Bombs Away: The Hot War

Avoid this book. It is BORING. There is no story, the characters are pure cardboard and the author doesn't even try to get the period or military matters right. It's all flat and generic to the extent it isn't plain wrong. Proof-reading is the only part done properly.

It is hard to make a nuclear war boring but Turtledove succeeds in that. He gives the Russians many times the number of nuclear weapons they had at the time (which was about 5-10 total) but doesn't present any background for decisions about the use of nukes. By either side. Nor does he bother with details such as air defenses of the day.

The real boring part is Turtledove's focus on trivial details about the daily life of "ordinary people" characters who he doesn't even try to make interesting. Why should readers care about them?

Part way through I realized how much contempt Turtledove has for everything associated with this book – the subject, its characters, readers, etc. He's now a caricature of himself and his further books should be avoided. It's time for him to retire.

Bombs Away is the first installment of a new series by Harry Turtledove that follows what happens after Harry Truman decides that the Korean War is going just bad enough that the U.S. needs to use atomic weapons to turn the tide back in the United States favor. He miscalculates how good ole Joe Stalin will react to the bombing of an allay and also the fact that there is a big difference between bombing Japan at the end of a war and bombing an enemy that is not on its last legs. Mayhem ensues in typical Turtledove fashion.

Like all Turtledove novels, the story jumps between many characters all offering different viewpoints of what is happening around the world in the various theatres of war and the home front, whichever home front that might be. There are always complaints about Turtledove's style, repeated lines, characters that can step out of one series into another and fit perfectly and of course, the smoking of cigarettes and they are all here but, as usual, the story just rolls along and you just keep turning the pages to see what happens next.

I really enjoyed this book and can't wait for the next installment. Keep 'em coming Mr. Turtledove, I'll keep buying 'em!

As an aside, if you have not read his Menedemos and Sostratos series, do it. Four of the most enjoyable books I have read.

Imagine if Truman let MacArthur have his way and bomb China. Would Stalin sit and watch or act decisively. This book starts the ball rolling and leaves the world less populated at the end. Can't wait for more!

Harry Turtledove comes through again. Great alternate history. Much has been said about the Korean war and what if MacArthur had been allowed to use the A-bomb. Fortunately, it was one of the issues that got him fired by Truman. I wish Harry had looked at the history of the Flying Wing and added it into his story. Oh well,maybe next time.

What a disappointment. For a book about nuclear Korean War this book was very boring. It may be the most boring book I have read in many years. The real issue with the story is the utter lack of any emotion from any of the characters. Cities are vaporized on both side and no one really seems to care. There is no rage, no fear, no anger, no panic. Page after page and chapter after chapter of menusha.

I also was bothered by the fact that little of the story involves the Korean peninsula. MacArthur urges the president to use the bomb and we don't hear from him again.

The book ends in a cliffhanger so there will be two or three more books. I should not have been surprised, Turtledove writes series. I can tell you I will not be purchasing any more in this dreadful series.

Always love Turtledove, his stories really get the "what if" juices flowing. This book is no exception.

The "short chapters" approach does sometimes make the stories a bit disjointed, but to me it keeps you from having your interest fade as you read page after page after page about the same character. Keeps it fresh.

One thing though, the USAF also had in service at the time with SAC the B-36 and the B-47. Both aircraft were historically held out of Korea by Hap Arnold, as he didn't want to give too much away to the Russians, so the 20th AF (FEAF, which was not part of SAC) had to make do with the B-29's, even when it became apparent that they weren't getting it done. Any USAF bombers stationed in Europe would have been B-36's or B-47's. The B-29's were only in Korea at that time. The B-36 was a heavily armed monster that would have been a lot tougher to shoot down, armed as it was with cannons and higher speed, as well as the ability to fly much higher. The B-47 was actually slightly faster than the MiG, although it had no where near the same service ceiling, much lower in fact (33k ft as opposed to 50k). Given a war with Russia, knowing that the Russians had perfect copies of the B-29, SAC policy was to remove the B-29 from the combat areas, use the B-36 and B-47, and issue orders to shoot down any B-29 sighted, no matter how it was marked.

Then in 1954 the B-52 made it's appearance. Although they were not around in any great numbers until 1957, they were there. The funniest part about that is the production of the B52 ended in 1963, and they still fly them today.

