An Alternate History of the Second World War (Worldwar

The concept of this book (and the series to which it belongs) is, as far as I know, unique. Though Turtledove had already been known for alternate histories, throwing in an alien invasion makes automatically doubles as a sci-fi. This concept was what drew me into reading it, though I have not picked up either genre in several years.
One problem that any alien invasion plot must defeat is how any civilization that is capable of travelling the stars could possibly find conquering the human race a challenge. Turtledove attempts to solve this problem by explaining how slow non-humans are to advance their own technologies. As plausible as this may seem, one still wonders how such aliens must advance at all beyond their 100,000 year head start. To further soften the alien advantages, however, Turtledove has his aliens still reliant on bullets, helicopters, and tanks. We are expected to believe, then, that an interstellar empire still hasn't discovered means of defense more elaborate than, say, 21st century technology.
Such problems aside, however, one can see that Turtledove's contrivance is, nevertheless, superior to any other that has been used. Clearly, laser shooting, anti-grav using, teleporting aliens wouldn't have taken more than a week to annihilate the planet, and there would be no book to write. Keeping this in mind, one becomes more forgiving of the idea.
The historical details, Turtledove holds a PhD in history, are the real gems to be found in the book (and series). The reader will become more familiar with German Panzers and T-34's and other such tanks, as well as other kinds of weapons, in a way that might not have have interested him/her before. The characters are many and varied, and each has his/her own tone that seems suited to ethnicity and gender.
I hope the rest of the books are as good as this one and do not get bogged down in the mundane aspects of war. War, as many commentators have noted, contains long stretches of boredom between brief horrific acts. Novels about war should not imitate that reality too well. So far, I have not been bored.

Well, Harry Turtledove certainly squeezes as much mileage as he can from his basic premise, with Nazis, Jews, Soviets, etc. forging uneasy alliances as the Lizards rudely interrupt WWII. Personally, I found that the sub-plots added value, even when they didn't contribute directly to the main thrust of the story; I thought they provided a wide-ranging, epic quality to the proceedings. As the title suggests, the whole idea is a bit of a balancing act. On the one hand, obviously, the Race must be technically advanced enough to have space travel; on the other, they must not be too advanced (if they were, they might simply seed our atmosphere with nanobots or retroviruses, and we would have a whole different story.) The difficulty, I think, lies not with the level of technology but the familiar form it takes, ie. helicopter gunships, submachine guns. For a more imaginative angle, check out Harry Harrison's West of Eden trilogy, where dinosaur-descended humanoids have evolved a biotech-centred approach, modifying living creatures to produce analogues of troop carriers, guns, cameras, etc. Something along these lines would have been more plausible, perhaps.

'Worldwar: In the Balance' assumes an alien invasion during the Second World War. Americans and Japanese, Jews and Nazis, and Russians and Germans must put thier differences aside to combat this new, greater foe who has come to enslave humanity. In Russia, Germans and partisans must band together to strike a blow against the alien Lizards, in the Warsaw ghetto the Jews must make a devils pact to free themselves from the death-filled policies of the Nazis, and in North America scientists scramble to create the ultimate weapon that will allow humanity to fight the Lizards on something approaching even terms. Turtledove's 'Worldwar' series, which begins here, is one of his greatest creations. Dealing with warfare on a grand scale, and the great science-fiction tradition of alien invasion, the 'Worldwar' series is a fun and entertaining marraige of thought-provoking alternate history and classic science-fiction. There are a few too many characters and the plot does tend to slow down at times but these are minor points when compared with the overall strength of the story. This book brilliantly sets the stage for the three novels that follow and the sequal series, 'Colonization.'

The following review is from my blog, Cure My Writer's Block:

