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Weapons of Choice (Axis of Time (aka, World War 2.0) #1)

3.89 of 5 stars 3.89 · rating details · 1,598 ratings · 124 reviews

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 Mid...more

Paperback, 512 pages

Published June 1st 2005 by Ballantine Books (first published January 1st 2004)

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May 18, 2013 Grant rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: all-time-favourites

Weapons of Choice, and the Axis of Time series in general, is one of those things I can't but help evangelize to any sci-fi or historic fiction fans I know. It's really the only alt-history series I've been able to get into, for good reason.

John Birmingham writes like Tom Clancy minus the pompousness, skewed worldview, overly long plot buildups, and inability to write female characters. He grabs a UN peacekeeping naval force, crewed by Millennials battle-hardened by two decades of the War on Ter...more

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May 17, 2013 Jordan Steinhoff rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013

This is not a bad book.

Just not great and not deserving of 3 full stars.

I'll always give the alt-Earth story a shot and this started off great with a quick precis on the book's modern day world and then quickly jumping into the WW2 PTO.

The initial drama and consequences of that jump were superb.

After that, though, it became a bit of a grind. The author tried to keep too many characters relevant, I think, while at the same time not really being successful with the general story of how 21st centu...more

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Mar 27, 2013 Thom Swennes rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Enter the Twilight Zone on a world scale! As you are watching a glass-smooth horizon dotted with ships, water and a cloudless sky, it happens…. You’re not completely surprised for what you see could have been, would have been, should have been…. All has disappeared. Seconds later it reappears 79 years in the past amid Task Force 16 and 17 on their way to the Battle of Midway. The unexpected ships didn’t appear just near the Task Forces but in them causing ships, equipment and even personnel to m...more

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Jul 15, 2012 Skyring rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The premise is totally off the planet - a naval task force from the near future is sent back in time to the Second World War - but what I really enjoyed was the way that the two different societies found themselves in conflict - and coöperation. The various scenarios are explored and enjoyed. A particular focus of the narrative is the way that women and minorities are presented. In the WW2 navy, having a black woman command a warship is unthinkable, in the displaced fleet, it's unremarkable. Tha...more

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Feb 02, 2012 Konstantinos rated it 2 of 5 stars

In the book a modern battle fleet travels back in time to WWII and starts to change history. This a definitely interesting read and the author raises some interesting problems that would arise not just because of the technological but also the cultural differences between the time travelers and the people of 1940s. He is also quite competent in giving the different viewpoints (axis/allies, future/past).

So why is it just ok for me (two stars)? First of all although he could just as easily have us...more

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Jan 28, 2012 Shaft rated it 4 of 5 stars

What happens when a near future naval armada is sent back to the beginning of World War II. This is the question posed by Weapons of Choice. This book is an alternate history of sorts and covers a wide range of characters and setting including the visitors from the future, the contemporary American society and military as well as the Japanese Military and their ongoing efforts.

This is a book that swallows you whole after the first few pages making you feel that you are right there alongside the...more

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Jan 12, 2011 Lis Carey rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: f-sf

It’s January 2021, and an international task force headed up by the USS Hillary Clinton (a George Bush class supercarrier), is off Indonesia, responding to a political crisis caused by the overthrow of the legitimate government and its replacement by the extremist Caliphate. Because of the haste with which the task force was thrown together, they’ve got with them a research ship that had to come along with its protective escort—no time and no spare forces available to send it off to a safer dist...more It’s January 2021, and an international task force headed up by the USS Hillary Clinton (a George Bush class supercarrier), is off Indonesia, responding to a political crisis caused by the overthrow of the legitimate government and its replacement by the extremist Caliphate. Because of the haste with which the task force was thrown together, they’ve got with them a research ship that had to come along with its protective escort—no time and no spare forces available to send it off to a safer distance. While the rest of the task force waits and prepares for action, the scientists continue their experiments—which, contrary to the official story, do not involve sea floor mapping. Something goes horribly wrong, and major pieces of the task force find themselves someplace else, surrounded by unfamiliar ships behaving in a hostile manner. It’s now 1942, and the unfamiliar ships turn out to be very familiar, once the naval history buffs recover enough to identify them. It’s the US fleet steaming toward Midway. Unfortunately, the two fleets do major damage to each other before the 21st century officers realize they’re all ostensibly friendlies, and then manage to convey that message convincingly to the 1942 Americans.

