What do you think?
Rate this book
Time Fall
ASIN moved from less recent edition here
Lt. Art Sutton and his war-weary Special Forces team parachute into Nazi Germany in 1945 to destroy targets behind enemy lines. What they don't know: during the jump they have somehow warped through time. They land in deeply forested Germany--in 2011. They start blowing things up. The young soldiers feel like heroes; the present-day German police hunt them down like the terrorists they appear to be; US forensics experts race to uncover the identity of a mysteriously intact body wearing WWII dog tags. What is good? Who is evil? Filled with action, historically accurate detail, and even romance, this complex tale will keep you riveted through every surprising and intriguing twist.
Lt. Art Sutton and his war-weary Special Forces team parachute into Nazi Germany in 1945 to destroy targets behind enemy lines. What they don't know: during the jump they have somehow warped through time. They land in deeply forested Germany--in 2011. They start blowing things up. The young soldiers feel like heroes; the present-day German police hunt them down like the terrorists they appear to be; US forensics experts race to uncover the identity of a mysteriously intact body wearing WWII dog tags. What is good? Who is evil? Filled with action, historically accurate detail, and even romance, this complex tale will keep you riveted through every surprising and intriguing twist.
356 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 15, 2013
64 people are currently reading
383 people want to read
About the author
Timothy Ashby
18 books12 followersTimothy Ashby worked in Washington, D.C. as a counter-terrorism consultant to the U.S. State Department, and a senior official at the U.S. Commerce Department. He held two Top Secret security clearances and worked with a number of colorful characters, including members of the U.S. military’s Joint Special Operations Command.
Before and after his career in Washington, Ashby led a peripatetic life. Born in the USA, he spent his teenage years in Grenada, where he learned to surf, sail and dive, and where his lifelong passion for history and archaeology was inspired.
It was also in Grenada that he became passionate about writing, having the good fortune to be mentored by authors Martin Woodhouse and Dudley Pope. Mr. Pope named one of the characters in his Lord Ramage series “Captain Ashby,” in honor of the teenage Tim Ashby.
After moving to in Spain and then the UK, Ashby returned to Grenada in his early 20s. There he served as a director of various businesses until the Communist Revolution of 1979. Ashby received his PhD in International Relations from the University of Southern California. In the 1990s, he lived in the UK, earning an MBA degree at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, and working in Central and Eastern Europe on a variety of privatization and economic development projects. He also has a law degree, and is a licensed attorney in Florida and Washington, D.C. He has been a successful entrepreneur, serving as CEO of several global companies that he founded. He is the author of Time Fall, Devil’s Den, Missed Opportunities, The Bear in the Back Yard, numerous articles, and the prize-winning ghost story, “Warrior’s Return.”
Before and after his career in Washington, Ashby led a peripatetic life. Born in the USA, he spent his teenage years in Grenada, where he learned to surf, sail and dive, and where his lifelong passion for history and archaeology was inspired.
It was also in Grenada that he became passionate about writing, having the good fortune to be mentored by authors Martin Woodhouse and Dudley Pope. Mr. Pope named one of the characters in his Lord Ramage series “Captain Ashby,” in honor of the teenage Tim Ashby.
After moving to in Spain and then the UK, Ashby returned to Grenada in his early 20s. There he served as a director of various businesses until the Communist Revolution of 1979. Ashby received his PhD in International Relations from the University of Southern California. In the 1990s, he lived in the UK, earning an MBA degree at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, and working in Central and Eastern Europe on a variety of privatization and economic development projects. He also has a law degree, and is a licensed attorney in Florida and Washington, D.C. He has been a successful entrepreneur, serving as CEO of several global companies that he founded. He is the author of Time Fall, Devil’s Den, Missed Opportunities, The Bear in the Back Yard, numerous articles, and the prize-winning ghost story, “Warrior’s Return.”
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
November 29, 2013
It's 1945 and a small group of Army Rangers parachutes into Nazi many. An odd electrical storm alters the time-space continuum and they land in 2011. Chapters swing back and forth between the two dates, with side trips for back story on several characters. At times this gets confusing, as does the sometimes abrupt changes in point of view. German authorities at first think the attacks the Rangers make stem from Muslim terrorists, and a neo-Nazi commander sets out to exterminate them. A US official understand the miraculous thing that has occurred and sets out to prevent that. An interesting read.
