Worldwar: In the Balance (Worldwar, Book 1) by Harry Turtledove

May 12, 2011 Stephen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, world-war-the-sequel, 1990-1999, science-fiction, alternative-history, invasion, military-fiction

3.5 stars. This is Book 1 of Harry Turtledove’s massive alternate history WW2 epic and I will say at the outset that I definitely enjoyed this enough to go on to the next book. I was really torn between 3 and 4 stars on this one as I loved the premise and the set up but there were some slow parts that were less than compelling. I decided it was either going to be a very strong 3 or a weak 4. I ended up going with a strong 3 since the first book in the series and I wanted to give the next book r...more

3.5 stars. This is Book 1 of Harry Turtledove’s massive alternate history WW2 epic and I will say at the outset that I definitely enjoyed this enough to go on to the next book. I was really torn between 3 and 4 stars on this one as I loved the premise and the set up but there were some slow parts that were less than compelling. I decided it was either going to be a very strong 3 or a weak 4. I ended up going with a strong 3 since the first book in the series and I wanted to give the next book room to improve.

As for the plot, my lead in picture really says it all. The premise is simple and spectacular. In late 1941, after World War II has raged for over 2 years and armies form almost every nation are fighting all across the globe, the Earth is suddenly invaded by an alien army called The Race. Here are the basics:

1. Expectations: The aliens sent probes to Earth in preparation for the invasion but the latest information they had was from over 800 years ago (around 1100 A.D.). Since The Race is hundreds of thousands of years old and has hardly advanced technologically for millennia, they did not expect any change in the Earth’s level of technology in only 8 centuries. When they see how far Earth has advanced they are more than a little pissed.

2. Technology: Despite their faulty intelligence on Earth’s level of technology, the aliens are still vastly superior to man in that department. I would describe them as similar to what the United States is today. They have the equivalent of modern jet fighters, modern tanks, automatic weapons….PLUS ATOMIC BOMBS. However, they were expecting to be up against horse-riding knights in armor and so things are not as comfortable for them as they had hoped. Basically, we have more guns and bullets but theirs are MUCH BIGGER and we have much better ability to adapt and improvise.

3. Alliances: The most interesting element of the story is the alliances that form once the invasion begins. At the time of the invasion, you have Hitler and Stalin go at it in the east, the Japanese have just bombed pearl harbor and London is in flames. Now all of a sudden, you have Hitler, Stalin, Churchill, Roosevelt, Yamamoto, Mussolini and their senior personnel having to work together. It makes for some wonderful tension to the story. At the same time, you have the some groups like the Polish Jews in Warsaw and the Chinese from Manchuria who first see the aliens as liberators against the Nazis and Imperial Japan. All of this creates such a wonderful dynamic and the author does a very credible job of investing the stories with real life.

I am only really scratching the surface here but I think the above is enough to give you the gist of the plot and the kind of story that the author was trying to write. This is an attempt at a credible, historically realistic “what if” that tries to make the fantastic element (alien invasion) appear plausible. I think the author took an incredibly difficult premise and succeeded, for the most part, in telling a very compelling story.

This leads me to my final comment about expectations going into the story. I think you will enjoy the story more if you are coming to it as a World War II historical fiction story that happens to include aliens added on for spice. Alternatively, if you approach this as a typical SF alien invaders story with World War II added as backdrop, you may be disappointed by the level of historical detail and the pace of the plot. This is a massive World War II story that will cover 4 volumes of which this is only the first book. All told, the 4 installments will span some 2500+ pages so be prepared for detail and well developed plot lines. RECOMMENDED!!
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May 02, 2008 Allie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi

I found this book hard to get into, and never really forged any sort of attachment with it until the last 150 or so pages. The characters seemed at times more like devices to demonstrate 'ideas', for want of a better word, rather than robust, developed characters. This is the nature of the book and, to some extent, the genre, however. I probably didn't enjoy it as much as other people for this reason, the military aspects not really grabbing my attention, and the political interactions and aspec...more

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Jan 09, 2011 James rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Adults

Shelves: alternate-history, action, culture-and-politics, character-studies, military, science-fiction

The beginning of one of the best alternate history/science fiction sagas around - in this story, World War II is interrupted when an alien invasion fleet shows up to disrupt the human war, forcing the countries to postpone their war with each other to combine forces against the aliens. A large cast of characters, both real historical figures including politicians, soldiers and scientists, and fictional people; extensive period detail showing meticulous research and a real love of history on the...more