Wow. You don't care about the individual characters at all and could care less when they die. The 'military' action is incredibly dull and repetitive, I got so tired of hearing about the same bombers over and over. Nuclear war is supposed to terrify us, but in this book they're treated like big regular bombs. Turtledove is unable to write a decent ending to any of his books, much less an overall series.

Umm...here we go again. Constant battle, rotating characters, a lot of repetition, verbal filler tags, and other problems. The few point of view female characters again have no female friends or female relatives. But the problems I can be most specific about have to do with Marian Staley, the refugee camp mom. First of all, she'd make friends with other women and they would watch out for each other to protect against possible guy action and to help watch each other's kids. Seriously, this really happens all the time in real camps. Second, the reason we have FDIC so people don't lose their life savings when banks go under; yes, the problem would be more severe with the bombing of Seattle, but still nothing the Federal Reserve couldn't cope with, eventually. She should also be getting her husband's allotment, and definitely his life insurance (officers are seriously required to have it).

But the main problem is that I've seen this all before in other series, and it's all blurring together.

I'm rounding up a bit.

SPOILERS AHEAD
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In typical alternate history fashion, this book -- or I should say, this series -- assumes one fact at variance with actual history and predicts where that different fact would have led. Here, the key fact is how Truman received General MacArthur's recommendation to use atomic bombs on Chinese bases after China intervened on behalf of North Korea against South Korea and U.N. (essentially U.S.) forces there. In our timeline, Truman said no. In Turtledove's alternate timeline, he agrees.

Truman follows this course on the assumption that the Soviet Union, which also has atomic weapons, won't step in and use them. That assumption proves fatally erroneous. Step by step, in a sort of slow motion, things escalate, and the world starts heading to Hell in an atomic handbasket.

What I found quite plausible and very chilling is the way people in the various affected countries adjust to this "new normal." The shock fades, except when a loved one is killed. The peaceful, more luxurious past seems to fade as military and civilian alike cope with the dire emergencies and daily deprivations of what amounts to World War III.

My main problem with the book, and the reason it didn't have a greater impact on me, is the multitude of characters with unfamiliar and easy-to-confuse names. I couldn't keep track of characters' story lines and fates without a lot of back-and-forth shuffling (which would, for me, have been quite difficult if I had been reading the Kindle edition rather than the hardback). It's hard to identify with people when you're constantly unsure who's who.

I'm not sure whether to be glad that this is only Book 1 of three. Will the next two books continue and complete the transition from bad to worse to utterly awful? How can they not? Will there be any redemptive aspects to this sad saga?

In this alternate history the Chosin Reservoir campaign in the Korean War results in a crushing defeat of the US/UN forces which leads a desperate Harry S Truman to drop atomic bombs on Manchuria, triggering World War III. As with Turtledove's other books it is clear that he has a firm grasp of the historical situation and uses it to create an interesting and believable story

The story is told from about a dozen points of view, shifting perspective every 2-5 pages. This creates a fractured, chaotic effect that suits the subject matter well. However, I was a little disappointed that only one of the perspectives (Harry S Truman's) was that of an actual historical person with any degree of power/control and even his point of view was more about his emotional reaction to events than any sort of planning/strategy/policy decisions. I think it would have been nice to have the "common everyday person caught in the gears of war" perspective balanced with the perspective of a few leaders who are calling the shots.

One other thing that grated on me was the constant crude obscenities (mat) any time the Soviets are "on screen." Yes, I get that that is how Soviet military talked, but that doesn't mean I want to read a string of filth every few sentences in their section of the book.

Basically, reading this reminded me why I'm not a huge fan of Turtledove: I love his concepts and the historical perspective he provides but don't usually care for how he chooses to present them.

An interesting plot line, that it didn't happen is to President Truman's credit. A typically depressing Turtledove treatment. His writing seems to be getting darker. Three stars for predictably formulaic writing and not terribly engaging characters.

Given the amount of nuclear ordnance expended on cities 6 months into the war it will be interesting to see if Turtledove explores a nuclear winter effect and crop failure in the following volume. Both would be developments unexpected to the major powers in an era during which so little was known of the impact of nuclear war, even using the relatively low yield ordnance available in 1951.

