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Worldwar: In the Balance Audiobook
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(3.01) - 2,600 listener ratings
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War seethed across the planet. Machines soared through the air, churned through the seas, crawled across the surface, pushing ever forward, carrying death. Earth was engaged in titanic struggle. Germany, Russia, France, China, Japan: the maps were changing day by day. The hostilities spread in ever-widening ripples of destruction: Britain, Italy, Africa...the fate of the world hung in the balance.
Then the real enemy came.
Out of the dark of night, out of the soft glow of dawn, out of the clear blue sky came an invasion force the likes of which Earth had never known—and worldwar was truly joined. The invaders were inhuman and they were unstoppable. Their technology was far beyond our reach, and their goal was simple: Fleetlord Atvar had arrived to claim Earth for the Empire. Never before had Earth's people been more divided. Never had the need for unity been greater. And grudgingly, inexpertly, humanity took up the challenge.
In this epic novel of alternate history, Harry Turtledove takes us around the globe. We roll with German panzers, watch the coast of Britain with the RAF, and welcome alien-liberators to the Warsaw ghetto. In tiny planes we skim the vast Russian steppe, and we push the envelope of technology in secret labs at the University of Chicago. Turtledove's saga covers all the Earth, and beyond, as mankind—in all its folly and glory—faces the ultimate threat; and a turning point in history shows us a past that never was and a future that could yet come to be.
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"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 creating a textual feel of World War II era speaking patterns, and the idea of an alien invasion interrupting the human hostilities is too good to not entertain me. Of course this means Oh Man What Am I Thinking Another Series I've Gotten Into but yes, I will be picking up the next volume soon. At least this one is already completely published."
— Dale (4 out of 5 stars)
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“This intelligent speculative novel depicts an alternate history in which, at the height of World War II, Earth is attacked by alien beings with weapons far more destructive than any possessed by the Allied or Axis forces.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“Turtledove excels in alternate history, and this panoramic exploration of a world at war…showcases his fertile imagination. A feast for history buffs as well as sf fans.”
— Library Journal -
This intelligent speculative novel depicts an alternate history in which, at the height of World War II, Earth is attacked by alien beings with weapons far more destructive than any possessed by the Allied or Axis forces.
— Publishers Weekly -
“Vast, churning alternate-world/alien-invasion saga…Intriguing and panoramic.”
— Kirkus Reviews
Worldwar: In the Balance Listener Reviews
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" This book are very well written and done well. I enjoyed the characters in the book. The only thing that bothers me is the transition from scene to scene is too quick by the narrator (not a long enough pause to feel like there was a change in venue). There are time that I had to back up to see where I was on the plant and in the whole scheme of the book. This is not the writers fault this is more on the audio book publisher, the producer and the narrator for creating this confusion. I loved the story line and have continued through the series. "
— Jason, 8/20/2016 -
" 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 alternate WWII, and alternate Shakespeare's England, I still come back to this first Worldwar novel as the best. I find them most enjoyable if I am familiar with the history that Harry is twisting. Lots of action, romance, political satire and humor. "
— Tony, 2/10/2014 -
" A fun alternate history: World War 2 gets put on hold by arrival of alien invaders, and former enemies must work together to defeat this powerful new enemy. "
— Toby, 1/28/2014 -
" Hooked me enough to get me to commit to ne next 7 in the series. "
— Tom, 1/24/2014 -
" Hmm, read volume one in 1994 and eighteen years later haven't got to volume two. "
— Keith, 1/12/2014 -
" I found this concept fascinating, went on to read the remaining books in the series, and was disappointed when there no more in the series! "
— Anne, 12/20/2013 -
" What is an interesting concept is weighted down with stock characters, stock motivation on the part of the invaders, and some atrocius dialogue. Harry Turtledove may have a Ph.D in history, however, he should have spent more time away from the collegiate atmosphere. "
— Eric, 12/3/2013 -
" Very good twist on history. Takes a little while to get into with how many side stories are involved but once in I was hooked. On to book two "
— Joey, 10/31/2013 -
" A fantastic work of alternate history. Can't wait to continue the series! "
— Daniel, 10/17/2013 -
" i thought this book was great, it was a real great treat for any history or sience fiction fan. "
— Nimblehearse, 10/15/2013 -
" Beside some half decent battle scenes, this book seemed to be chalked full of pointless dialogue and characters that are bland tools for the author to progress his story and ideas. I wanted so much more from the premise this story presented, but I had to give up after 275 pages. "
— Weylin, 9/18/2013 -
" It was a wonderful saga of Lizards invading from another planet during WWII. The writing is excellent. I found I needed to read every word because the canvas was so big and interesting. If you like alternate history, this is the book for you. "
— Pam, 8/25/2013 -
" A really good series. Recommended for all sci-fi fans. "
— Tracy, 3/23/2013 -
" Woulda been great except it had sex in it. "
— Sarebear, 7/31/2012 -
" The master of alternate history at the top of his game. "
— Michael, 6/4/2012 -
" Nobody, but nobody, does alternate history better than Harry Turtledove. What a crackerjack storyteller. "
— Rica, 6/1/2012 -
" When I read the plot description - aliens invade earth during World War II - I had my doubts, but it is actually a very readable alternate history novel. "
— Mel, 5/20/2012 -
" Very cool concept, incredibly boring book. "
— Claire, 11/10/2011 -
" There were a number of concurrent stories and it seemed slow/very military at times. But I want to know what happens and think the series has potential. And I did like the reflections on Lizard vs human culture. "
— Jeanne, 7/4/2011 -
" i thought this book was great, it was a real great treat for any history or sience fiction fan. "
— Nimblehearse, 5/9/2011 -
" ID4 with Nazis! Reads like an ensemble cast, disaster, summer blockbuster, sci-fi, special effects extravaganza! Grinding tense progression of the narrative that ups the violence and tech on each page "
— crunch-o-matic, 11/3/2010 -
" It was a wonderful saga of Lizards invading from another planet during WWII. The writing is excellent. I found I needed to read every word because the canvas was so big and interesting. If you like alternate history, this is the book for you. "
— Pam, 9/11/2010 -
" When I read the plot description - aliens invade earth during World War II - I had my doubts, but it is actually a very readable alternate history novel. "
— Mel, 8/23/2010 -
" A fun alternate history: World War 2 gets put on hold by arrival of alien invaders, and former enemies must work together to defeat this powerful new enemy. "
— Toby, 8/11/2010 -
" I found this concept fascinating, went on to read the remaining books in the series, and was disappointed when there no more in the series! "
— Anne, 1/25/2010 -
" I was hooked on Page 1. A great book, great author and great series. Alternate history at it's best. Aliens with early 21st century technology against World War Two era earth. What a concept. Turtledoves weaves a rich, deep, detailed story thru a ensemble cast. "
— Karl, 8/8/2009
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?