An Oral History of the Zombie War - This Is the Way the World Ends

Brilliant. In a very NY Times or WaPo jourlnalistic style,the author lets the people he "interviews" tell the story of how the world as we know it ended, but also how it ended for people from different cultures all over the world. Overall the narration serves to emphasize our commonalities more than our differences, because all of the characters are well drawn enough, even within a short chapter style, to be accessible.

There are enough contemporary references to make the story line feel extremely immediate and accessible. Every time I finished a chapter I had to pause and look around, not necessarily for Zees, but just noticing how transient and vulnerable humanity's world is. I've been aware of this for decades anyway, but I think our current climate has most people who have any level of intelligence on edge anyway. This taps right into that underlying nervous tension, sort of like ripping a scab off of a tender wound, which seems to be happening in some way every day lately.

I did read World War Z, which the author mentions in the forward, several years ago; and I think he did a superb job of taking his general inspiration and making this excellent book very much his own fresh work.

Hope Taylor writes another one of these. I loved world war Z. and this was right up there with it. I like the reporter angle. Kinda wish at the end, the reporter would have hooked up with the gal he used to date that he did an interview with. But can't have everything I guess. Was cool to see all the politics that played out and how politicians ruined everything and made fighting the zombie hordes that much more difficult with their stupidity. Spot on like real life.

This book is an awesome read. I love post-apocalyptic novels,and zombie apocalypse books are my favorite. I have read a TON of them. Unfortunately it's kind of hard to find really great ones,like TWD and WWZ. So when I started to read this,I wasn't expecting it to be as good as Max Brooks' masterpiece. But it was,and it was a pleasant surprise. Keith Taylor's writing is excellent. VERY REALISTIC. And I've seen reviews about this book being called "liberal propaganda" ,and that is just crap. As far as l could tell,it doesn't take ANY stance on the political stuff. He just simply added political mud-slinging because he wanted it to feel as real as possible. And I can promise you that there would be a shit ton of that going on if /when the shit hits the fan. But I digress. This book is amazing and if you like realistic zombie fiction,then I highly recommend you read this. It will not disappoint. Oh and I promise you I am a real person who is writing a real review...now,Go Read THIS!

This book deserves five stars if only because it is an homage to Max Brooks' genre changing novel World War Z. Using the same concept as a Studs Terkel interview Taylor covers new ground reporting on survivors and post survival issues. There are humble heroes, forgotten survivors, war profiteers, political anti-heroes, and broken souls all needing to tell their story. Add to this the fact that Taylor is a more descriptive writer than Brooks at his best and you get one helluva book.

Kindle Unlimited reader here, which is why this might be not marked as a Verified Buyer. But I most definitely read it, probably in 2-3 days.

The book is a fast read and is never boring. It's also very timely--the possibility of viruses to which humanity has no defense emerging from the Siberian permafrost is something scientists are concerned about now. Some sequences are quite gripping, like the beach scene in Turkey, while others are quite creative and gross (the oil-rig workers).

My only quibbles are that it starts to run out of steam toward the end, with characters starting to repeat rather than new characters continuing the story. That said, I would definitely love to read a sequel with even more tales from the Zombie War.

A good effort but the obvious reference to America's present politics got in the way of good story telling. People, usually, read a book to get away from the world. Also, compared to World War Z, the story felt too small. The sense of world wide carnage and devastation was not well articulated. It's a good read; better than most Zombies candy. I'm glad Mr. Taylor gave it a go. I hope he tries again.

Still enjoyable, although the storytelling isn't as polished as Max Brooks, who did a better job of creating different "voices" in the various chapters and building up the heat of the crisis. The concept of the zombies' particular vulnerability was very clever, something I haven't seen before. The Vatican chapter started out excellent, but the conclusion was just...odd. It's like the author couldn't decide whether he wanted the supernatural to be involved or not. (One side note: I hope the author got some kind of permission to publish and sell this book, because if not, I fear a copyright infringement claim in his future!)

Outstanding read... a fine sequel to Max Brooks' "World War Z." With compelling characters, convincing situations, and engaging prose, Taylor transports us, once again, to the post-apocalyptic world of zombie encounters of the close kind, told by the survivors. Global in scope and impressive in its immediacy, this is a must-read for genre fans. Don't miss this.