Nitpicks. As others have raised where are the B-36s? That is what the USAF would have used for bombing Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. The Red Air Force would have had much more difficulty countering them than the obsolete B-29. The B-47 was not yet in scale production and presumably would not have been after the atomic bombings in the Pacific Northwest. Why when the Soviets are attempting to take out every major US West Coast City is Vancouver not also attacked since Canada certainly would be in the war. Also why no mention of an attack on Hanford, or for that matter Los Alamos, both far more valuable targets than Salt Lake City or Denver. Finally where is the M-46 Patton, a superior tank to the Pershing and deployed to Korea in August 1950 so certainly available for deployment to Europe against the T-54 which would have given the Pershing a very tough fight.

If you enjoyed Turtledove's "The War That Came Early" about the second world war breaking out early in Europe, then you will enjoy this book. He takes a point of divergence (in this case using nuclear bombs during the Korean War) and tries to portray it through a goodly number of characters and their experiences. However, to me, it's just more of the same shtick. Simply put, the characters in TWTCE were written in a way which did not make me interested in them. Unfortunately, "Bombs Away" has the same problem in my opinion. And so, I do not plan to read the following books in this series. It almost makes you want to cry when you remember that he once could enthrall you and take you into the world he created. For example, the "Darkness" series retold the second world war using sorcery and dragons but it had characters in it that were three dimensional and not stereotypes. Plus, there are plot holes you could fly a B-29 through in this book. Others have already noted how the Soviets use the same trick of disguising their bombers as USAF B-29s to fool the air defense systems over and over again. It also does not make sense that Truman and Marshall would gradually escalate the war and give the Soviets the chance to reply tit for tat over and over again.

Believe it or not, this is actually the first ever Turtledove I’ve had the pleasure of reading. I’ve managed to build a small collection, grabbing assorted works at garage and library sales over the years, but they always seem to be the middle bits of series. Not this time! This time I’m in on the ground floor for his new series exploring what might have happened had the Cold War gone hot in the early days. In the later days, that’s no fun since it would mostly just result in the planet becoming a cinder….

At the height of the Korean War, with Red Chinese forces pouring over the border, the idea of using nuclear weapons to turn the tide was under serious consideration. In the world we inherited President Truman decided against unleashing that genie, but now Harry Turtledove turns his pen to exploring the potential consequences of such action. Come along for the ride in Bombs Away as Turtledove picks apart the threads of history and weaves them together once again in a different and altogether horrifying configuration….

There’s a reason Harry Turtledove is billed as “The Master of Alternate History.” Several reasons, in fact. The man seems to possess an unparalleled grasp of history, knowing instinctively just where to push in order to set events onto a new, believable course. Just as importantly, his characters all feel very real—figures both fictional and historical leap off the page and pull you into their world. While story thrives on conflict, Turtledove stands testament to the fact that you don’t necessarily need a villain, shying away from easy caricature in favor of focusing on ordinary men doing the best they can. From the White House to the trenches of Korea, from the cockpit of a B-29 bomber to the streets of divided Germany, Harry Turtledove gives a stellar introduction to a hellish world that could have been.

CONTENT: Harsh, R-rated language, widespread but not gratuitous. In a world sprouting mushroom clouds, profanity seems appropriate…. Strong violence, as you would expect from World War III. Occasional sexual content, semi-explicit. Some of the characters are racist, and the fallout of the Holocaust is dealt with to a degree.

I’ve always been a Harry Turtledove fan, though I confess I haven’t read every volume of his alternate history epics that often. Still, he’s a solid writer, if a bit old-fashioned, and he generally delivers the expected.

“Bombs Away” (Del Rey, $28, 432 pages) is the first of The Hot War series, and the premise is simple: When the Chinese helped North Korea turn the tide in 1950, Harry Truman opted to use the atomic bomb in China to change the course of the Korean War.

There’s promise there, no question, as Truman seriously considered using the bomb at the time, so the stage is set for Turtledove – except for the fact that his vision of this particular alternate history is unremittingly grim, and thus “Bombs Away” is 432 pages of pain, radiation and dying soldiers. (And Turtledove will kill off his point-of-view characters, of which there are many, which gives each battle scene a sense of urgency often missing in books where the protagonists always survive.)

I’ve been a Turtledove fan for more than thirty years. I can’t believe it has taken me that long to discover the formula that Turtledove uses in each war story. I suppose I’ve not seen it because of excellent non-war series like Supervolcano and the Krispos series. I suspect I was subconsciously aware of the Turtledove formulaic doctrine (TFD) during the last four books of the southern victory series, but as I read certain characters, situations and even dialect, in Bombs Away, it hit me.

