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Title details for Weapons of Choice by John Birmingham - Available

Weapons of Choice

A Novel of the Axis of Time

#1 in series

by John Birmingham
ebook
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On the eve of America’s greatest victory in the Pacific, a catastrophic event disrupts the course of World War II, forever changing the rules of combat. . . .
The impossible has spawned the unthinkable. A military experiment in the year 2021 has thrust an American-led multinational armada back to 1942, right into the middle of the U.S. naval task force speeding toward Midway Atoll—and what was to be the most spectacular U.S. triumph of the entire war.
Thousands died in the chaos, but the ripples had only begun. For these veterans of Pearl Harbor—led by Admirals Nimitz, Halsey, and Spruance—have never seen a helicopter, or a satellite link, or a nuclear weapon. And they’ve never encountered an African American colonel or a British naval commander who was a woman and half-Pakistani. While they embrace the armada’s awesome firepower, they may find the twenty-first century sailors themselves far from acceptable.
Initial jubilation at news the Allies would win the war is quickly doused by the chilling realization that the time travelers themselves—by their very presence—have rendered history null and void. Celebration turns to dread when the possibility arises that other elements of the twenty-first century task force may have also made the trip—and might now be aiding Yamamoto and the Japanese.
What happens next is anybody’s guess—and everybody’s nightmare. . . .

  • Creators

  • Series

    Axis of Time Trilogy

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    June 1, 2004

  • Formats

    • Kindle Book

    • OverDrive Read

      • ISBN: 9780345478382

    • EPUB ebook

      • ISBN: 9780345478382
      • File size: 3283 KB

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from May 24, 2004
      At the start of Australian author Birmingham's stellar debut novel, a United Nations battle group, clustered around the U.S.S. Hillary Clinton
      (named after "the most uncompromising wartime president in the history of the United States"), is tasked in the year 2021 with stopping ethnic cleansing by an Islamist regime in Indonesia. When an experiment goes horribly wrong on a special ship doing research on wormholes, most of the battle group is deposited in the middle of the U.S. fleet on its way to Midway in 1942. The WWII carriers and supporting vessels attack a Japanese Self-Defense Force ship, triggering devastating computer-operated defensive fire from the 21st-century fleet. While the action sequences are outstanding, this book really shines in depicting the cultural shock that both navies experience. The Clinton
      group reflects a multicultural society that finds the racist and sexist attitudes of 1942 America almost as repugnant as those of the Axis powers, while the mere thought of non-whites and women not just serving in uniform but holding command drives many Allied officers and civilian officials apoplectic. The author also subtly shows the ways in which 20-plus years of the War on Terrorism have changed our attitudes. Unlike many alternate histories, the novel avoids the wish-fulfillment aspect inherent in the genre. This is the first of what should be a hugely (and deservedly) successful series. Agent, Russ Galen at Scovil, Chichak, Galen Agency.

    • Library Journal

      June 15, 2004
      While sailing toward Midway in May 1942, the U.S. fleet, commanded by Admiral Nimitz, collides disastrously with a multinational armada from 2021. Crewed by a combination of soldiers from 21st-century America, England, Australia, Russia, Germany, and Japan, the ships from the future possess the technological capability of changing history for either the Axis or the Allies. This first novel by Birmingham (Leviathan) combines solid alternate military history reminiscent of Harry Turtledove with high-tech intrigue and suspense similar to the works of Tom Clancy. An excellent choice for readers of alternate history and military sf.

      Copyright 2004 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • Kindle Book
  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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