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Jun 04, 2007 Joel rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: alternate history/WWII fans

Excellent book by an excellent author. Turtledove isn't afraid to approach sensitive subjects--in any of his novels. This one is no exception.
Foraging through the fascinating accounts of war and conflict, Turtledove presents this novel in a way that the reader can also interpret human nature from a different perspective.
And again as in "Guns of the South" he does his research. He finds the tiny pebbles of often ignored history and facts, and builds a dam with them. But instead of holding back w...more

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Jul 14, 2012 Christopher Slater rated it 4 of 5 stars

The following review is from my blog, Cure My Writer's Block:

World War II is raging. The Germans are taking Paris. The Battle of Midway changes naval warfare. Any observer would have to wonder if humans were going to wipe themselves out. Some observers have no intention of waiting. They’ll help push them over the edge. A huge alien invasion fleet has reached Earth with the intent of conquering it and preparing it for colonization. Can humans put aside their differences to fight off these visito...more The following review is from my blog, Cure My Writer's Block:

World War II is raging. The Germans are taking Paris. The Battle of Midway changes naval warfare. Any observer would have to wonder if humans were going to wipe themselves out. Some observers have no intention of waiting. They’ll help push them over the edge. A huge alien invasion fleet has reached Earth with the intent of conquering it and preparing it for colonization. Can humans put aside their differences to fight off these visitors from a distant world, or will their own ulterior motives lead to the downfall of human civilization?
This was my first trip into the world of Harry Turtledove. Many of my close friends had read Guns of the South and highly recommended it to me. However, I was deep into researching World War II at the time, so In the Balance seemed a more logical choice. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. It certainly was not this.
This book is not simply an alternative history. Typical alternative history involves the changing of one or two details of history and showing how it might have changed the world. This book is more of a science fiction that warps history. The good news is, I love both history and science fiction so this book, the first in a series, fit me well.
The good news is that this book did not just show the changes of history in broad strokes and among the major world leaders. Turtledove centers this book and its successors around several individuals, both human and alien. There is a German panzer commander, a Chinese civilian that watched her village get wiped out by Japanese invaders, a minor league baseball player that finds himself defending the United States, an alien that gets captured by the Americans, and even scientists working on nuclear weapons. This makes the book much more personable and understandable.
I was pleasantly surprised by this book and really enjoyed it. I especially appreciated the detailed alien culture that Turtledove developed for the invaders. He even helped the humans by providing them with a special secret weapon (and it wasn’t the atomic bomb!). The book is a little confusing at first, and while everything is explained later, I can see how it might chase a few people away. All in all, I think that this is a great book to lead you into a series if you are looking for something different from the average fair to surprise your co-workers with at the water cooler.

Christopher Slater
author of Trapped in Shades of Grey(less)

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Dec 05, 2010 Yupa rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

L'idea sarebbe stata grandiosa.
Gli alieni invadono la Terra nel bel mezzo della II Guerra Mondiale! Riusciranno i belligeranti a unirsi contro il nuovo nemico, superando quelle enormi differenze che li dividono e che avevano dato origine al conflitto?
Ma dopo poche pagine la domanda diventa: riuscirà l'autore a scrivere un libro decente, superando quelle enormi incapacità letterarie che appaiono ben evidenti?
E la risposta, purtroppo, è negativa. Intreccio debole e scrittura piattissima, e tutt...more

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Katalili Ciao! Hai letto forse "the man in the high castle" di phillip k dick? non so quale sarebbe il titolo in italiano, lo so che lo cambiate quasi sempre ;...more
Jun 14, 2011 05:47am

Yupa I titoli in Italia vengono cambiati spesso, e infatti quello che citi ne ha avuti addirittura due. :D
Prima è stato pubblicato come "La svastica sul So...more
Jun 14, 2011 09:18am

Katalili Gia letto! ;) pero ho anche letto "La svastica sul Sole" e mi e piaciuto. :) A me piacciono molto i suoi racconti, sinceramente, i racconti brevi sono...more
Jun 15, 2011 07:29am