Formula aside, Bombs Away is another war story in classic the Turtledove fashion. Tons of research, characters that are engaging (well, from the TFD, they’re just cut and paste,) and I care about the ensemble cast.

As for story, dropping the A-bomb on China isn’t anything that ‘wows’ me, but they don’t call him ‘the Master of Alternate History’ for nothing.

This review appears to be overly negative, but in reality, Turtledove fans want the TFD, and Bombs Away does not fail to deliver. As a fan myself, I’ll read the next book in The Hot War series.

I like Turtledove and have followed him a long time. Love his work, but with this one he's missing some important military points. I'm sure it's just to move the plot along and to allow for more discourse on the evils of war, but it begs some big questions: in 1952 the B36 was fully operational by 1951, capable of carrying the biggest nukes we had and at altitudes beyond the reach of soviet intercept. the number of Soviet deploy-able atom bombs in 1951 is highly suspect, certainly no more than half a dozen, and US/NATO airdefenses were more than well aware that they were using copies of B29s to deliver them, appropriate action would have been taken. Also the first US use of thurmonuclear bombs was in 1951 and used in 1952. The effect of the US/Allies using thermonuclear bombs on the Soviets in 1952 would have been far more devastating than portrayed. Not accounted for is massively sped up production given a nuclear war with the soviet pac. Also, such easy penetration of defensive by Soviet B29s is simplistic at best, air controllers would have known exactly how many of our were out and where they were. Particularly if an original ruse had worked.

In Bombs Away: The Hot War, Turtledove tweaked history twice. First, the Chinese ambush of the First Marine Division around the Chosen Reservoir was much more successful in destroying American forces retreating to Wosan. The second tweak develops out of the first since in this timeline, President Truman gives General MacArthur permission to use atomic weapons on staging locations over the border in China. Stalin then retaliated by bombing locations in Europe. A tit-for-tat response ensues through out the book with the West Coast of the US and Maine being hit, Moscow and Kiev going up in smoke among many others. Turtledove does a nice job of providing viewpoint characters to flesh out the story. Bombs Away is a sobering look at what could have happened.

As much as I love reading alternate histories and parallel worlds/universes I can't say that this particular novel kept me up late at night racing to the final chapter.
It is well written, reads well, and the author did a great job in small arms and tank descriptions. Won't go into aircraft as many reviewers have all ready done so.
But that's where what enthusiasm I had for this book ends.
If, in fact, that many A bombs where detonated world wide it wouldn't take to long for prevailing winds to poison the atmosphere with radiation fall out creating a nuclear winter.
There is no need to write a sequal, in reality there would eventually be no one left alive to write about.
One more thing he got right, and I know from experience, is the bone chilling cold
And rivers of mud in Korea.

I have read most of Harry Turtledove’s alternate histories. Obviously I'm a fan of his books and writing style. Bombs Away is the first book in a new alternate history series “The Hot War.” The point at which history changes in this series is in 1950, after China intervenes in the Korea War to prevent the loss of Korea to US/UN forces. In order to prevent a Chinese victory, President Truman authorizes the use of atomic bombs against the China. Stalin responses by attacking western Europe with atomic weapons. The crisis quickly turns into World War III. As in most of Turtledoves alternative histories, what really makes the book is the ordinary people that he creates to tell the story at a personal level. We hear from all sides how this changed history affects their lives.

What might have happened had Harry Truman decided to use a couple of atomic bombs to stop the Chinese hordes from rushing south into North Korea in 1951?

I know that option was considered, but ultimately rejected in favor of what actually happened.

Harry Turtledove, the master of alternate history (at least where plotting goes, at least in my opinion) looks at the alternative in this interesting first book of a series (duology, maybe?).

A Turtledove tradition is to tell his story from a number of disparate viewpoints, from the major historical figures (Truman, in this case) to soldiers on the ground in Korea and Europe, from both sides. As well, there are a number of civilians on both sides as viewpoint characters too.

As is usual for me, Turtledove's plots are the attraction for me, as I find the writing itself rather tedious. Some of his books are better than others, but Bombs Away is not one of them. None of the characters are that distinctive, with an added issue brought on by the international narrative of this series. That issue is that they all kind of sound alike, even the Russian/Hungarian/German characters.