World War II is raging. The Germans are taking Paris. The Battle of Midway changes naval warfare. Any observer would have to wonder if humans were going to wipe themselves out. Some observers have no intention of waiting. They'll help push them over the edge. A huge alien invasion fleet has reached Earth with the intent of conquering it and preparing it for colonization. Can humans put aside their differences to fight off these visitors from a distant world, or will their own ulterior motives lead to the downfall of human civilization?
This was my first trip into the world of Harry Turtledove. Many of my close friends had read Guns of the South and highly recommended it to me. However, I was deep into researching World War II at the time, so In the Balance seemed a more logical choice. I wasn't quite sure what to expect. It certainly was not this.
This book is not simply an alternative history. Typical alternative history involves the changing of one or two details of history and showing how it might have changed the world. This book is more of a science fiction that warps history. The good news is, I love both history and science fiction so this book, the first in a series, fit me well.
The good news is that this book did not just show the changes of history in broad strokes and among the major world leaders. Turtledove centers this book and its successors around several individuals, both human and alien. There is a German panzer commander, a Chinese civilian that watched her village get wiped out by Japanese invaders, a minor league baseball player that finds himself defending the United States, an alien that gets captured by the Americans, and even scientists working on nuclear weapons. This makes the book much more personable and understandable.
I was pleasantly surprised by this book and really enjoyed it. I especially appreciated the detailed alien culture that Turtledove developed for the invaders. He even helped the humans by providing them with a special secret weapon (and it wasn't the atomic bomb!). The book is a little confusing at first, and while everything is explained later, I can see how it might chase a few people away. All in all, I think that this is a great book to lead you into a series if you are looking for something different from the average fair to surprise your co-workers with at the water cooler.

Christopher Slater
author of Trapped in Shades of Grey

Harry Turtledove's "World War - In the Balance" series weaves a vast tapestry of unforgettable historic and fictional characters set in the backdrop of WWII. In an alternate version of history starting in 1942, an armada of alien beings invades the Earth, equipped with what we moderns will readily recognize as Space-Age weapons and technology, such as integrated circuits, smart bombs, supersonic jets, night vision, etc. Mankind, ill-equipped in comparison, fights back valiantly with tools that "The Race", as the aliens call themselves, are unfamiliar with - spontaneity, initiative, craftiness, and all-too-human lowdown treachery.
This huge four-volume epic spans the entire globe as human cultures struggle to find common ground on which to oppose the ultimate foe. The pre-existing conflicts on Earth at the time, such as China's civil war, involving Chiang's Nationalist Chinese Kuomintang versus Communists versus the invading Japanese, provide for endless conflict and lively stories and substories throughout the series.
Despite the sheer magnitude of the effort, Turtledove, like a master juggler, makes it look easy, and keeps all the balls in the air as the plots and subplots progress, and they never get boring. The series is such a pageturner that at the end, my only disappointment was that there was nothing left to read. It's really that good.
You'll be rooting for characters both factual and fictional, human and alien, as master storyteller Turtledove gets inside the heads of all his characters, and shares their outlook with you.
"World War - In the Balance" is an immensely entertaining and satisfying read, and will delight both history and science fiction readers. Very highly recommended! Be sure to read "The Guns of the South", another masterwork by this ace storyteller.

Harry Turtledove is undoubtedly the master of the rapidly becoming popular science fiction sub-genre of alternate history. In this, the first of the series, Mr. Turtledove introduces us to a cast of characters, each of which he imbues with enough intersting background to make us care about them. My favorite characters are Sam Yeager, an avid sci-fi fan himself, who becomes caught up in the thick of the battle and then, because of his back- ground in sci-fi, becomes the guard/interpreter for two alien prisoners. I also liked Liu Han, a Chinese peasant woman, who, as a prisoner of the aliens, became a "guinea pig" of sorts, so they can begin to understand the differences in mating habits from their own race. There are many other chacters we follow, including a plane crew from England, a German panzer leader, a female Soviet pilot, and several members of the alien race: a tank driver, a captured pilot in Japanese possession, and of course the fleetlord for the conquest. All in all, the series looks to be very compelling.

My two favourite genres of books are WWII history and science fiction. This series would seem an ideal match.
Historically, this series feels right. The personalities of such notable "walk-ons" as Stalin, Molotov, Hull, and Ribbentrop rang true to what I imagine they would be like had they been confronted with such problems. Also, the technology, the personalities of the main (fictional) characters, etc. felt right.
On the flip side, as science fiction, this series fails. The alien race is cliched. The description of their lifecycle and home planet are seem evolutionarily impossible (how can reptiles evolve on a desert planet?). They are essentially intellegent salamanders (dinosaurs?). However, this is not a fatal flaw, and I recommend this series on entertainment value and on historical interest.

