his efforts.

Then the Ruler shamans send a sorcerous plague to the allies.Skakki senses the magic and informs Marcovefa.While she counters the Ruler magic, the battle is hard fought.The allies decide to head south toward the Empire.

This tale takes the allies through the Empire far to the south and then back to the Bizogot steppe.The main Ruler army turns from attacking Sigvat and starts chasing them.Even more are coming from the north and things are looking rather grim.

This novel concludes the trilogy.Many surprises unfold along the way.Read and enjoy!

Highly recommended for Turtledove fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of varied magics, armed combat, and stubborn noblemen.If anyone has not previously read this series, the initial volume is Beyond the Gap.

-Arthur W. Jordin

The Golden Shrine - or whatever
Not one of Harry Turtledove's best ventures.I have read over 20 of his works, and this one, is a disapointment.It starts off well, and seems to be building momentum; but then begins to fall apart, and starts to be very predictable. The manner of finding of the "golden shrine" is a major disapointment, a riddle which is best left unsolved. The reference to the 5th chapter of Daniel makes very little sense, leading to the ending and a potential sequelwhich would be best unwritten. Mr Turtledove seemed to lose interest in the story, and needed a way out. ... Read more