Told as a series of interviews that narrate the story of a viral zombie apocalypse. The Zees (shorthand for zombies) are similar to the zombies of WWZ fame yet a bit different. A fast, exciting read. My gripes are two: I had to re-read a couple of sentences to parse their meaning. A comma or two would have helped. My second gripe is that the protagonist was able to get everywhere even in a post-apocalyptic, still reeling world.But those two nits aside, a darn fine read.

Holy cow, this author totally nailed his tribute to "World War Z"!!! I was prepared to be disappointed, but this book was better than I hoped for! You really feel as though the story is being told by multiple people, with different personalities and perspectives. If you loved World War Z, then you should read this book.

An excellent work. Lately it seems most authors only do series, always having to wait after a cliffhanger is great in some ways, not so great in others. I liked that this book was a standalone. Although, it was so well written and engaging, I would have kept reading if it had been a series. The author states that he was going for the style of Max Brooks, and I believe he did quite well.

Great book, will read this again and then again. If you enjoyed World War Z, this even better. The book, not the movie. His threads all connect. Highly recommend. Sincerely, I am starting again, I want to catch all the little hints or subtext i missed.

This was an unusual Z-tale. Told from the perspective of the survivors the author takes us through the zombie apocalypse from its low profile beginnings, through the rampaging hordes of the dead to the rather low simmering end. But there is still the possibility of a new outbreak because there is really no end. Good book - very enjoyable.

Like the author I always wondered why there were not more books in the style of World War Z. So the author created his own telling of a Zombie War.

While not as long or complex as World War Z, the author put a lot of thought and solid writing in 'his' Zombie War. As it takes place circa 2016-2020 as opposed to World War Z which takes place about a decade earlier it is more up to date retelling as well.

So, the author produced a book worth reading even if you never heard of World War Z.

If y

I am glad that someone finally built upon the idea created by Max Brooks in "World War Z". This is a most worthy "sequel" that manages to live up to the creative approach of the original. All new stories in all new places with all new characters provides the best overview of what a zombie apocalypse would do to the world.

Keith Taylor tells a great many stories in this book. With each fictional interview, he gives a glimpse into the fascinating life and experiences of relatable characters. There were many characters who's whole lives I wanted to read about...i want their prologue and I want to know what happened next.

Excellence book. Similar to the author I am a huge fan of World War Z by Max Brooks. I've been waiting for a follow up since I first read WWZ. After years of nothing coming close, Keith Taylor YOU NAILED it! Great job. I'll reread without a doubt!

I have difficulty believing an author such as Mr. Taylor seriously believes his audience will buy "I just loved World War Z so much I waited for someone to write a sequel but no one did so I wrote this" as a motive for writing this derivative book, but then again I have great difficulty reading the cover of the book and not thinking the author risked getting sued by Max Brookes for ripping off not only the concept but the title and subtitle of a much better book. The shameless way this book apes Brookes much more nuanced, clever digs at political targets and hot button issues of the last decade does not, as one reviewer seems to think, make it more relevant, it really just highlights the fact that this is a book written by an adoring fan of a better book, the book the fan would have written (maybe) if the original creator hadn't come along and beat him to the punch. Please give this a miss. Go back to the romances.

Excellence book. Similar to the author I am a huge fan of World War Z by Max Brooks. I've been waiting for a follow up since I first read WWZ. After years of nothing coming close, Keith Taylor YOU NAILED it! Great job. I'll reread without a doubt!

I have difficulty believing an author such as Mr. Taylor seriously believes his audience will buy "I just loved World War Z so much I waited for someone to write a sequel but no one did so I wrote this" as a motive for writing this derivative book, but then again I have great difficulty reading the cover of the book and not thinking the author risked getting sued by Max Brookes for ripping off not only the concept but the title and subtitle of a much better book. The shameless way this book apes Brookes much more nuanced, clever digs at political targets and hot button issues of the last decade does not, as one reviewer seems to think, make it more relevant, it really just highlights the fact that this is a book written by an adoring fan of a better book, the book the fan would have written (maybe) if the original creator hadn't come along and beat him to the punch. Please give this a miss. Go back to the romances.

I wanted reading this take on the zombie apocalypse from multiple perspectives. Yes, there are a bit of politics, and yes, the novel is set up like WWZ. Still, this stands up well in its own right.