November 27, 2014
I vacillated between giving Time Fall 3 or 4 stars. I eventually went with 3 because of the implausibility of many events--and I'm not just talking about the jump in time. Also, the dialogue was pretty choppy, especially at the beginning, but does seem to improve later in the book. That said, this was a fun plot-driven adventure that I didn't want to put down. The characters were well-developed for an action novel as well, but the main strength was the unconventional treatment of time-travel in the plotline. I would definitely consider reading other books by this author.
November 12, 2014
Great concept, but poorly written. The characters are one-dimensional cliches, with no depth. I was very disappointed in this book, given the premise.
May 20, 2023
Great premise but execution was lacking
This book needed to be read with a HUGE suspension of disbelief, and I'm not actually talking about the time travel aspect.
Kasper, the big bad bad guy comes across as completely one dimensional Bond villain. And his loyal troops who happily shout Seig Heil back at him are equally unbelievable. In this day and age, and even more so 2011 when this is set, the world just doesn't work that way. There was no one in that whole crowd of men under Kasper that didn't have a conscience? I can't believe it.
This story could have been just as effective with a more nuanced response from the modern German state.
I'm really sorry this book didn't deliver what I thought it was going to.
This book needed to be read with a HUGE suspension of disbelief, and I'm not actually talking about the time travel aspect.
Kasper, the big bad bad guy comes across as completely one dimensional Bond villain. And his loyal troops who happily shout Seig Heil back at him are equally unbelievable. In this day and age, and even more so 2011 when this is set, the world just doesn't work that way. There was no one in that whole crowd of men under Kasper that didn't have a conscience? I can't believe it.
This story could have been just as effective with a more nuanced response from the modern German state.
I'm really sorry this book didn't deliver what I thought it was going to.
August 18, 2017
Time travel
Interesting read would make a good movie or tv mini series I think will let my friends know about the book
Interesting read would make a good movie or tv mini series I think will let my friends know about the book
December 8, 2020
decent concept, not poorly executed.
September 26, 2025
Very well done time travel book. How many signs do we have to see to know something is wrong? Naturally the times they are a-changing! Recommended!
August 29, 2013
Redolent with the tantalising flavours of movies such as “The Philadelphia Experiment and “Final Countdown”, this novel takes the time slip premise and turns it into something that is unique, refreshing and very hard to put down.
The characters are written in a crisp and precise manner, and are fleshed out in such a way that the reader could actually visualise the scenarios they face being plausible. This fact in itself takes this book far out of the realm of being just another time travel/sci-fi piece of writing. There are two characters I certainly did not care for at all in its pages, and this was not because they were badly written; it was because they were so well written that when they appeared one left a bad taste in my mouth, and the other left me wondering how he could not have learnt anything from the fate of his Family. The male protagonist really pulled at my emotions, as his story unfolded so did his bewilderment at living in a time that was so far removed from the one he grew up in. The Author skillfully depicts the way in which he is torn between the moral code instilled in him during his formative years, and the moral code that is now the norm in the 21st century. The reader is pulled into this characters bewilderment and wonder at the things he now sees in the world he has entered; but is also drawn along with the urgency he feels at preventing the needless deaths of his comrades. He is asked to re-evaluate many of his beliefs, and we feel keenly the pain he experiences at having to make decisions that he would not normally be faced with. The remainder of the characters in this novel are not treated with any less detail; we learn of the Alabama boy who just wants to go home; the ex Hitler Jugend who still believes in the Nazi tenants and, in his position of power, is intent of seeing them to fruition; the war widow who believes that her Husband was lost over 60 years previously and the ex Viet Nam Vet who is intent on making sure that the men he is trying to find do not die as “terrorists”. All the characters bring out some kind of emotion in the reader, whether it is revulsion, empathy or just sorrow they are written so well.