Nov 23, 2010 Johnny rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction

If I were to list names like Patton, Groves, Molotov, Churchill, Hitler, Marshal, and Rommel while telling you that they played a prominent role in a series of novels, your first assumption would probably be that it was a series about World War II. In the case of WorldWar: In the Balance, you’d only be partially correct. The book (and indeed the series, since this is the initial volume) begins in World War II but swiftly escalates into an intergalactic war. While offering a taste, perhaps merely...more If I were to list names like Patton, Groves, Molotov, Churchill, Hitler, Marshal, and Rommel while telling you that they played a prominent role in a series of novels, your first assumption would probably be that it was a series about World War II. In the case of WorldWar: In the Balance, you’d only be partially correct. The book (and indeed the series, since this is the initial volume) begins in World War II but swiftly escalates into an intergalactic war. While offering a taste, perhaps merely the fragrance, of a historical novel set in the Second World War, Harry Turtledove has accomplished what he’s known for—turning history on its side and adding new innovative flavor. Hence, war becomes science-fiction when an alien race decides Earth (or Tosev-3 in their terminology) would be an easy conquest.
I’m not giving anything away when I type that both Axis and Allies band together in a tenuous alliance in order to stave off the greater threat. I would be giving too much away if I indicated why those provisional allies would have any kind of a chance against the superior technology of these aliens, but I can say there is plausibility enough to give the book’s conceit a very valid currency. I might also be giving too much away if I indicated exactly why the superior alien race still managed to underestimate Earth’s potential to defend itself, but I can suggest that Turtledove took one of the standard conventions of science-fiction and made it work for him. Of course, standard conventions exist because they seem to make sense and this one makes a lot of sense.
As for whether this book will work for you or not, that will depend on how you feel about epic stories. In the first place, WorldWar: In the Balance is not a stand-alone story. If you’re looking for a tightly wrapped solution to the problem at the end of the volume, you’re out of luck. The conclusion of this first book is appropriate, credible, and interesting, but it is not totally satisfying and even such satisfaction as it brings must be understood as provisional in that it very clearly sets up the next book in the series. Of course, there is also the fact that Turtledove’s stories emulate history so well that it’s really tough to draw a line in the sand (pun intended) and expect everything to wrap up very neatly. Save for the poetic justice that comes to one greedy human who cannot resist profiteering from the conflict, none of the stories are really “wrapped up,” though some of the plot lines are left reasonably snug.
The novel is also epic in the way that Turtledove unveils the lives of his viewpoint characters: the pre-Oppenheimer Manhattan Project doctor and his wife, the three minor-league baseball players, the two British radar operators, the Russian female combat pilot, the Nazi panzer officers, the aforementioned Comrade Molotov, the Chinese widow, and a Warsaw-ghetto doctor turned brevet-rabbi. Only rarely do the paths intersect. Yet, it is very satisfying when they do. Nothing seems like a corny contrivance where the author is breaking down the fourth wall and having a laugh at the reader’s expense. Rather, the interaction is often so coincidental as to seem almost trivial. There are a few heavy-handed moments, such as when one protagonist far from the fighting is revealed as related to another in the thick of things.
The “Lizards,” as the alien race is referred to by the humans in the story, are both a caricature of your classic pulp science-fiction xeno-conquerors and an opportunity for Turtledove to illustrate the similarities between dissimilar races even to the point of the cold-blooded/warm-blooded dichotomy. We always have a tendency to dehumanize our enemies as “cold-blooded” killers. In this book (and presumably in the series), Turtledove avoids that temptation by taking us inside the minds of a few key “Lizards” (such as the commander of the invasion, Atvar, who faces the same kinds of ambitious climbing and back-stabbing in his organization as many a manager faces in what we call “reality.”) and effectively demonstrating their alien way of thinking.
Overall, I think the approach is incredibly successful. The only downside is that the volume is so much a part of the series that I don’t quite feel like I’ve finished the book, yet. Too many story lines are left for the sequel. But I guess if I could wait until Philip Jose Farmer finished the Riverworld series, I can definitely wait until I find books in a bookstore, used bookstore, or library sale and finish the story. And I can assure you that I will do so.

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Mar 04, 2012 Mark rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction

If the sentence "Aliens invade during World War II" doesn't make you want to read a book, then there is nothing more I can add.

I would have filed this under three stars, guilty pleasure sort of thing, except for one thing that's not the particular book's fault: the eBook copy I purchased through B&N is one of the worst I have ever seen for typographical mistakes. These are all small things, but numerous, approaching and perhaps passing one per page.