Interesting - and more deeply psychologically insightful than most zombie novels.

This book is spectacular. World war Z style (and the author clearly states that was his muse) but a different bend. More visceral and striking to the heart and behaviors of humanity. A must read if you like apocalyptic zombie novels.

Tired of prepped zombie books? They are so basic now, there's no thought put into it. Just some dude reciting his mind numbing encyclopedic knowledge of guns. Boooooooring....

Not this book, this author cares about your reading experience. Pick it up and read.

Really excellent take on how a real zombie apocolypse might spread and how people might react from the President, down to the normal person living their daily lives. Honestly, it kind of scared me because the way this is done, its believable enough that it makes you think twice.

I like Zombies not books that are veiled as commentary for how crappy and Republican our world is. Max Brooks book was pretty good it's hysterical though how readers and author's treat it as the beginning and end of Zombie stories. Sorry but Brian Keene deserves those accolades more.

I am a huge fan of the apocalyptic genre, especially zombies. There are a few stinkers out there, this is not one of them. It was hard for me to put it down but sleeping and working is necessary lol. Read this book, it's a zombie apocalypse must read!

I'm both terrified & highly interested in zombies... So you can imagine the insane dreams I've had while reading this. Which was two days. I couldn't put it down. Loved how modern it was, definitely made me laugh & think & nearly cry. Will be reading again. My husband wants to read it, & he's not the reader in our family. Great work!

I really liked this book. I enjoyed the storyline from the aftermath journalist's point of view. Many times I actually thought to myself that is sounded plausible. It's examples of what could happen a couple towns over from your hometown during the zombie apocalypse. Now I want to find out what else Keith Taylor has written. Hopefully it includes the undead.

Basically a worse version of World War Z, almost to the point of plaigarism. I’m not sure why anyone would want to waste their money on this when they could have the original. Ending was especially disappointing.

This book was interesting. As I read this book it reminds me a lot of Max Brooks book World War Z. It was written to be like that. Truth is, Max Brooks World War Z was a primer for me on Zombie books. It was not scary, was nothing more than a collection of short stories and I loathe short stories. I mean short stories are like comic books to me. They entice you, then draw you in and abruptly ends. That is how this book reads. The author did what he had to do to recreate what some consider a classic. I consider Max Brooks World War Z to be a kindergarten level zombie book, but what do I know.
The author tied in characters later in the book which wrapped the story up nicely. I tried to really like the book because the author writes well but perhaps it was not for me. I am reading the authors hunger last man standing now and it kind of feels the same. I do not really know how to describe it but I feel depressed when I am reading it. Perhaps this is just me as I read it and not the author. The only thing that I really don’t understand in some of these modern books is the knee-jerk reaction to vehemently curse throughout the book. Does anyone in real life talk that way all the time? I mean if someone in traffic almost hits my car I might let loose an expletive, but I don’t normally talk like a drunken sailor. Perhaps I stand alone in that but it is an axiom to me nonetheless.
It was hard to get into a book that is dis-jointed without much connection except the author interviewing people safely. Like Max Brooks, there was nothing to entice me to buy into the story. It was just like reading a magazine article. By the time you get a “buy-in”, that article is over and you flip the magazine page to read a related story. The author is a good writer but really not my style I suppose.
What I love about the movie with Brad Pitt (World War Z) is that it tells like a story that you can follow and not like an dry-after-action-report made by the military. I really get what the author was going for in head-nod to Max Brooks but his book was not the end all and be all of zombie books. The author probably deserves 5 stars but I could not get into this magazine style article writing.

I love zombie books, I have probably read just about all of them, and I just found a new favorite. I enjoy hearing how people deal with the side effects of an outbreak, so this was a perfect read for me!

Devoured this book like a zombie tasting his first brain. Couldnt put it down until I finished it. Love how relevant it is in this day and age of politics and media. Loved how is gives ypu different perspectives of humanity and how it changes im the face of peril. Reccomend to anyone who enjoys this genre.

I finished it only because I have a weird obsession with finishing books I start. I just kept hoping it got better or more cohesive. Then all of a sudden I was done reading while I was still bored. There was just no passion or emotion in the people's recounts of what happened. It was all very monotone. I was really hoping this would be an interesting take on the zombie genre, but it just fell flat. I would have like some interviews by ordinary folks who survived through grit and determination.