Turtledove's usually good for thought-provoking alternate history. In this book, we get to see the human race through the eyes of aliens.
While he's no C.J. Cherryh (in my view, the ranking master of alien creation in SF), the author comes up with a pretty interesting race. He gets around the globe a bit, providing us a less Americocentric look at how the various WWII combatants might have dealt with an alien invasion right around the time of Stalingrad. Logistical issues are covered sensibly for both sides. I tend to think he gets too many subplots going, but this isn't as much of a difficulty here as I found it to be in his WWI books. He maintains a good level of suspense and is rarely predictable.
Not a must-read, but worth the time and money.

I like history, and alternate history, so I felt that Mr. Turtledove's books would be right up my ally. And, to a certain degree, In the Balance was. There was some cool actions, some neat characters, and then, of course, all of the real-life personalities present here. The aliens were kind of boring, however, and the beginning and endings of the novel were a chore to read, but some of the stuff in the middle (the core of the book, so to speak) was really "gripping." The Moishe Russie stuff and Otto Skorzeny's endeavors were particularly good. However, some of the real-life characters that I was particularly interested in (Skorzeny, Groves, Marshall) were there for so short a time. I'm expecting to see them some more in the next books, hopefully. Well, In the Balance was not the best book I've ever read, but it was pretty cool, if a tad on the long side.

Having read the last three books (couldn't find the first) I kept expecting it to get better. It didn't. It was an excelent idea but are all Germans really evil? Are all English and Americans really good? There were so many subplots it was hard to keep track of what was going on. Each subplot was mentioned in each chapter and many had nothing to do with the main plot. Made you wonder why they were written other that to just fill paper.
Turtledove missed a good opportunity here to write a classic science fiction novel. He would have been better off to mention his idea to someone else and let them write a 600 page novel than meander through 2400 pages himself.
Yup, still read three of the four books and he is spending the royalies he made off me!

When Turtledove wrote this book he was writing about a topic that authors have written about many times before. He, however takes it one step further. Instead of having the world at peace with each other he places us in the most devastating war in history. When the powers of the world are forced to co-exist he has written a book that you cannot put down until you finish it. There is a down side to this book however, in the beginning the characters are very slow in developing. As the book progresses they devolop more rapidly with several twists and turns. Bravo, an excellent book that you must read if you are into alternitive history or science-fiction.

This book is about the struggle between an alien race, known as the "Race", and the Earth in 1942. The "Race" makes an attack against the World which is right in the middle of World War 2. The different countries of the world have to join together to fight this evil. The book is set around a large group of characters, who are all around the world. They include a girl in China, U.S. minor league baseball player, Russian women who flies planes, etc. There are also 3 alien characters. The action is intense at times. I plan to read the rest of the series, and also recommend the book Guns of the South, which I am currently reading.

Turtledove's talents are quickly realized when reading the World War series. His ability to combine history and science fiction have never been more apparent. The series shows the worldwide reaction to invasion while retaining the personal aspect of war. Readers understand not only what a character does but the motivations behind his/or her actions. The action does slow at times, and I couldn't help but notice a similarity betweens the aliens and our own technology. However, anyone who enjoys alternative history and/or science fiction and who has a little time to spend should find the World War series very entertaining

Yes, the aliens were too much like humans. Even given that they were the type that might like our planet, the similarities in technology, physical sturcture, and psychology to that of humans is hardly greater than that of the Klingons (sp?) in Star Trek. But assuming that they evolved the way we are told they did, the book is quite good.
The action is quite believable, with a few lucky breaks for each side, but nothing that defies reason. The author describes WWII techniqes and technologies, and historical events very precisely, and if he's faking any of it, it's good enough for me. The character interaction, while not remarkable, was interesting at times. The aliens were always confused about how humans worked, and their discussions were very repetitive, but this can be forgiven because the aliens are supposed to think and act slowly. The writing had a few gramatical and structural flaws, but was acceptable in general. Had a few unnecessary scenes. Don't expect anything of a conclusion.
Series looks to be over 2,000 pages in length. Recommended for anyone with a taste for battlefield tactics, a somewhat open mind, and a lot of time on their hands.