The mistakes include things like extraneous...more

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Sep 23, 2012 Rafal Jasinski rated it 2 of 5 stars

Książka z maksymalnie niewykorzystanym potencjałem, którego założenia mogą wydawać się nieco banalne - Ziemia roku 1945 w obliczu ataku "jaszczurów" z kosmosu - jakkolwiek dają one spore pole do popisu. Niestety, autor strasznie rozmienia się na drobne - zamiast skupić się na głębszym zarysowaniu historycznych implikacji ataku obcych w gorącym okresie Drugiej Wojny Światowej - już na samym wstępie wprowadzając do historii masę mało interesujących, jednowymiarowych, odstręczających wręcz swoją ni...more Książka z maksymalnie niewykorzystanym potencjałem, którego założenia mogą wydawać się nieco banalne - Ziemia roku 1945 w obliczu ataku "jaszczurów" z kosmosu - jakkolwiek dają one spore pole do popisu. Niestety, autor strasznie rozmienia się na drobne - zamiast skupić się na głębszym zarysowaniu historycznych implikacji ataku obcych w gorącym okresie Drugiej Wojny Światowej - już na samym wstępie wprowadzając do historii masę mało interesujących, jednowymiarowych, odstręczających wręcz swoją nijakością, postaci. Wszystko to zrobione na zasadzie, po jednym "przeciętniaku" z każdego, zaangażowanego w międzynarodowy konflikt, narodu. Choć i tu brak konsekwencji - choć wątek polski odgrywa całkiem istotną rolę, to kompletnym zaskoczeniem było dla mnie to, że Turtledove konstruuje go w sposób zupełnie nieprzekonujący, mianowicie skupiając się na samej tylko Warszawie, co grosza, w roli przedstawicieli naszego regionu umieszczający Żydów z getta. Dobrze, ma to swego rodzaju uzasadnienie, ale nie zmienia to faktu, że Polacy, jako naród, zostali w tej historii niemal kompletnie pominięci.

Ogólnie jednak autor nie wychodzi poza utarte, można by było powiedzieć, że wręcz podręcznikowe schematy, a jego wizja alternatywna w najmniejszym nawet stopniu nie zaskakuje. Owszem, pojawia się kilka smaczków - jak choćby wzmianka o skażonym, bynajmniej nie w wyniku wybuchu elektrowni, Czernobylu - ale, jak na powieść z nurtu historii alternatywnych jest tu za mało zaskakujących koncepcji.

Na plus - kosmici nie są przedstawieni, jako bezmyślne, pałające rządzą zniszczenia potwory. Mają swoją hierarchię, wierzenia, różnią się między sobą charakterami i zachowaniem. Zaryzykowałbym stwierdzenie, że w tej powieści o wiele ciekawsi są właśnie przedstawiciele, tak zwanej Rasy, niż ich ludzcy adwersarze.

Poza tym książka prezentuje raczej poziom wysokobudżetowych, filmowych blockbusterów - spod szyldu takich panów, jak Michael Bay i Roland Emmerich - ze wszystkimi filmów owych wadami i zaletami. Razi, nadto, rozbuchany patos, brak interesującego plotu i zerowy poziom dramaturgii. Ot, ciekawostka ahistoryczna.

Tym bardziej nie żal faktu, że pozostałe części trylogii nie doczekały się wydania w naszym kraju. (less)

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Sep 05, 2011 Lasse Laitinen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: alternate-history

I doubt this opening volume of Turtledove's Worldwar/Colonization/Homeward Bound saga could be called a modern classic of alternate history, but it's likely such a central work that reading it clearly improves one's knowledge of the genre. Turtledove is a popular and industrious author and I decided to grab the first volume of the Worldwar tetralogy, especially as the plot is as clever as it is straightforward: what if aliens had invaded Earth in 1942 in the midst of World War II? Turtledove has...more

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Jan 08, 2008 Jordan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a nice mix of historical fiction/counter factual history and sci-fi. Harry Turtledove is good at mixing the genres, but he makes a few minor mistakes (i.e. inaccurate military references). If you are able to ignore these mistakes (which most people probably wouldn't pick up on anyway) this is a well written series. It is a commitment though as it takes a while to read.

