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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Funny thing with Harry Turtledove is that you think him dull at first, but he grows on you. Maybe this is because he isn't glib or necessarily eloquent, but he has a memory the size of L.A. - the sheer volume of information & research he crams in, as well as the evolutionary characterizations make for an addictive combination.
This ending volume has lost the interesting characters in the form of Jens Larssen & Teerts, but still the others bring home the bacon. There are several new threads which lead the story in new ways. As an example, there is the Lodz storyline, which culminates in an action which could only have come about in this timeline - a German, a Jew & a Russian united against a common enemy.
There is also the story of Ussmak - the rebellious Lizard, who ends up facing the dilemmas of Soviet Justice, and there is also Atvar, who becomes astute at Realpolitik, in a way that seemed impossible before.
I would tell you more yarns from the book - e.g. those of Molotov, Liu Han & the British - but I don't want you knowing all his secrets! All that needs saying is that Turtledove is the master of alternate history, and takes the plot in realistic yet surprising directions.
And the best thing? This series can be started from any stage, which may make the beginning slow, but means this book can be approached by anyone (as long as you are OK with sexual content...)
This ending volume has lost the interesting characters in the form of Jens Larssen & Teerts, but still the others bring home the bacon. There are several new threads which lead the story in new ways. As an example, there is the Lodz storyline, which culminates in an action which could only have come about in this timeline - a German, a Jew & a Russian united against a common enemy.
There is also the story of Ussmak - the rebellious Lizard, who ends up facing the dilemmas of Soviet Justice, and there is also Atvar, who becomes astute at Realpolitik, in a way that seemed impossible before.
I would tell you more yarns from the book - e.g. those of Molotov, Liu Han & the British - but I don't want you knowing all his secrets! All that needs saying is that Turtledove is the master of alternate history, and takes the plot in realistic yet surprising directions.
And the best thing? This series can be started from any stage, which may make the beginning slow, but means this book can be approached by anyone (as long as you are OK with sexual content...)
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
49 reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Could have been worse for humankind
5 Nov 2001
Format:Mass Market Paperback
So, Striking The Balance finally sums up all the lines Turtledove had started in his first book of the Worldwar series.
For those who have already read first three books, the further development is quite predictable. After over two years of fighting all around the world, with its fronts spread too wide, and its lines becoming yet thinner from day to day, with too many cities levelled down to eatrh, and several of them lying in radioactive ruins, the Race stands now before two unpleasant options: either they will have to turn all this world together with all its inhabitants into a radioactive desert unsuitable for colonization, or make peace with Major Forces of this world (USA, Third Reich and USSR) and those who were able to prevent their occupation by Race's forces (Great Britain and Japan) on conditions of status quo. And this means that all these nations with all their Tosenite's ability to pick up and introduce innovations into technologies they develop on basis of what they've stolen from Race, and with all thier aggression, will have time to prepare themselves for a new round of fighting. This very idea alone should make Atvar feel uneasy...
Historisn by profession, Turtledove has a brilliant insight to predict what would have happened if...
What will happen with the main characters of the novel? Will Ludmila Gorbunova and Heinrich Jaeger meet at last? Will Liu Han become a promimemt leader of of Chinese Red Force? Will Reich's terrorist No.1 Otto Scorzeni become "Osama BenLaden" of this alternate world, or will he fail, and only one thing can make him fail - his death? Read the book, it's worth reading.
And finally, a remark from the reader from the other side of "iron curtain", which has finally (and fortunately) fallen. The specialist on Byzantium, Turtledove came close to understanding of Russian character and mentality in the parts of the novels, which consern the events in USSR, but sometimes not close enough. His attitude reflects general attitude of an American historian to the events of WW II. Despite all the horrors of Bolshevism, despite all the insuffeciensy of Soviet system, and its neglect of a person, despite the Red Army's inflexible doctrine it really had in 1941 and in early 1942, the Russians could learn and managed to learn. But for this, they would have never finished war in Berlin. Germans were tough teachers, but Lisarzs would have become yet tougher teachers.
For all who are interested in history of Soviet preparations for WW II I advise that they read Ice-breaker by Victor Suvorov (translated to English). This book had created quite a stir in ex-USSR having divided it into two camps of those who supported it completely, and those who who rejected the very idea put in its basis.
For those who have already read first three books, the further development is quite predictable. After over two years of fighting all around the world, with its fronts spread too wide, and its lines becoming yet thinner from day to day, with too many cities levelled down to eatrh, and several of them lying in radioactive ruins, the Race stands now before two unpleasant options: either they will have to turn all this world together with all its inhabitants into a radioactive desert unsuitable for colonization, or make peace with Major Forces of this world (USA, Third Reich and USSR) and those who were able to prevent their occupation by Race's forces (Great Britain and Japan) on conditions of status quo. And this means that all these nations with all their Tosenite's ability to pick up and introduce innovations into technologies they develop on basis of what they've stolen from Race, and with all thier aggression, will have time to prepare themselves for a new round of fighting. This very idea alone should make Atvar feel uneasy...
Historisn by profession, Turtledove has a brilliant insight to predict what would have happened if...
What will happen with the main characters of the novel? Will Ludmila Gorbunova and Heinrich Jaeger meet at last? Will Liu Han become a promimemt leader of of Chinese Red Force? Will Reich's terrorist No.1 Otto Scorzeni become "Osama BenLaden" of this alternate world, or will he fail, and only one thing can make him fail - his death? Read the book, it's worth reading.
And finally, a remark from the reader from the other side of "iron curtain", which has finally (and fortunately) fallen. The specialist on Byzantium, Turtledove came close to understanding of Russian character and mentality in the parts of the novels, which consern the events in USSR, but sometimes not close enough. His attitude reflects general attitude of an American historian to the events of WW II. Despite all the horrors of Bolshevism, despite all the insuffeciensy of Soviet system, and its neglect of a person, despite the Red Army's inflexible doctrine it really had in 1941 and in early 1942, the Russians could learn and managed to learn. But for this, they would have never finished war in Berlin. Germans were tough teachers, but Lisarzs would have become yet tougher teachers.
For all who are interested in history of Soviet preparations for WW II I advise that they read Ice-breaker by Victor Suvorov (translated to English). This book had created quite a stir in ex-USSR having divided it into two camps of those who supported it completely, and those who who rejected the very idea put in its basis.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Be Prepared for a Long Haul
7 July 2000
Format:Mass Market Paperback
This initial offering of Turtledove's first WWII alternative history tetrology (amazingly, there is more than one) is, regrettably, the best that will be offered. Alternatingly fascinating and draggy, the four books could easily have been condensed into two. This first installment presents intriguing premises, e.g. what if extraterrestrial invaders came to Earth expecting the late middle ages, only to find a technological global war in progress? What if they could not find a way to use their superior technology to vanquish the combined armies of Earth without ruining the environment for their upcoming colonization fleet (see next tetrology)? The reptilian invaders owe a great debt to Niven and Pournelle's pachyderms (Footfall) in their persistent inability to understand the complexities of human behavior. Unfortunately, these premises are often poorly realized and insufficient to carry even one book, let alone four.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
A very believable conclusion
24 Aug 2002
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Turtledove manages to finish this series off in a way that leaves us both satisfied and longing for more.
As with the previous novels, Turtledove shows his talent for getting inside the minds of very different characters.
If you are even consering not buying this, it is probable that you haven't read the previous 3, because they are addictive page-turners. Buy all the books in the series and enjoy.
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