A fantastic idea. Some good action scenes. A bit of good writing. But, once again, a story that would have been GREAT as a single long book, is dragged into infinte boredom. How many times will the aliens tell us that they thought the natives of Earth were going to be primitive? How many times is the same plot re-hashed over and over? This is one of only a few books that I've found myself actually skipping huge chunks of text. To be fair, perhaps hopes were set in the wrong direction - I wanted to read a great Sci-Fi book. Perhaps this was catering to those who love 'war-epic' genre. If so, then this book may be for you. I didn't hate the book, I just found myself wishing the story would move much much faster. Instead, I continually found myself saying, "Oh no, not this group again, I wish we could get back to the aliens, or at least the war itself." Save your money and your time, this just wasn't worth the pain of going through.

I have always liked alternate histories.
I have read all the 3 novels in the Balance series and 2 from the colonization series.
It shows the maturity of the author that he has so skilfully grown his characters and the plot to increasing maturity.
For instance, The Race fears the deutsche because of their skills in Tank warfare.
In this book we too come to appreciate the Reich's role in this conflict and tend to support the deutsche even when we know they are nazis.
In the Colonization series, the plot matures to show that the nazis haven't really changed much and we support the Race's attack on them.
I found myself cheering for the deutsche fighters like Jaeger and Skorzeny in this book.
I also cheered The Race when they bombed the nazis to Kingdom Come in Colonization book 2.
It clearly shows the maturity and ability of the author.

After reading Guns of the South, I thought I would give the World War series a chance. I went into it intentionally ignorant (no sneeking a peek at the back cover) and was shocked to the point that I laughed out loud when I found out what the historical twist was.
As in Guns of the South, the "twist" in this work of historical fiction would make many dismiss it as a big work of extra-cheese. But just like "Guns," Turtledove pulls of the impossible by making what would appear to be ridiculous at first glance into a masterwork.
I don't want to spoil more, but if you are a WWII fan, or simply a history buff and have an open mind, you will be pleased. SF fans will NOT be let down.

This is by far the best alternate history novel (and series) ever, surpassing even Turtledove's other work. While he seems to get caught up in his own characters and sub-plots (often extraneous) in his more recent novels, 'Worldwar: In the Balance' offers the perfect balance between plot and action, historical characters and his own characters. Read it. (NOTE: His sequel series, 'Colonization' is not nearly as good. The first of that series was pretty bad, but the second is more promissing. Hopefully he can return to 'Worldwar' quality to end the saga.)

Everybody seems to either love or hate this book--personally, I love it. Though we all know how the series will end, it's the journey that matters. And what a journey Turtledove takes us on--full of twists and turns, and clever observations, which make this quite a page-turner. I almost never read sci-fi and I think this book is awesome--that should tell you something about it; it's not just for sci-fi freaks. This is not Turtledove's best, though--Guns of the South is a better outing, but not by much.

I can't understand why anyone would give this book five stars. Three stars- sure- four -maybe. But five? Come on. From my perspective, this book was pretty boring and unoriginal. The "Lizards" are supposed to be so different but their society seems more Japanese than extra-terrestrial. They are also kinder than most human invaders. I find that implausible. Also, is anyone else tired of the "You humans are the most original, innovative race in the galaxy" spiel? I'd like to read a book where humans are nothing special. I also did not appreciate the gratuitous sex scenes. Ick.

I have to admit, I approached this series with some trepidation. However, once I started reading these excellent books, I was hooked.
Harry Turtledove does a great job of taking historical based fiction (World War II) and weaving in an entertaining science fiction story. Without giving too much away, the general plot is that in the midst of WW2, an alien race determined to conquer the earth for future colonization arrives, forcing enemies to unite against a newer, far deadlier foe. This book is the first in a series that chronicles that struggle.
Turtledove has a huge cast of characters from just about every corner, and army, of the world. We see the war unfold through the eyes of these characters, both human and alien. Despite the large numbers, Turtledove manages to weave subplots and characters together to create an engrossing, entertaining story.
This is one of the better alternate history stories I've read. If you're a fan of sci-fi and history you'll enjoy this book.

In this saga of alternate history, Turtledove somehow
manages to create a fine blend of fact and fiction,
pinpointing a "what-if?" in time. The characters are
realistic, the plot is unpredictable, and the concepts
are mind-boggling. It's as if Turtledove has tainted
the pages with some narcotic, urging us to read on.
I would give this book to anyone interested in military
history, alternate timelines, or World War II in general.