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Feb 18, 2008 Don rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: alternative-history

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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May 11, 2013 Derek Van Hise rated it 5 of 5 stars

"Worldwar: In the Balance" is the first book of an alternate history series by Harry Turtledove. In this book, an alien fleet tries to conquer Earth in 1941 in the middle of World War II. Since the last intelligence probe arrived on Earth in the 1200s, the aliens are shocked to see how much they have advanced since then. The war is put aside as Hitler, Churchill, Stalin, Hirohito, FDR, and all the rest team up to kick the alien's butts.
This book is a unique combination of alternate history and s...more

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Mar 25, 2013 Alan Smith rated it 3 of 5 stars

I am a total addict for Turtledove's alternate histories, and I can't really say any of his works are bad. Personally I prefer the ones more grounded in reality - I find tanks and infantry more interesting than aliens - but this work, the first in the "Worldwar" tetralogy, still had much to recommend it for me. Like all of his adult works, Turtledove uses the device of telling his story through a number of different characters from all walks of life, some of them interacting, building up a sweep...more

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Dec 30, 2011 Holden Attradies rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: alternative-history, fiction

I enjoyed this much more than I thought I would. I had heard this wasn't the best of his series, and I would say it's definitely not as strong as the Southern Victory series. With that in mind I've been pleasantly surprised by how much I've enjoyed it. I have a feeling it will be even better during the second reading as I will be able to appreciate the foreshadowing and not be overwhelmed by the large number of characters/events.

I do see why people seemed to have liked this less. It felt at time...more

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Aug 28, 2010 Dale rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I am kind of a sucker for a lor of things, and here are two which come together in Harry Turtledove's Worldwar series: alternate history, and global epics that bounce the narrative around amongst many multi-culti POV characters. It's a cheap way to build tension, putting one set of characters in danger and then leaving off their story to catch up with others until finally swinging back around again - cheap but effective. I wouldn't say that Turtledove is a great writer, but he does a good job cr...more

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Mar 15, 2011 Sara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-club-sf-fantasy, science-fiction, alternate-history

So, it's 1942, and World War II is in progress, with all its strife and misery...when reptiles from another planet attack!! This is the premise of Harry Turtledove's alternate history series that begins with this book.

I read this for my book club. While it was not really my cup of tea, there were definitely good things about it. At times I would get curious about whether something was a real event or not and look up some history, so I learned some things while reading.

I will not go into detail...more

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Feb 15, 2012 Tony Kordyban rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book answers the question I should have been thinking about my whole life: What if ... at the height of World War II, Earth is invaded by lizard people from outer space? I picked this book off the shelf in a bookstore because of the weird cover, and after reading the summary, I had to buy it. After reading my first sci-fi/alternate history, I was hooked on the series. Then hooked on all of Harry Turtledove's alternate history series. After living through the alternate Civil War, the alterna...more

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Jul 24, 2011 Pv Lundqvist rated it 5 of 5 stars

What could make a WWII novel better? Aliens!

Such is the alternative history that Turtledove specializes in. I must admit, I kept coming back to this book like a future guilty pleasure, before finally getting it from the library. Once I started reading, however, all reservations (pretensions?) were gone, and I was hooked.

If you like battle stories with a twist of sci fi, you'll enjoy this first of a series of four. Turtledove does a convincing job of conveying different characters in their cultur...more

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Aug 28, 2011 David rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, speculative, war

An interesting premise...reptilian aliens invading earth in the middle of WWII. But there is a definite lack of authorial skill at work here. Characters, plotting, story, dramatic incident are all flat and predictable. Dialogue is the worst kind of popular tripe. In the end it was a painful challenge just to finish the book.

I gave it two stars rather than one because the premise was amusing. If the writing had spent more time on constructing characters and fleshing out these I would have given i...more

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Mar 28, 2009 Kallierose rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was my first introduction to tales of alternative realities. Although I'm not a big fan of "war books" this one drew me in. The idea of fierce enemies working together to take out an even bigger foe was intriguing. The alien and human characters were all well drawn, and reading about familiar historical figures in completely unreal situations was interesting. I liked the book enough that I actually finished the series. Pretty surprising, considering the fact that I felt this wasn't rea...more

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Jan 16, 2011 Harold rated it 3 of 5 stars