In the scene setting, the Authors remarkable knowledge of the areas the plot takes place in is highly visible, he knows his way round the Bavarian Forest and all the areas his characters visit are obviously well-known to him. He also shows a deep and accurate understanding of, not only modern terrorism, weapons and anti-terrorist Special Forces, but also about World War II era history and culture and this adds a whole new depth to the novel that could otherwise have been missing. The reader feels as if they are in the forests, walking through the German towns in the dead of night, even stood in the Scottish pub mentioned at the opening of this book.
My only complaint about this novel was the silly little errors that slipped by the proofreaders and editors; things such as double words (the the) and also for some bizarre reason not all, but a vast majority of words that ended in ‘rn’ were appearing throughout the book as ending with ‘m’. This led to some very unusual sentences, where ‘burn’ became ‘bum’ and ‘turn’ became ‘tum’. They were nothing major, but enough to make me disgruntled that this fast paced exciting novel had been marred somehow, by these errors.
I thoroughly enjoyed this fast paced thriller, and would recommend it to readers from teens upwards, and also those who enjoy reading the time travel/World War II/sci-fi genres. In fact I would recommend this novel to anyone that enjoys a hard to put down good read. This is definitely one you could curl up in your favourite chair with and become truly engrossed in.
Originally reviewed on: http://catesbooknuthut.wordpress.com/...
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
The characters are written in a crisp and precise manner, and are fleshed out in such a way that the reader could actually visualise the scenarios they face being plausible. This fact in itself takes this book far out of the realm of being just another time travel/sci-fi piece of writing. There are two characters I certainly did not care for at all in its pages, and this was not because they were badly written; it was because they were so well written that when they appeared one left a bad taste in my mouth, and the other left me wondering how he could not have learnt anything from the fate of his Family. The male protagonist really pulled at my emotions, as his story unfolded so did his bewilderment at living in a time that was so far removed from the one he grew up in. The Author skillfully depicts the way in which he is torn between the moral code instilled in him during his formative years, and the moral code that is now the norm in the 21st century. The reader is pulled into this characters bewilderment and wonder at the things he now sees in the world he has entered; but is also drawn along with the urgency he feels at preventing the needless deaths of his comrades. He is asked to re-evaluate many of his beliefs, and we feel keenly the pain he experiences at having to make decisions that he would not normally be faced with. The remainder of the characters in this novel are not treated with any less detail; we learn of the Alabama boy who just wants to go home; the ex Hitler Jugend who still believes in the Nazi tenants and, in his position of power, is intent of seeing them to fruition; the war widow who believes that her Husband was lost over 60 years previously and the ex Viet Nam Vet who is intent on making sure that the men he is trying to find do not die as “terrorists”. All the characters bring out some kind of emotion in the reader, whether it is revulsion, empathy or just sorrow they are written so well.
In the scene setting, the Authors remarkable knowledge of the areas the plot takes place in is highly visible, he knows his way round the Bavarian Forest and all the areas his characters visit are obviously well-known to him. He also shows a deep and accurate understanding of, not only modern terrorism, weapons and anti-terrorist Special Forces, but also about World War II era history and culture and this adds a whole new depth to the novel that could otherwise have been missing. The reader feels as if they are in the forests, walking through the German towns in the dead of night, even stood in the Scottish pub mentioned at the opening of this book.
My only complaint about this novel was the silly little errors that slipped by the proofreaders and editors; things such as double words (the the) and also for some bizarre reason not all, but a vast majority of words that ended in ‘rn’ were appearing throughout the book as ending with ‘m’. This led to some very unusual sentences, where ‘burn’ became ‘bum’ and ‘turn’ became ‘tum’. They were nothing major, but enough to make me disgruntled that this fast paced exciting novel had been marred somehow, by these errors.
I thoroughly enjoyed this fast paced thriller, and would recommend it to readers from teens upwards, and also those who enjoy reading the time travel/World War II/sci-fi genres. In fact I would recommend this novel to anyone that enjoys a hard to put down good read. This is definitely one you could curl up in your favourite chair with and become truly engrossed in.
Originally reviewed on: http://catesbooknuthut.wordpress.com/...
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
July 16, 2013
Source: Free copy from Nikki Leigh, Book Promotion Services and Tim Ashby.