Turtledove creates a story of how humanity of the WWII era deals with the technology of the future. His descriptions of people are believable and moving, and yet, the fact that his
aliens seem so standard takes away from the story. Aliens are slow of thought, reptilian, and use technology scarcely better
if at all than that of our own era. It is worth reading if you enjoy the genre, but it is not one to use to introduce others to the subject.

Harry Turtledove secures his title as master of alternate history in this thrilling book for fans of history and sci-fi alike. In this alternate history of WWII, a reptilian alien culture called the Race ( labelled "the lizards" by humanity) launch a massive invasion of war-torn Earth in May, 1942. Expecting the conquest to be a walkover, the Race soon realizes that humanity is going to be far more difficult to passify than anticipated. Turtledove takes us on an exciting journey accross the globe, from Nazi-occupied Europe (where the aliens face the brutal efficiency of Hitler's war machine) to the suburbs of Chicago (where General Patton attempts to halt the alien onslaught). Turltedove expertly tells the story of a huge cast of memorable characters, some fictitious, others prominent historic figures. We are shown the struggle of a Chinese peasant woman and the desperation of a Jewish family in Warsaw. We join an RAF bomber crew on a suicidal mision and ride with a German panzer commander against unstoppable alien war machines. Likewise, we also get to see the war through the aeyes of the Race. We get to experience the suffering of an alien pilot with the misfortune to be captured by the Japanese. We also get to experience the inner workings of the Race's military and political hierarchy. Turtledove also forces us to look at humanity's own shortcomings. In some ways humanity seems to be far worse than the Race (such as the Nazi and Soviet death camps and the Japanese enslavement of China's populous). All in all, Worldwar: In the Balance is a must read for any fan of sci-fi OR history. In a fascinating story of bitter enemmies forced to unite against the greater foe, Turtledove brings together the horrors of war and the strength of the human will to survive adversity to weave on of the greatest tales in the history of sci-fi.

Little green lizards, none of which seems to have an IQ higher than the temp of ice water, are masters of the universe yet can't whip the mighty Earthlings of the 1940s. Gimme a break! And what's this drivel about them being hooked on Ginger? (The spice, not Tina Louise, though that would be just about as believable) I read this at first thinking it was written along the lines of the "Toxic Spell Dump". You know, a light little comedic romp. Then it dawned on me that Turtledove was actually trying to write a "serious" alt history. Too lame for me. Shine it on!

I have read a number of the negative reviews about this book and agree with some of the criticisms. The book does have flaws.

So why have I given it 4 stars?

Because it is, nevertheless, a real page turner.

Damn good series. Especially enjoyed the alternate-history angle--what-if? Mr. Turtledove is a master at that.
I just wish he'd written some aliens with even a little bit of ability/intelligence/luck/you name it. The series starts out with them on top, and they go downhill from there. I've finished the series, and I don't recall a single time that things went their way. Sure they're the bad guys. Sure we want the humans to win. But, PLEASE, give us a bad guy that's a little tougher. Put me in just a _little_ suspense as to the outcome.
That said, I still bought and read the whole series. :-}

The "Alternative History" branch of SF works by examining the consequences of one event changing, often a trivial event. Here it's a hulking great event - in the middle of WW2 aliens start to invade the Earth. And there's the problem, it didn't have to be set in that time - the idea of global ememies having to become allies could have been set in almost any time period - and it doesn't make use of the historical events in any depth.
Yet I'll be reading the others in the series because it's a reasonable, if light, read. Just the sort of thing if you've a couple of hours to kill and don't fancy anything deeper.
It's written in a lively adventure style, the plot moves along, there's enough varied characters for everyone to have someone to identify with [it's one of those where there's a cast list at the front] and each chapter is following a different plot]

I first heard of Harry Turtledove thanks to my brother.The first novel of his I read was Guns Of The South and I was hooked on Harry Turtledove and when I heard of the Worldwar series I decided to take a crack at it.All of my expectations were met in the first book In The Balance.It was an outstanding expirince reading of sex,death,losses,and victories.This novel scores a victory with me.