It was ok. I really didn't expect that his aliens would be lizards but it worked. The book could have moved a bit faster. To me it seemed that he was really diving into the weeds of the characters. Then there is the light speed or at least space traveling lizards who have technology far advanced then ours but they would continue to use what is tantamount to 5.56 mm ammunition and tracked vehicles. I suppose, though, that if they were using ray guns and the like, then they'd wipe the whole of the...more

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Sep 30, 2009 Al rated it 2 of 5 stars

Alternate history from a well-known practitioner of the art. In this case, aliens arrive at Earth in the middle of WWII, causing the warring nations to unite in defending Earth. Mr. Turtledove uses this premise to explore the obvious moral dilemmas which arise from this scenario, but the whole thing is pretty two dimensional and not particularly well-written. I like my alternate history without the deus ex machina; the aliens didn't do a thing for me. There are three more books in this cycle, b...more

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Apr 29, 2012 Brenton J. rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone who likes war, history, or fantasy

Recommended to Brenton by: no one

This series opened up a whole new world to me. It was the first alternate history type book I had ever read and at least for the few few in the series, it is the best. During one of the worst conflicts in the history of the world, aliens decide to invade. Alliances form in the most unlikely groups and heroes are born from the most unhero of people. This is a great series and I would recommend it to anyone. It did slow down towards the end of the series, but the first two or three books when the...more

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Nov 11, 2009 Don rated it 2 of 5 stars

I really wanted to like this - I usually enjoy alternative history stuff. But I found the pace too slow for my liking and it spent more time coming back to points than I cared to read. Yes, we get it, the invaders are put off by our pace of technological advancement. Showing me that would be fine, but too much telling.

It made me sufficiently curious to know how it wound up but not enough to slog through 3 more books. The summaries on wikipedia satisfied my curiosity and freed me up to read thing...more

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Nov 19, 2012 David rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Apr 09, 2011 Larry McCloskey rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It's the height of World War II when aliens arrive, threatening the whole of humanity and forcing bitter enemies to band together against a common foe. The setup for this book is great. The execution, though, failed at times. The battle scenes are well done for the most part, as is some of the alien interaction. The characters, though, are hit or miss and there are too many. Turtledove also delves too deeply into soap opera territory at times. This is a three star rating that could have been a f...more It's the height of World War II when aliens arrive, threatening the whole of humanity and forcing bitter enemies to band together against a common foe. The setup for this book is great. The execution, though, failed at times. The battle scenes are well done for the most part, as is some of the alien interaction. The characters, though, are hit or miss and there are too many. Turtledove also delves too deeply into soap opera territory at times. This is a three star rating that could have been a four or a five if it were about 100 pages shorter.

I went in expecting to be let down because in most earth vs. aliens scenarios, some sort of deus ex machina intervention needs to be worked in to explain how we can hold our own against beings that have mastered interstellar travel. But Turtledove finds, I think, an elegant solution to the problem and one that makes logical sense. I thought he handled the admittedly generalized personae of the warring nations well. Are they stereotyped? Yes, but stereotypes exist for a reason. By using those stereotypes, he actually shows a pretty fair knowledge of each nation's military capabilities, strengths and weaknesses. He also does a good job of building suspense heading into the key moments of the book.

On the downside, there was too much pap. If the aliens are fascinated by our sexuality, then tell me that it has their scientists confounded, I don't need pages upon pages of ham-handed romance novel writing. I don't need or want to know about how much sex everyone will apparently be having when faced with destruction. At times, it became a big distraction and almost made me give up.

Ultimately, I'm glad I worked through the lean times. The story finishes strong. It was definitely good enough to make me care about what happens in the rest of the series, but not quite strong enough to make me rush out and get the next book (make sense?). I'm moving on, but I think I'll be back to find out what became of our heroes.

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Mar 19, 2012 Kelanth, numquam risit ubi dracones vivunt rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantascienza

Il ciclo dell'invasione di Harry Turtledove, lo scrittore statunitense nato a Los Angeles nel 1949 che è comunemente considerato un autore di allostorie, è una saga fantascientifica che è stata scritta tra il 1994 e il 1996 e ambientata nel corso della seconda guerra mondiale, mescolando elementi storici e ucronici al tema dell'invasione aliena.

