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The War That Came Early: The Big Switch Audiobook
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(3.04) - 264 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
In this extraordinary World War II alternate history, master storyteller Harry Turtledove begins with a big switch: what if Neville Chamberlain, instead of appeasing Hitler, had stood up to him in 1938? Enraged, Hitler reacts by lashing out at the West, promising his soldiers that they will reach Paris by the new year. They don't. Three years later, his genocidal apparatus not fully in place, Hitler has barely survived a coup, while Jews cling to survival. But England and France wonder whether the war is still worthwhile.
Weaving together a cast of characters that ranges from a brawling American fighter in the Abraham Lincoln Brigade in Spain to a woman who has seen Hitler's evil face-to-face, Harry Turtledove takes us into a world shaping up very differently in 1941. The Germans and their Polish allies have slammed into the gut of the Soviet Union in the west, while Japan pummels away in the east. In trench warfare in France, French and Czech fighters are outmanned but not outfought by their Nazi enemy. Then the stalemate is shattered. In England, Winston Churchill dies in an apparent accident, and the gray men who walk behind his funeral cortege wonder who their real enemy is. The USSR, fighting for its life, makes peace with Japan—and Japan's war with America is about to begin.
A sweeping saga of human passions, foolishness, and courage, of families and lovers and soldiers by choice and by chance, The Big Switch is a provocative, gripping, and utterly convincing work of alternate history at its best. For history buffs and fans of big, blood-and-guts fiction, Harry Turtledove delivers a panoramic clash of ideals as powerful as armies themselves.
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"An excellent continuation to the storyline with some major twists and a little bit of long overdue "cleaning up". Maybe there are still one or two POV characters too many to really flow, but the narrative is not truely inhibited by this one small flaw."
— Bjoern (5 out of 5 stars)
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The third volume of Turtledove's latest alternate-historical reworking of WWII, the War That Came Early, is definitely the strongest yet.…It is for lovers of high-quality alternate history.
— Booklist Starred Review
The War That Came Early: The Big Switch Listener Reviews
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" Good, a bit repetitive in parts and I don't think I like where the story is going but I am anxiously awaiting the next volume. "
— Erik, 1/14/2014 -
" It was awesome. Thought I would have to wait for the next one, but found it in the book store. I can't wait to read it. "
— Pat, 12/25/2013 -
" There were no big cliffhangers at the end, which was a little disappointing. The book just kind of ended, as though he decided that the book was long enough. Still, it was a good read, and I am looking forward to the next book. "
— Jeff, 12/6/2013 -
" the plot moves along but not nearly as good as his original ww2 series. "
— David, 12/6/2013 -
" Another Harry Turtledove masterpiece!! He molds scores of characters and years after decades into a completely believeable, rich blend and makes you want another 500 page book to read. I CANT WAIT!!! "
— George, 11/27/2013 -
" Turtledove is the best at writing alternative history that plays out realistic implications of little changes in history having big consequences. "
— Dale, 4/6/2013 -
" THe last two Turtledove books have not been up to his norm. I've read this series so far and this last one feels like he phoned it in. "
— John, 12/2/2012 -
" As I am a Turtledove fan I enjoyed the series, but not to give too much of the story away "the big switch" in the story was a bit much for me as it was too implausible. "
— John, 11/18/2012 -
" Great Series, can't wait for the next one. "
— Bill, 9/16/2012 -
" Alternative history. WWII completely different. The characters are very well written and the book is hard to put down. "
— Van, 4/6/2012 -
" Harry Turtledove continues playing out the scenario he started in Hitler's War. As he continues the series, Turtledove fleshes out the characters and makes the series less a scenario knock-off and more enjoyable. This an enjoyable addition to his work. "
— Ron, 3/23/2012 -
" Found this book to be highly interesting and can not wait till the next three in the series come out. "
— John, 3/20/2012 -
" I don't want to spoil it, but the central premise of this particular book tends to stretch credibility a bit further than I can believe. Other than the stretch, it's typical well written riveting Turtledove. "
— Reuben, 10/21/2011 -
" Sorry Harry, but SO slow. By the time C******** died, I didn't care anymore. Thumbed through the last half of the book. Won't be reading any of the sequels in this series. Loved Down to Earth series though! "
— Scot, 7/23/2011
About Harry Turtledove
Harry Turtledove, known as the “Master of Alternative History,” is the Hugo and Nebula Award–winning author of a number of bestselling series and standalone novels. He received his PhD from UCLA in Byzantine history and worked as a technical writer for the Los Angeles County Office of Education before becoming a full-time fiction writer. He also served as the treasurer of the Science Fiction Writers of America. He has written a number of successful series, including the Crosstime Traffic series, the Darkness series, and the Worldwar I Colonization series, among others. His standalone works include Ruled Brittania, Every Inch a King, Conan of Venarium, Household Gods, and Justinian.
About Todd McLaren
Todd McLaren, an Earphones Award–winning narrator, was involved in radio for more than twenty years in cities on both coasts, including Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. He left broadcasting for a full-time career in voice acting, where he has been heard on more than five thousand television and radio commercials, as well as television promos; narrations for documentaries on such networks as A&E, Discovery, and the History Channel; and films, including Who Framed Roger Rabbit?