If you like science fiction or historical fiction or a combination of the two, this book, actually this entire series, is a must have. I picked up this book about a year ago and have read through the four books of that series and up to the latest in the continuing "Colonization" series. Turtledove is an excellent author who makes his characters come alive on the page. This book and its sequels are of the rare form in which you can find yourself immersed in the worlds the author created and you find yourself thinking of the characters as real people. Great book, and like I said at the beginning- BUY THIS IMMEDIATELY.

A very original and intriguing story of an alien invasion during the height of World War II. These aliens arrive with an overwhelming invasion force and undeniable technological advantages; however, the resourcefulness, deviousness, and unpredictability of humans actually evens out the situation. I can't wait to read the rest of the series!

... This series, which runs well over 2000 pages, could havebeen edited into 600 pages and been an OK read.
These books are among the most painfully repetitive you'll ever read - for several reasons. First you can actually start the series anywhere, at any chapter, and within two chapters have the entire backstory - he repeats what's happened so frequently. Then within one 100 page spread late in the series, I counted 12 different times characters, when having an alcoholic beverage, commented a) on its poor quality (i.e. "this is what passes for beer these days") and b) it's better to have this than nothing. ...
Finally, the author has this annoying habit of unnecessarly explaining what a character really means when they've said something - and often in excrutiating detail. ...
The biggest disappointment: ... The bookcovers of the series feature military and political leaders. I imagined gripping scenes at the executive leadership level - grand strategic and tactical discussions, and the fireworks between these leaders when ideologies clash as they attempt to solve the alien threat. Awesome.
Alas, we are only given fleating glimpses of these figures, usually from a distance, and instead we trudge through with uninteresting sidebar characters who are remarkably alike.
This was a brilliant concept. I hope someone else does it right.

This book is a well written alternate version of WWII. The fiction is blended so well with fact that it is hard to tell the difference. The characters are developed well and there is a great amount of carry over between the books in the series of events and conversations. Set against the backdrop of WWII, the story begins as the "Lizards" show up for their conquest and colonization of earth. Unfortunately for them, their reconnaissance probe took 1000 years to transverse the distance to and from their planet and earth. In the time since, mankind has made just a few improvements to the weapons of war. What follows is a story line filled with enough plots and subplots to satisfy all of the readers' sci-fi cravings. Buy the hardback - you'll want to read it again.

...Several of the characters have acted out of character onseveral occasions. The rapid onset of bitterness and apathy in severalwas unfathomable. How Mr. Trutledove got from here to there was a mystery.
The social conditioning of the Lizards is rigid and ingrained and expressed over and over, but the third in command is constantly insubordinate, and the obedience taught to hatchlings is often conveniently forgotten. For such an endeavor, these minor indiscretions would be merely disconcerting, but with such a huge cast, they quickly crumple characters and continuity.
I will continue on with the series. The Guns of The South showed what Mr. Turtledove can do!

Though many other reviewers like Mr. Turtledove's work, I have soldiered my way through this entire series and I still don't get it. The historical characters are at best two dimesional. The fictional ones are even worse, more often than not b-movie rejects sent from central casting. Even the scifi, like the aliens, are tired rehashing of older versions of the ancient and slowly evolving civilization over whelmed by human ingenuity.
Please, give me a break.

Turtledove's crowning moment comes in the paradox facing Jewish concentration camp inmates as they find themselves freed after The Race overruns their Nazi captors. The extraterrestrial liberators, thoroughly disgusted and mortified by what they discover at Auschwitz, Dachau and Bergen-Belsen, offer to arm the inmates to allow them revenge upon their aggressors in exchange for their aid in subduing the rest of mankind. An amazing turnabout; can these Jews - labeled "sub-human" by Germans formally in power - possibly resist aiding the alien race that set them free? And is there any reason they SHOULD resist, given the treatment these Jews had endured at the hands of "fellow humans"

I aggree with the Kirkus review above. "Intriguing and panoramic but circuitous and uncompelling, and lacking even a token ending.... a meandering journey of unspecified duration."
UNCOMPELLING being the key word here. The aliens being Lizards just didn't do for me either. Ruined it. It was a great idea but the lizards blew it.
The story: During World War II we are invaded by lizard aliens.

This book was great. Turtledove really IS the master of alternate history as everyone claims. The characters are great, and the battle scenes are well done. One problem. Is it just me, or is all the sex in the book designed to attract 13-14 year old boys?