Conveying this message convincingly is somewhat hampered by the fact that they’ve got a Japanese ship with them, as well as some German officers. And of course life is further complicated by the racially mixed crew, and the fact that both women and blacks are well-represented among the officers. But with major damage to both fleets, including the fact that some of the 21st century task force apparently didn’t make the trip successfully, they have to learn to work together if they’re going to prevent a disaster at Midway.

It’s extremely well-done, fast-paced and exciting. The characters, from Admiral Phillip Kolhammer on the Hillary Clinton, down to Able Seaman Slim Jim Davidson, on the USS Astoria, are mostly well-rounded and convincing (although some of the 1942 British officers do seem to have been cobbled together out of left-over cardboard. Birmingham, by the way, is Australian.) And mostly the history seems correct, up to the point where it starts changing, and if any of the military details are wrong, I’m not knowledgable enough to catch them. There is one minor error, though, demonstrating why it’s dangerous for British and Australian writers to assume that America is as much like their homes as the language sometimes suggests: At one point, Birmingham has two of his 1940s American enlisted seamen, Moose Molloy and Slim Jim Davidson, talking about American “Girl Guides.” While it’s perfectly correct that the organization was originally founded as “Girl Guides of America” in 1912, they changed their name to “Girl Scouts of America” in 1913. Moose and Slim Jim would never have heard the name “Girl Guides,” much less used it in casual conversation. This is such an obscure bit of information that googling “Girl Guides of America” takes you to the Wikipedia article that explains this in its first few sentences: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girl_Sco... This does give me some concerning, wondering what other details he missed that may be glaringly obvious to someone else.

Nevertheless, it’s a fun book and I recommend it.
(less)

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Aug 02, 2010 Nicci rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction, alternate-history, war, military, favorites

I love the concept of the future meeting the past and seeing how the writer will effect changes in history as a result.

An American led Multi-National armada from year 2021 is transported to WW2, right in the middle of the US Task Force heading to Midway for a major battle with the Japanese. The disruption by the time travelers, the resulting destruction of the 1942 Task Force ships changed history. The Japaneses capturing one ship from the future sort of balance the status-quo. The Americans and...more

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Apr 16, 2012 Hollowman rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: abandoned

There is simply way too much wrong with this novel. I don't want to go too much into it here -- see others' reviews, on GR, Amazon, etc.
Perhaps MY main beef is: Birmingham goes way overboard on techno-babble and handwavium. Dunno why, other than -- methinks -- to draw attn. away from countless other flaws that afflict the book.

Hence ... I abandoned this book a while back, roughly on page 102.

Writing this review and giving it 2/5 stars needs some explanation, tho' not necess. justification! Here...more

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Mar 15, 2011 Shelley aka Gizmo's Reviews rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: military-thriller

An American led Multi-National armada from year 2021 is transported to WW2, right in the middle of the US Task Force heading to Midway for a major battle with the Japanese. The disruption by the time travelers, the resulting destruction of the 1942 Task Force ships changed history. The Japaneses capturing one ship from the future sort of balance the status-quo. The Americans and Allied cannot have all the fun. Embedded in technological structures of the ships, are historical archives of the past...more

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Oct 20, 2012 David Sarkies rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi

I picked this book up because I had quite enjoyed Birmingham's non-fiction works, if you can consider He Died with a Falafel in his Hand to be a work of non-fiction (I suspect that it falls into that grey area, much like Chopper's books, where there is truth in the story but much of it has been fuzzed out to protect the guilty) that I thought I might try this book. Anyway, it looked quite interesting, being about a US carrier group being sent back in time, after attempting to use some new techn...more I picked this book up because I had quite enjoyed Birmingham's non-fiction works, if you can consider He Died with a Falafel in his Hand to be a work of non-fiction (I suspect that it falls into that grey area, much like Chopper's books, where there is truth in the story but much of it has been fuzzed out to protect the guilty) that I thought I might try this book. Anyway, it looked quite interesting, being about a US carrier group being sent back in time, after attempting to use some new technology, to the battle of Midway. As can be expected, when they arrive all hell breaks loose, and they end up sinking half of the US fleet, and pretty much changing the course of history as we know it.
Okay, I gave the book a rather low score, more because when I got to the second book, the quality of the story had pretty much degenerated to what is effectively American jingoism. Birmingham's earlier writings were quite good in that we got to experience a side of Australia that many of us have actually experienced, and the stories that he tells make us look back in amusement to our younger, and wilder days. However, he has taken a somewhat more serious note here, not in the sense that it is dark and gloomy, but rather that he has simply gone into what one could consider to be pulp science-fiction, and the story is not even original.
There is a movie that I saw a while back called the Philadelphia Experiment, and it is about two groups of scientists, one during the modern age and the other during World War II, who are experimenting with invisibility. What they end up doing is creating a worm hole between the two time periods, and thrust people back and forth between them. The sequal involves some scientists experimenting with teleportation technology, and instead of teleporting a stealth bomber (fully loaded by the way) to modern day Hamburg, they teleport it to Hamburg during World War II, once again changing history.
Both of those movies had a much better explanation of what happened, whereas this particular story simply seemed to be random. It is also annoying that all of the sudden the Japanese suddenly switch sides, and give all of this modern technology over to the Japanese and the Germans (as well as giving them details of how history unfolds) in an attempt to beat back the Allied forces. However, the allied forces suddenly have a kick-arse battle group on their side, so even with that slight advantage, you can still pretty much see how it is going to end.
Okay, he does draw upon some of the prejudices that existed back then, and how the people of the 1940s attempt to come to terms with gay rights and woman's lib, as well as accepting negroes, but then again they pretty much don't. However, there is also an element of Islamophobia in this work as well, with this idea that Islamic Fundamentalism will in the future sweep the world, forcing us into a never ending religious war, however I will speak more of that when I get to the second book in the series.(less)

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May 12, 2012 Leon Aldrich rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads, alternate-history, fantasy-and-science-fiction, military-science-fiction

This was my first novel by Birmingham, as he came highly recommended by http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/14... (a reviewer everyone should be following). This author had some big shoes to fill as I've been a voracious reader for thirty years.

This novel is equal to Rally Cry, A Hymn Before Battle, and Island in the Sea of Time.

I looked over the weaker starred ratings as always. A noticeable sign again among those reviewers: they have read few if any "military" fiction, let alone "alternate his...more

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Jan 27, 2010 Randy rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was recommended this book by a fellow military history buff, but it took me several years to get around to starting it. Once I did, however, it took little time to finish it. It was a very engaging read, one that I had trouble putting down.

The premise given for how and why a battlegroup in the year 2021 is thrown back to 1942 is no more or less fantastical than any other sci-fi time-travel offering. What makes this a good story, though, is that rather than just focusing on the "our tech is so...more

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Nov 28, 2012 Oni rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: alternate-history

This is my first John Birmingham book. I accidentally stumbled upon it, and once I read the first page, I cannot put it down.

Why? Is it that good? No. But because the background of the story is about my country Indonesia. The year is 2021, not so far from our current time. An American led (yeah, ho hum) multinational force is positioned near East Timor, just outside Indonesia's territory. They are preparing to overthrown the Jihad rebellion who just won the civil war, by retaking Jakarta. Yes, I...more This is my first John Birmingham book. I accidentally stumbled upon it, and once I read the first page, I cannot put it down.

Why? Is it that good? No. But because the background of the story is about my country Indonesia. The year is 2021, not so far from our current time. An American led (yeah, ho hum) multinational force is positioned near East Timor, just outside Indonesia's territory. They are preparing to overthrown the Jihad rebellion who just won the civil war, by retaking Jakarta. Yes, Indonesia has become the next Taliban, in 2021. Maybe it is too far fetch, but still I find the story interesting.

The Background: Indonesian legitimate government (President and loyal staff) is seeking refuge in Geneva. Indonesian Armed Force (TNI) had been divided, some are supporting the Jihad. And the last standing force, protecting the legitimate government, is-yeah-the Marines (Marinir TNI-AL). I believe that the author has done his homework. He used to work as researcher in US Defense Department, and he knows the role played by Marines during 1998 Jakarta riot. Marines was the only effective armed force at that time, the other: army, police, were just disappeared!

And the story goes, the multinational force, accompanied by two of Indonesian frigates, KRI Sutanto and KRI Nuku (yes, the author is using KRI as the term), which are refitted frigates bought from East Germany during Habibie's term as president (yes, he said that), which are a part of national armed force still loyal with the government.

Everything is ready, until something goes wrong. One ship, which is a research vessel is conducting a top secret science experiment, accidentally creates a worm hole which transports the entire fleet backward in time, to 1942, in the middle of Midway naval battle, creating huge confusion in the Allied fleet. The multinational force from the future, is destined to change the history of World War II. Will history repeats itself, or will it change forever?

Well, interesting, right? There are lots of characters, and some of them are historical figures, such as Roosevelt, MacArthur, Churchill, Hitler, Yamamoto, even Einstein. There are also a lot of tension because of the "clash of culture", between the future American, and the old American. The author is also quite accurate in depicting Indonesian culture. The naval officer is hoarding pirated movie and music in his ship, for long period on-board entertainment! He also makes reference to clove cigaret, and rice cake wrapped with banana leaf (or lontong)!

Those are the strong parts, now the weak parts. Birmingham seems undecided about whether he will make this novel a "lesser history", such as Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest, as historical account of the foot soldier, or a "major history" such as The Second World War, as the account of generals. By mixing them, he is loosing the focus.

There are also too many point of view characters. By doing that, each characters only has small portion, therefore the character development is sacrificed. You cannot have a deep sympathy for the character, such as in Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest or A Game of Thrones.

The story also looses the steam in the middle, only to catch up near the end. Birmingham is genuine in creating the social tension caused by the "Transition". But he just failed to blend the tension in the story; it felt like a nuisance instead of strengthening the story line.

Final verdict: 3.5/5. Potential to be a 4 star, actually. Just not enough.(less)

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Feb 24, 2013 Nick Forbes warren rated it 5 of 5 stars

A fantastic WHAT IF thriller in which a naval task force of 2021 is accidentally sent back in time to 1942 after a military quantum experiment goes horribly wrong. Sounds familiar? Think THE PHILADELPHIA EXPERIMENT and THE FINAL COUNTDOWN . . . but John Birmingham takes this concept ten steps better and has the 2021 force stopping the Battle of Midway, and history as we know it becomes a whole new ball game as the forces from the future reveal themselves and face age old values of 1942 such as b...more

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Mar 22, 2013 Procrastinador Diletante rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Este podia ser mais um livro de viagens no tempo, em que os protagonistas iriam ter grandes preocupações com as habituais e complexas questões de alterarem o futuro, mas com uma chegada caótica a 1942, esta frota multinacional de 2021, não tem muita oportunidade para essas discussões.

Para mim, isto foi logo um dos grandes aspectos positivos do livro, visto que John Birmingham não perdeu tempo com longas explicações sobre a forma como foram transportados para trás no tempo, nem deu hipótese às vá...more Este podia ser mais um livro de viagens no tempo, em que os protagonistas iriam ter grandes preocupações com as habituais e complexas questões de alterarem o futuro, mas com uma chegada caótica a 1942, esta frota multinacional de 2021, não tem muita oportunidade para essas discussões.

Para mim, isto foi logo um dos grandes aspectos positivos do livro, visto que John Birmingham não perdeu tempo com longas explicações sobre a forma como foram transportados para trás no tempo, nem deu hipótese às várias personagens, de analisar a situação e ficar muito tempo a planear o melhor método de proteger a linha do tempo - apareceram no meio da frota naval americana que ia enfrentar os japoneses em Midway, com navios estranhos e alguns com bandeira do Japão, o que desencadeou logo violentos combates navais.

A vertente militar dos livros, é outro factor a destacar, visto que o autor descreve os combates de uma forma eficaz e cheia de fulgor, com pequenos episódios que acrescentam ainda mais vivacidade, como o comandante do Eixo que pensa estar a ver uma estrela cadente, quando na verdade é um míssil a vir na sua direcção. A excelente escrita é também confirmada, na maneira como pormenoriza o armamento moderno através dos olhos dos soldados aliados, que se deparam com máquinas e equipamentos que parecem de outro planeta. Por seu lado, as pessoas vindas de 2021, estão também num mundo completamente diferente, onde o machismo e discriminação racial e sexual, são práticas comuns.

Aliás, este é outros dos grandes trunfos de Weapons of Choice, pois quando o comandante da força futurista compreende e aceita que não há maneira de voltar ao seu tempo, decidindo que vai combater ao lado dos Aliados, depara-se com vários bloqueios e imposições, causados pelo facto dos seus soldados serem de diferentes etnias e existirem várias mulheres em posições de chefia. Embora os benefícios tecnológicos e informativos que trouxeram, atenuem este factor e permitam uma cooperação mais ou menos cordial com as nações que combatem o Eixo, a verdade é que as mentalidades da época ameaçam tornar-se um inimigo inesperado.

Imprevisível é também o final deste primeiro livro da série Axis of Time, pois não querendo desvendar muito do enredo, a Alemanha e o Japão não vão ceder assim tão facilmente perante esta nova força aliada e conseguem arranjar meios para os combater, com uma ajuda imprevista e começando a mudar ainda mais, a história da 2ª Guerra Mundial.

Para quem conhece bem este conflito, vai ser um prazer identificar as várias figuras históricas que vão aparecendo, assim como os navios e locais marcantes da época, embora não seja um requisito fundamental para ler este livro. Só não dei 5 estrelas ao livro, porque penso que há um momento inicial, onde há tanta coisa a acontecer, com tantos nomes e terminologia militar, que pode ser um bocado confuso e obrigar-nos a ir visitar páginas anteriores - não é nada de grave, nem retira valor à obra.

E pronto, para quem gosta de história alternativa, com muita guerra mas também, confronto de ideias, sempre escrito de uma forma cativante e dinâmica, tem aqui uma excelente escolha!(less)

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Dec 28, 2010 Simeonberesford rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook, science, fiction, alternate, history, axis, of, time, oct06, naval, ww2, travel

A future international naval task force. From a world that seem to have avoided global warming. comprised mostly of the US and a few Allies. gets swept back in time to the second world war.[return]Not particularily original. I could name plenty of similar works. time travel to the second world war is old hat. in scope it probably most resembles Harry Turtledove's works. Something implicitly acknowledged by the author. on the two occasions that someone remarks that this is about as likely as liza...more

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May 14, 2013 John Orman rated it 4 of 5 stars

A strange time-traveling experiment in the year 2021 sends a futuristic fighting force back to 1942, right into the big WWII battle at Midway Atoll. Will that battle still be the most spectacular U.S. triumph of the war? How will history change because of the appearance of these future-changers?
These issues are explored in a very interesting manner throughout the novel.

Churchill, Eisenhower, MacArthur, Nimitz, Einstein, Hitler, Yamamoto, and Roosevelt show up as historical characters here, but a...more

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Jul 28, 2011 Rahadyan added it

I was intrigued at first by the 2021 conflict, that of an international force attempting to interdict an Indonesia that has become a Caliphate. However, once the 21st century battle group goes back in time to 1942, it was slow going for me -- not through any fault of the plot, but because I know a bit too well how my Indonesian and Filipino relatives of the time fared in the 1940's, during WW II and then Indonesia's War for Independence. I like the contrasts in the mindsets of the people from 20...more

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Jun 09, 2011 Miamijules rated it 3 of 5 stars

I have to say upfront that I am not a fan of sci-fi, unless we're talking about giant bugs or sea creatures, but the premise of this book hit upon the intriguing (and scary) world of "what-if." What if the intel regarding Pearl Harbor was actually passed along? What if the original President Bush wasn't rescued in the nick of time by a submarine? (Yes, that really happened) What if the government made the needed changes and additions to the levee system in New Orleans years ago?

This book pairs t...more

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May 25, 2011 Leons1701 rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'd heard a lot about this series over the last couple of years, mostly good. Gotta say, it wasn't quite what I'd expected. The decision to go with an armada from our future (2021 to be exact) just feels odd, and I'm very skeptical of the degree of military advancement depicted from 2005 to 2021. The biggie to me is the fusion powered aircraft carrier. Not a chance. Maybe if we'd had viable fusion plants in 2005 a 15 year development cycle for such a major vessel might almost be long enough. but...more

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Apr 19, 2009 Karen rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is definitely a 3 1/2 stars for me. The concept of a group of future military ships going back in time to 1942 sounded mildly intriguing, but as Birmingham started exploring the culture clashes and the really interesting complexity of how it would changes things to know what is "supposed" to happen, I found myself completely fascinated. On the other hand, while there are some good characters and scenes, there are way too many characters to try to keep straight and the first 100 pages were v...more

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Nov 19, 2009 Stefan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction-and-alt-history

Weapons of Choice was an well-written novel of alternative history. The premise (for why a futuristic naval battle group was sent back to 1942) failed to ring true. However, the rough relationship between the twenty-first century, multinational force and their World War Two counterparts was fascinating to read about. The fluid action scenes, authentic dialogue, and detailed settings were all top-notch. I enjoyed how Birmingham vividly described the era’s many interesting personalities (Roosevelt...more

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Dec 02, 2010 Tyler rated it 4 of 5 stars

If tom clancy wrote Sci-Fi, this would be it. Perhaps the most interesting feature of this book is Birmingham's visualization of the social conflicts between twenty first century sailors and the troops from 1942. He does an excellent job making these encounters realistic and vivid, and one could picture them occurring the way he describes them. The story features many characters, so it can be hard to follow at times, and some readers (certainly not me!) may tire of his descriptions of future tec...more

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Jun 14, 2012 Joe rated it 5 of 5 stars

I love these kind of books - a time displacement, taking advanced technology into a recognizable past (in this case World War II) and studying the potential impact of that technology to those events....alternative history.

This book brings it to the table with an accident that lands a naval task force from the early 21st century right before the Battle of Midway in WW2. It ties together great military writing, with detailed technical descriptions of the military weapons, and interesting character...more

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Aug 13, 2011 Bob rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011

This Sci Fi book is a fun read for those with the gut for it.

If you remember the 1980 movie, The Final Countdown with Kirk Douglas, where the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier is transported back in time to WWII, this is like that movie, only on super steriods.

In this book an entire group of futuristic ships are transported back to WWII and the technology is amazing, even to us today, much less to the 1940s characters. They explore the combat and the personal aspects of such an occurrence.

Try this boo...more

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Feb 11, 2013 Cris rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: alternate-history, book-club-selection, science-fiction, war-battles, time-travel

I've read a number of time-travel books, even several where a sizable group of people (usually Americans) are thrown back in time and end up using their military superiority to defeat someone. But I think Birmingham's book is the most nuanced in terms of character reaction to the events. And it's certainly the book which created the most complex and conflicted emotional response from me.

I've been trying to figure out why the interactions between the characters from the two time periods seemed so...more I've read a number of time-travel books, even several where a sizable group of people (usually Americans) are thrown back in time and end up using their military superiority to defeat someone. But I think Birmingham's book is the most nuanced in terms of character reaction to the events. And it's certainly the book which created the most complex and conflicted emotional response from me.

I've been trying to figure out why the interactions between the characters from the two time periods seemed so much more fraught with tension and emotional impact than in other books. A member of my book group suggested it's because, unlike pretty much all the other time-travel books I've read, these characters are close enough in time to 'recognize' each other. And the majority of the characters share the same national identity, i.e. Americans, but each groups sees their nation differently. For those from 2021, they're speaking to their great-grandparents and being faced with issues (racism, sexism) they thought were finally resolved. For the 1940s people, they see glimpses of their society, but changed. And that recognition scares the heck out of the 1940s people.

I've seen a lot of other reviewers complain about the characters seeming unrealistic or poorly developed. To be honest, I think their opinions are influenced by their emotions. (view spoiler) On the contrary, I found the characters to be realistic. A member of my book group which had served, albeit 10-15 years after 1941, agreed that he found the characters to be realistic as well.

I enjoyed the little shout-outs to time-travel fans Birmingham sprinkled through time-travel discussions. (My favorite was (view spoiler) That particular reference made me laugh out loud.)

And I agree that a decision by the 2021 group near the end of the book doesn't work well. Specifically, (view spoiler) And the way the decision is handled leaves Weapons of Choice without much of a climax.(less)

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Apr 28, 2011 Joy rated it 4 of 5 stars

The premise of the book is very simple - what happens if a multinational military fleet from 2022 ends up in 1942, just before the battle of Midway? The execution of this premise fills the book, with just a few short chapters setting up the event that causes the time-travel to occur, followed by the initial arrival of the time travelers into the Pacific WWII theater and the events they precipitate. There are a lot of details about the differences between the two groups of soldiers, some fascinat...more

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Jun 16, 2010 Michelle O'flynn rated it 5 of 5 stars

John Birmingham has lived the kind of life shared by many drop-kicks in Australia, and I am proudly one of them, although being female, have not shared some of his bawdy sexual frolics. This author now takes us into another territory altogether, demonstrating his vast talent as a great story teller. Mixing a bit of sci-fi with a war thriller, John has created a very different outcome for WW2 in the future, great strong characters who evoke their different cultures with accuracy and at times grea...more John Birmingham has lived the kind of life shared by many drop-kicks in Australia, and I am proudly one of them, although being female, have not shared some of his bawdy sexual frolics. This author now takes us into another territory altogether, demonstrating his vast talent as a great story teller. Mixing a bit of sci-fi with a war thriller, John has created a very different outcome for WW2 in the future, great strong characters who evoke their different cultures with accuracy and at times great humour. Can't wait to read all the series.

If any of you are fans of John Birmingham, then this venture will surprise you. He is normally known for riotous tales of student share-house living and marijuana induced mishaps, such as “He died with a Felafel in his Hand”, and “The Tasmanian Babes Fiasco”, but this work is definitely a huge step from that. His other novel “Leviathan” shows yet another side to this multi-facetted author, who is so Australian that perhaps he should have been the one selling “shrimps on the barbie” except I suspect he just wouldn’t do it.

His former employment as a research officer with the Department of Defence Office of Special Clearances and Records has afforded Birmingham a plethora of sources for the knowledge and imagination he displays in this futuristic war epic.

It is 2021 and Australia has a contingent of vessels lying off the coast of East Timor with various allies in the vicinity. Allies such as the US, Japan, Britain, France and Indonesia. One of the vessels is a research vessel conducting secret experiments that inevitably is the cause of all things wrong. A massive explosion results in some ships being destroyed including the research vessel, and the disappearance of all the others.

As the crews recover they are stunned to realise that they are now looking at a night sky, and in the midst of World War 2, at Midway no less, and being bombarded by ‘friendly’ fire, from war veterans who have never seen ships the likes of these, or helicopters or any of the modern weaponry.

As the leaders from the allied forces both 1942 vintage and futuristic 2021 realise the implications of this major event, an agreement is made that the modern ‘warfarers’ may indeed turn the tide against the Axis command. So command and crew members from 2021 with their modern take on equality, race, gender and sexuality are forced to co-exist with people who are yet to confront these major societal changes.

Birmingham shows a keen hand in juxtaposing these values and beliefs in a very realistic context, and reveals an inkling of the depth of his skills.

This adventure is full of the testosterone that the guys will love, and while I am not normally a war aficionado, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Some of the techno-terms for the boy-toy weapons did get me a little glazed around the eyes, but not so much to faze me as my reading galloped along to the end.
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Jan 08, 2008 Nocheevo rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi, airport-novels

As part of the post New Year recovery time to read a less taxing tale. The Axis of time triology is essentially an alternate history tale in which a future joint nations navel task force travels back in time to just before the Battle of Midway in 1942.

The writing isn't challenging and generally rips along with some interesting treatments such as ships being fused as a result of the time travel and how crew members handle time travel. Sure the 1942 guys are the ying to the future PC crews yang an...more

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Goodreads Librari...: ISBN 9780141029115 - Weapons of Choice: World War 2.1	2	14	06. April, 11:25 Uhr

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About John Birmingham

John Birmingham grew up in Ipswich, Queensland and was educated at St Edmunds Christian Brother's College in Ipswich and the University of Queensland in Brisbane. His only stint of full time employment was as a researcher at the Defence Department. After this he returned to Queensland to study law but he did not complete his legal studies, choosing instead to pursue a career as a writer. He curren...more

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