Rating: 4 Stars
Summary:
April 1945
Ranger Lt. Arthur Sutton is in command of five US Rangers. They board a C-47 transport plane. Their mission is to parachute into an assigned drop zone over enemy territory-Nazi Germany. After leaving the plane, time shifts forward and they drop into the year 2011. Unaware of the change, they continue with their assigned mission. During the process they are faced with incredible evidence that nearly 70 years have passed. Meanwhile, old enemies and political beliefs have not changed; some hardened soldiers refuse to give up their pogrom.
My Thoughts:
I enjoyed reading this book for several reasons all leading me to rate this book 4 stars.
It is a creative approach to a World War II story. It incorporates the military and history of World War II and pairs it with science fiction time travel.
From the opening paragraph to the last page I was drawn in to the story.
I love World War II stories, time travel gave it a unique edge.
I was impressed with Timothy Ashby's knowledge of World War II, as well as current government security and military operations.
Time Fall is an action story with a romantic twist. I felt this gave me a respite from the busy military activities.
I loved the arrangement of the story. The basics of it were easy to understand and keep up with. Changing time periods could have become confusing, but I loved it and had no problem with keeping up.
I felt the US Rangers were true to their era. I felt the author did a fantastic job with representing them true to form.
Rating: 4 Stars
Summary:
April 1945
Ranger Lt. Arthur Sutton is in command of five US Rangers. They board a C-47 transport plane. Their mission is to parachute into an assigned drop zone over enemy territory-Nazi Germany. After leaving the plane, time shifts forward and they drop into the year 2011. Unaware of the change, they continue with their assigned mission. During the process they are faced with incredible evidence that nearly 70 years have passed. Meanwhile, old enemies and political beliefs have not changed; some hardened soldiers refuse to give up their pogrom.
My Thoughts:
I enjoyed reading this book for several reasons all leading me to rate this book 4 stars.
It is a creative approach to a World War II story. It incorporates the military and history of World War II and pairs it with science fiction time travel.
From the opening paragraph to the last page I was drawn in to the story.
I love World War II stories, time travel gave it a unique edge.
I was impressed with Timothy Ashby's knowledge of World War II, as well as current government security and military operations.
Time Fall is an action story with a romantic twist. I felt this gave me a respite from the busy military activities.
I loved the arrangement of the story. The basics of it were easy to understand and keep up with. Changing time periods could have become confusing, but I loved it and had no problem with keeping up.
I felt the US Rangers were true to their era. I felt the author did a fantastic job with representing them true to form.
November 30, 2013
In 1945 Army Rangers parachute into Bavaria on a mission to destroy military targets. A massive electrical storm hits their aircraft just as they are exiting. Suddenly, it is a different time, 66 years later, but they are unaware of this. They continue their mission. Thus, begins a tale of past and present becoming intertwined. As you read, you'll almost believe the paranormal is real.
The story is skillfully developed. Characters are believable; the author does a first-rate job of introducing and developing his characters. What is especially interesting is the historical context in which the novel is written. The historical content, which is integral to the story, connects story with history. This is a feature that adds realism. The author understands German character and philosophy.
To summarize: this is a very entertaining -- can't put down -- novel grounded in history, with believable characters, and a good, action packed story line. Oh yes, the ending brought a smile to my face. Reveiwed by the author of The Children's Story, A Novel Not for Children (about good and evil).
The story is skillfully developed. Characters are believable; the author does a first-rate job of introducing and developing his characters. What is especially interesting is the historical context in which the novel is written. The historical content, which is integral to the story, connects story with history. This is a feature that adds realism. The author understands German character and philosophy.
To summarize: this is a very entertaining -- can't put down -- novel grounded in history, with believable characters, and a good, action packed story line. Oh yes, the ending brought a smile to my face. Reveiwed by the author of The Children's Story, A Novel Not for Children (about good and evil).
December 22, 2013
The six man Ranger patrol parachuted out in the middle of a violent storm. Their mission was to cause havoc and destroy Nazi bases behind the lines as a distraction for the real paush by Allied forces.
They landed exactly where they were supposed to and began their mission.
There was only one problem.
The odd storm had been a warp in time and they were in 2011 Germany instead of 1945.
Lieutenant Arthur Sutton led the group, but was soon injured and left behind. In charge now was a fanatical Sergeant, Roth, Jewish, who only wanted to kill Nazis for what they'd done to his family.