I had never read Turtledove until this book. The premiss of the story grabbed me; What if, during the height of WWII an armada from another star system invaded Earth? The only reason I gave it four stars is because Turtledove tends to get a little wordy. Harry Turtledove is definitely the Master of "What if".

Turtledove's book reminds me of Vernor Vinge's A Deepness in the Sky, but in a bad way: Vinge takes a number of SF clichés and fuses them together to build a story of amazing suspense, filled with wonderful characters. Turtledove takes a moderately original idea and creates a bore. Vinge's aliens, while limited in technology, are inventive, resourceful, and more important, have their own character, both racially and individually. Turtledoves aliens are bland and dense. Vinge creates one of the most memorable villains of all fiction. Turtledove... doesn't.

"In the Balance" is little more than war porn, its scene very transparently set to provide an opportunity for the action. Let the invasion happen in 1937, and Earth would be conquered in days. Put in in 1947, and it would take little longer to trounce the aliens. Worse, that keeps happening, when again and again Stuff Happens just to keep the action running.

There are some guilty pleasures in its description of certain actions, eg. the attack of the Dora on the alien space ships. That is not enough to make one book, let alone four.

First off, I really was captivated by the prospect of an alien intervention during world war two. The book starts out not too long after the bombing of Pearl Harbor with a fleet of invading starships taking orbit around the planet. The aliens themselve, being small reptilians, are shocked to find that the planet is inhabited by an industrial people. Because they evolve technologically at a very slow pace, they arrived expecting to do battle against crusader age warriors. Having come so far, they can not simply turn back, and proceed with their invasion, thus changing the history of the world forever.

What I didn't like was the almost complete lack of any sense of tactical judgement on the alien's behalf. Logically, if they are in orbit around the planet, with large numbers of satillites, they could clearly see which parts of the earth at the time were far more industrialized, and as such would be the greatest threat to them, so one would assume that that's were they would concentrate the majority of their forces. Afraid not. Instead, they decide to go against every corner of the earth all at once, which spreads them rediculously thin.

All of their weapons and vehicles are roughly 90's era, but apparently the lizards are so out of tune on how to fight any kind of war against a mechanized enemy, that they repeatedly keep falling for the same human tricks over and over again. I can sort of understand this concept a bit, but for the invaders to send the one starship in their entire fleet that they absolutely can not afford to lose in the first wave to the planet's surface? Come on.

I've read a couple of Harry Turtledove's excellent short stories, so I knew I was in for a treat when I started reading. Other than a couple of minor slowdowns in the plot, it does make me want to get the next book in the series.

The basic idea for this series was pretty good. Even in Turtledove's hack writer clutches, it should have yielded a decent book. Padded, stretched and drawn out over multiple volumes, it is an utter waste of time. Turtledove must have been getting paid by the word.

The first Turtledove book I ever read was 'Guns of the South' which is a single volume story. It was entertaining with a decent finale.

Regarding 'World At War', IMHO, Turtledove wrote each of the four 'World At War' volumes for the sole intent of inducing the reader into buying the next volume.

Then, at the end of volume IV, there's no conclusive ending to the 4-book series. Seems like the sole purpose of the series is sucking the reader into buying the NEXT series.

What a waste of my time and money.

I was never more disappointed in any book I read. The story went directly from the eve of invasion by the aliens to "Oh, my, they're here!" with no explination no how they got here. The book was also more concerned with the characters sex life. They spendt 90% of their time having sex, with the aliens forcing their captives to have sex, because they didn't reproduce sexually and were doing 'research'. Even earth people who weren't in captivity seemed to spend most of their time having sex. I will never read any by Mr. Turtledove again.

In the middle of World War II, reptilian aliens invade the earth. They had sent a probe during the middle ages and expect to find very little resistance. To their great surprise, they find instead an earthling populus on the verge of discovering nuclear technology (we do dicover it and use it to a large extent later in the series). Humanity scrambles and differences must be put aside to meet the even greater foe. A great start of a 4 book series.

The World War/Balance series is very addicting.
The writting flows and it is a fairly straight forward
job of keeping the numerous charecters in order.
As a fan of alt. history, I feel that this isn't one of the greatest
examples of such, but it is fun. The 'what if' factor is
too far out (aliens in 1942) for a good, thought provoking
novel. I can see Lucas and Spielberg
jumping on this one.