Variations of "I could tell you you're wrong, but I'd be lying" when discussing various events, or "You know, you have a point there" when somebody points out the bloody obvious abound.

That's why I avoid Turtledove's books unless the alternate history grabs me, and in this case it did. The world has come close to nuclear catastrophe a number of times during the Cold War, and it's interesting to explore what would have happened if somebody had gone the opposite direction. As atomic bomb after bomb are dropped on various cities, escalating what started as a local use and then retaliation for that use, you have to wonder where it's going to stop.

(One thing I had to keep reminding myself is that this is the age just before ICBMs were created, though mention is made in the book that they are coming, so the thought of massive retaliation to wipe out everything and end humanity isn't quite there yet)

Still, there are a couple of oddities that I couldn't find an explanation for.

Once the Soviets get involved, just what is their goal for invading Germany? And then Italy? I just don't see an endgame there and nobody in the book mentions it either (Truman's a character, but not Stalin). I could see perhaps just Germany (reuniting the country under Soviet rule), but then mention is made of invading northern Italy and that reasoning went out the window.

Hopefully that will be explained in the next book.

Overall, Bombs Away kept me reading just to see what happened globally. I didn't really care about any of the characters. Turtledove thankfully kept away from the cringe-worthy sex scenes, though his references to sex were as uncomfortable as having your grandfather make such references (ewwww).

I can't really recommend this book to anybody unless you're like me: so interested in the big picture alternate history that you're able to slog through a book where you're not a fan of the writing.

Basically, if you're me, you'll enjoy it!

Kind of.

(Apologies to Archilochus, but not to Turtledove) Truman sets off Armageddon by bombing the Chinese during the Korean War causing Stalin to react. Turtledove could have written this (and may well have) using a computer full of boilerplate, or, even easier, by barely changing a number of his other novels/series concerning WWII and its aftermath. Give him his due, he does come up with quite interesting alternative history turning points, and he does his research (or at least gets someone else to do it for him). But he promptly surrounds the idea with the same characters (a sprinkling of civilians, soldiers, politicians), the same filler, the same dialogue. A significant portion of this, and many others of his, are filled with cigarettes: getting them, smoking them, trading them. Another significant portion (and again others of his) are filled with characters thinking something but not saying or doing it because "bad things would happen" or "it wouldn't do any good" (true not only of those in totalitarian societies but also of Americans, French, British, etc.). Sad to say, Turtledove has become boring and it really isn't worth reading him anymore.

Obviously Turtledove likes the "Winds of War" cast-of-thousands alternate history formula... and it was fresh and exciting when he did it with the "Worldwar" series... but at this point I find it completely stale and uninteresting.

Bombs Away (2015) is the first SF Alternate History novel in the Hot War series. It is a story of a war between the United States and the Soviet Union.

In this novel, Harry Truman is President of the USA. He has a small war going in the Korean Peninsula.

Douglas MacArthur is a General in the US Army. He thinks the Chinese Reds will not support Kim Il-sung.

George Marshall is the Secretary of Defense in the USA. He has a great deal of military and political experience.

Cade Curtis is a Second Lieutenant in the US Army. He is caught behind the lines in North Korea.

Kim Il-sung is the President of North Korea. He is also the head of the Korean communist party.

Mao Tse Tsung sent the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army to attack the Americans after the North Koreans retreated. The Chinese drove the Americas out of North Korea and even further to the South.

Josef Stalin is the General Secretary of the Russian Communist Party. He is also the tyrant of Russia and other countries with the Soviet Union.

In this story, Il-sung sent his troops to attack South Korea. The Americans and their allies landed at Chosin and drove the North Koreans back across their border. Mao Tse Tsung sent the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army to attack the Americans after the North Koreans retreated. The Chinese drove the Americas out of North Korea.

The Chinese Army cut off troops within North Korea. Cade fights against the Chinese until he is the only survivor. He evades the Reds and keeps moving south. He finds Korean Christians who hide and guide him to his own troops.

Truman comes to the Hawaiian Islands to confer with MacArthur. The general suggests that he nuke the cities supporting the Chinese troops. Truman argues with him, but finally agrees.