As far as Germany knew, they were terrorists hitting civilian spots and leading them was another fanatic, an old man left over from WWII, a member of the Hitler youth then.
Sutton learns the truth, hard as it was to believe and wants to rescue his beleaguered men before they get killed. The German wants them wiped out before the liberal press gets wind of it.
And one man from Washington suspects the truth and also wants to save them.
I'm a big fan of time travel stories and this is one of the best.
They landed exactly where they were supposed to and began their mission.
There was only one problem.
The odd storm had been a warp in time and they were in 2011 Germany instead of 1945.
Lieutenant Arthur Sutton led the group, but was soon injured and left behind. In charge now was a fanatical Sergeant, Roth, Jewish, who only wanted to kill Nazis for what they'd done to his family.
As far as Germany knew, they were terrorists hitting civilian spots and leading them was another fanatic, an old man left over from WWII, a member of the Hitler youth then.
Sutton learns the truth, hard as it was to believe and wants to rescue his beleaguered men before they get killed. The German wants them wiped out before the liberal press gets wind of it.
And one man from Washington suspects the truth and also wants to save them.
I'm a big fan of time travel stories and this is one of the best.
June 7, 2013
I found 'Time Fall' an enjoyable and interesting read. My foremost interests in the book were the secret mission, World War ll, and terrorism elements. I was unsure regarding the 'time warp', science fiction part. But it was hard to put the book down and I certainly did not have the impression I was reading a science fiction story. The events appeared to be in the realm of reality and 'maybe' they could or did indeed happen! The characters drew me into the story and I found myself loving and sympathizing with Arthur and the ordeal he experienced. Hugo was less easy to like but I was able to understand why he was so negative towards the Nazi’s regime. I recommend this book as a 'must read'. Timothy is a skilled writer and good story teller. This is the first of his books I have read but I look forward to reading others by this author.
June 2, 2014
This book could have been a wonderful read but it needs serious editing. Not proof reading, but editing. For example, a whole chapter is dedicated to the back story and motivations of a character who doesn't appear in the last 2 thirds of the book. Plus, he wasn't someone I had any desire to know anything about. Reading about the character actually almost made me put the book down. I was concerned that the book would glorify terrorists because so much time was devoted to the motivations of this one character.
There was also unnecessary brutality in the book and several characters were disturbingly aroused by the violence they were witnessing. Overall, it was an interesting story concept, but I won't be reading more by this author.
There was also unnecessary brutality in the book and several characters were disturbingly aroused by the violence they were witnessing. Overall, it was an interesting story concept, but I won't be reading more by this author.
January 7, 2014
As a keen follower of time travel tales this book grabbed my attention, and
seemed to throw a slightly different slant on the time travel theme.
And it didn't disappoint!
Six US Rangers parachuted into 1945 Nazi Germany, with the intention of causing
disruption, find themselves landing in the year 2011. But they don't know that
and commence their destructive tasks as intended.
Yes, this story held me throughout and I found myself wanting to get back to the
book, to see how they, the Rangers and the German government, were coping.
The characters are interesting and the action is nicely intertwined with fascinating
dialogue about the time conundrum.
I was disappointed when I finished this one.
Go get it time-travel freaks!!!
seemed to throw a slightly different slant on the time travel theme.
And it didn't disappoint!
Six US Rangers parachuted into 1945 Nazi Germany, with the intention of causing
disruption, find themselves landing in the year 2011. But they don't know that
and commence their destructive tasks as intended.
Yes, this story held me throughout and I found myself wanting to get back to the
book, to see how they, the Rangers and the German government, were coping.
The characters are interesting and the action is nicely intertwined with fascinating
dialogue about the time conundrum.
I was disappointed when I finished this one.
Go get it time-travel freaks!!!
April 29, 2016
Six WWII Army Rangers parachute into the Black Forest in Germany in April 1945 with a mission to disrupt the Nazis and make them think there is a full scale invasion force. Only one thing goes wrong; somehow they land 66 years after they were dropped. But they don't know that.