Il ciclo è composto da quattro romanzi: "Invasione anno zero", "Invasione atto secondo", "Invasione atto terzo" e "Invasione atto finale". Dopo il ciclo...more Il ciclo dell'invasione di Harry Turtledove, lo scrittore statunitense nato a Los Angeles nel 1949 che è comunemente considerato un autore di allostorie, è una saga fantascientifica che è stata scritta tra il 1994 e il 1996 e ambientata nel corso della seconda guerra mondiale, mescolando elementi storici e ucronici al tema dell'invasione aliena.

Il ciclo è composto da quattro romanzi: "Invasione anno zero", "Invasione atto secondo", "Invasione atto terzo" e "Invasione atto finale". Dopo il ciclo dell'invasione la storia prosegue, con un salto narrativo di 25 anni, con il "Ciclo della colonizzazione".

La mia recensione, abbraccerà l'intera saga.

Siamo nei primi anni della seconda guerra mondiale. Una notte però appare sul cielo sopra il ghetto di Varsavia una luce. Tale luce rappresenta l'arrivo di una razza aliena giunta sulla Terra per conquistarla. Gli alieni sono una razza di rettili alti 150-160 cm, apparentemente evolutasi da piccoli carnosauri come i velociraptor anche. Basando i piani di invasione sulla propria storia, gli alieni hanno inviato sonde-spia sulla terra (a circa 12 anni luce di distanza) ricevendone immagini del nostro pianeta fra l'anno 1000 e il 1200... La flotta di invasione (dotata di armi paragonabili a quelle del ventunesimo secolo terrestre: bombe atomiche, carri armati con motori a idrogeno e cannoni iperveloci, sofisticati caccia a reazione) era stata calcolata per sopprimere in pochi giorni una resistenza fatta da cavalieri in armatura dotati di picche e spade.
I rettili invasori sono quindi letteralmente sconvolti quando ci trovano impegnati in un grande conflitto globale che vede l'uso di tecnologie marginalmente inferiori alle loro, sviluppate nei pochi secoli impiegati dalle loro navi per raggiungere la Terra. Inoltre, gli scienziati terrestri riescono a studiare e copiare alcuni esemplari di armi aliene catturate, causando improvvisi balzi in avanti della tecnologia terrestre.

La storia si sviluppa attraverso un numero notevole di personaggi, dai soldati terrestri appartenenti a tutte le forze in campo, agli alieni fino ad arrivare alle persone comuni. Le loro storie si intrecciano in un susseguirsi di rivelazioni, segreti, colpi di scena e grandi battaglie. Turtledove, nell'inserire l'elemento dell'invasione esterna, stravolgerà completamente lo sviluppo della storia come noi la conosciamo.

L'ucronìa è un tema della fantascienza che mi ha sempre entusiasmato e qui Turtledove, che è un maestro di tale pratica letteraria, dà il meglio di sè; molto ben congegnato, di un'originalità assoluta, per un'amante della storia alternativa questa serie è un must da leggereper la sua genialità.

Poi, sicuramente nella lettura ci si imbatte in delle carenze letterarie, come qualche lettore ha giustamente sottolineato, ma si sta parlando sostanzialmente in dei verociraptor alieni che invadono la Terra, non di un libro di Proust. Quello che vuole il lettore è, secondo me, essere trasportato in un'altra realtà parallela, che lo faccia divertire e questa saga ci riesce in pieno.

Un capolavoro di storia alternativa.
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Apr 15, 2010 Ogreart Art rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: audiobook, alternate-history, science-fiction

Imagine if you will a World War II that is interrupted in 1942 by an alien invasion. The invaders are using, for the most part, technology that is comparable to what we have today. This is the scene set by Turtledove. As in many of his books the tale is told through the viewpoints of many people and aliens around the globe. It is the first book in a trilogy, and sadly for me the next two books are not currently offered by Audible.com. I hope they change that soon.

I find the human interactions i...more

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Dec 31, 2011 Mike (the Paladin) rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: alternate-history, science-fiction

This book sucked me in. It was such a good idea and the opening of the book was done so well....

The idea behind this book is wonderful almost inspired.(view spoiler)...more

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title link	preview: Worldwar: In the Balance
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BBCode	[url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/101527.Worldwar?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1313412268l/101527.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/101527.Worldwar?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Worldwar: In the Balance by Harry Turtledove[/url]

Worldwar: In the Balance (Worldwar #1)

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