The US Air Force drops an A-bomb on Harbin in Manchuria. The war in the Korean Peninsula becomes more stable. But Stalin decides to support his Chinese allies.

Stalin uses Tu-4 bombers -- modeled after the American B-29 -- to nuke six cities. They hit Aberdeen, Norwich, Rouen, Nancy, Bremen and Augsburg. The leaders of the British, French and West German governments protest severely.

While the USA and the USSR are dropping A-bombs on each other, the populaces of the two countries are reacting. They are still supporting their leaders, but are becoming more restless. The Soviet Union nations have much more anger and fear among their people.

This tale escalates the conflict. The Russians come through the Fulda Gap with tank armies. The Americans nuke their supply lines. The Russians bomb cities on the west and east coasts of the USA.

It begins to look like the warring countries are going to nuke each other into oblivion. The next installment in this sequence has not yet been announced on the store.

This novel spells out the causalties and sorrows of war. Nuclear war is even more diasterous than the normal kind. But it only takes one side to start a war.

Unlike in true history, Truman started this one. He later thought his decision was a mistake, but couldn't go back. In reality, the leaders of our country refrained from such mistakes, but they still started smaller, conventional wars.

Wars are usually caused by greed and ambition. They can be started by leaders, wealthy people or the masses. The Spanish American War was started by Randolph Hearst stirring up the masses. The Grenada conflict was a decision by the president and leaders in the spirit of the Monroe Doctrine and the war against socialism.

Sometimes it makes sense to go to war. Like an individual defending himself, a war can be fought to protect a community or country. Yet very few wars in the past centuries have been for self-defensse.

Highly recommended for Turtledove fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of nuclear warfare, political intrigue, and lots of action. Read and enjoy!

-Arthur W. Jordin

Disappointing is what I have to say. Mr. Turtledove could have stopped at pg 200 and it wouldn't have made a difference. Of course, with the characters he developed the story can lead to another book. But there just isn't a story here. And my biggest beef is that with historical fiction, you recognize some of the history. Well, the author has really stretched the truth on the technical details. If the B-29 could do what the author says it could do, we could have bombed Japan from the US. I won't be looking for a sequal.

Excellent what if story. Most people don't realize how hard Gen. Mac Author pushed for the use of atomic bombs against China. In this book the General gets his wish,and the Soviets come to Red China's aid.

Harry Turtledove, "the Master of Alternate History" (according to Publisher's Weekly) writes prolifically about what might have been. He holds a Ph.D. in history from UCLA, so his historiographical eye is keen. In Bombs Away: The Hot War, Turtledove imagines a world in which the US, mired in a conflict with the Chinese and Koreans, hopes to end that war by dropping a few atomic bombs on some Chinese cities.

In avenging their fellow communists, the Russians respond by bombing a few European cities. Since the NATO treaty states that an attack on US allies is viewed as an attack on the US, Americans drop some bombs on Russia, then Russians drop some bombs on US cities. The Hot War gets very hot indeed.

Turtledove tells the story from a wide variety of perspectives, in Asia, the US, and Europe. Characters include the president and his advisors, civilians dealing with the impact of losing their homes or living near the blast sites, and, especially, soldiers and pilots on the front lines.

The novel is best described as a series of vignettes. His descriptions are evocative and personal. The emphasis is not so much on the global picture of war, although the big picture comes together, but on how the war touches people around the world. Those personal glimpses, however, don't congeal into a story as much as a simple timeline.

I got a kick out of one character who said, "There ought to be stories where some little thing happens differently and everything that comes afterwards gets changed from the way it really was. . . . It might be fun, make you think a little while you're reading," like if the Nazis won World War II. In a bit of self-effacing humor, Turtledove has the character add, "Nobody's every gonna want to read about that, not in a million years."

Bombs Away does make me think about what the world might look like if, in those early years of the Cold War, it did turn hot. I don't know how close the US and other countries have come to "pressing the button." I'm sure there were plenty of close calls. Bombs Away reminds us how lucky we are that a nuclear hot war has--so far--been avoided.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

Classic Turtledove. Interestingly possible scenario, with very credible historical results and analysis. The characters are very believable, and the technical aspects of the weaponry are very accurate.

Another disappointing books by HT - not sure what happened, but my beloved HT seems to have been in slump after Supervolcano and this book doesn't help. Way too many characters - very confusing. I had to return the Kindle book - it was that bad