I'm a sucker for time travel stories. This one could have gone any number of ways. Ashby chose a path that allowed him to do a good bit of character development on the main players. Each of them has enough backstory to support a novel on its own. Yet, the story doesn't drag at any time. And the ending is pretty satisfying - though there is probably some room for difference of opinion on that.
I recommend this to people who like time travel stories, WWII stories or war stories in general.
I'm a sucker for time travel stories. This one could have gone any number of ways. Ashby chose a path that allowed him to do a good bit of character development on the main players. Each of them has enough backstory to support a novel on its own. Yet, the story doesn't drag at any time. And the ending is pretty satisfying - though there is probably some room for difference of opinion on that.
I recommend this to people who like time travel stories, WWII stories or war stories in general.
February 23, 2018
I kind of wish I hadn't read the summary of the plot before reading as it ruined the initial twist and therefore there was little suspense, for me, until late in the story. Still Timothy Ashby does a fine job through short chapters and action to keep you engaged. I liked the book and had difficulty deciding on 3 or 4 stars. Several reviewers panned this book for lack of character development and depth. I can see that in the case of the American investigator and the German doctor, but the other characters were meant to be types and they were adequate in that respect. The problem with over doing character development in a short novel, is that it can slow down a story that is meant to be fast-paced like this one. Overall, it was entertaining if not enthralling.
September 27, 2014
I really enjoyed this story - it kept my attention from the start. I found the plot intriguing and the characters engaging. I don't have enough knowledge to assess the accuracy of many of the settings and situations, but the author certainly made them feel real and I assume he has done his homework. It was a complex plot requiring a lot of skill to hold it together. The only thing I found distracting was the constantly changing point of view with little warning of a change of perspective. I found the ending satisfying, given the multitude of directions it could have taken.
December 4, 2013
An interesting premise of a group of World War II Rangers who get caught in a time warp and end up in 2011. I found the characters were drawn stiffly, and though the story kept me reading, I couldn't quite relax into it. I couldn't help but feel like it was an old-time, stereotypical Nazi movie...the characters did not feel real to me.
June 28, 2018
This is an interesting and inventive read. I enjoyed the basic plot of the book, though I confess to some surprise at the apparent ease with which the protagonists adapted to the world of 2011. The ending is dissatisfying on one hand, but completely believable on the other. In short, a creative book with lots to recommend it.
January 13, 2014
Fast paced action thriller
amazing clarity of characters through out the storyline. interesting weaving of present and past timelines bringing the emotional impact of the story to a rational conclusion
amazing clarity of characters through out the storyline. interesting weaving of present and past timelines bringing the emotional impact of the story to a rational conclusion
February 5, 2014
Well written, fast paced thriller involving time travel, terrorists and the usual cliché band of brothers. Asby holds your interest and the book reads a bit like a great, action movie. Interesting premise, and Asby skill in pulp fiction is up to the task. Enjoyable evening read.
June 7, 2014
Interesting premise and plot. I have always enjoyed stories of time travel and phenomenon. I like the main characters both good and bad, they were well defined.
I was smiling at the end even though it was predictable.
I was smiling at the end even though it was predictable.
October 28, 2016
Outstanding!
I have always liked time travel or time displacement stories. This one filled the bill from start to finish. I believe anyone that likes action and adventures should find this book a very good read.
I have always liked time travel or time displacement stories. This one filled the bill from start to finish. I believe anyone that likes action and adventures should find this book a very good read.
December 5, 2013
Excellent. Well written. A military and time travel readers must-read.
December 3, 2013
Excellent book, I don't know how this author thought of this plot but it was definitely intriguing. Writing was excellent! A great read!
October 26, 2014
not bad. could have done more with the story . enjoyable
September 8, 2016
Well written. Plot developed well even with a time travel element. Six American Rangers parachuted into enemy territory on a secret mission during WWII.
August 20, 2014
Light, fast read, perfect for summer, got hooked right away. Interesting story that takes place WWII and in present.
April 23, 2015
Interesting premise that went from good to bad to so-so. Big minus point was the plethora of German clichés. Ok read overall with good action.
December 21, 2024
Hmmmm. This book kinda sorta felt like a bunch of guys in the Army, who used to play D&D, sat around and brainstormed a crazy time travel books, with Nazis.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews