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The Shield: a novel
The Shield
is a riveting story of conflicting emotions and ideologies in the tradition of Harry Turtledove and S. M. Stirlings’s Island in the Sea of Time.
Twenty-first century Israel finds itself transferred to 1941 days before Nazi Germany plans to attack the Soviet Union. Opportunities abound for changing history and the population – including terrorists, tourists, diplomats, and pacifists – has divergent goals. Everything is debated and every action has unpredictable consequences.
“The Shield” follows an extended family as they adapt to their changed world. The businessman sees opportunities, his son in the army faces new enemies, and the cousin visiting from America is confused and angry. The Israeli government, a fractious coalition with diverse goals, struggles to protection the population in a world they only think they understand.
Fun reading for fans of alternate history and time-travel fiction – highly recommended!
Twenty-first century Israel finds itself transferred to 1941 days before Nazi Germany plans to attack the Soviet Union. Opportunities abound for changing history and the population – including terrorists, tourists, diplomats, and pacifists – has divergent goals. Everything is debated and every action has unpredictable consequences.
“The Shield” follows an extended family as they adapt to their changed world. The businessman sees opportunities, his son in the army faces new enemies, and the cousin visiting from America is confused and angry. The Israeli government, a fractious coalition with diverse goals, struggles to protection the population in a world they only think they understand.
Fun reading for fans of alternate history and time-travel fiction – highly recommended!
329 pages, Paperback
First published May 25, 2014
15 people are currently reading
45 people want to read
About the author
Nachman Kataczinsky
2 books9 followersBorn in the U.S.S.R. to Holocaust survivors, Nachman Kataczinsky grew up in Israel. He earned a degree in mechanical engineering from the prestigious Technion University and was an officer with the Israel Defense Forces. His employer put him on the design team for the Merkava, Israel’s first tank, and promoted Nachman to head Research and Development, where he worked on ballistic armor and weapons systems for both Israel and other countries.
In 1987 Nachman moved to the U.S., obtaining citizenship through a program for internationally recognized unique expertise. He is fluent in five languages and enjoys reading history and fiction in all of them, especially if the subject is mid-twentieth century Europe. His research in ballistics, which earned him a Ph.D. from California Coast University, is expressed these days mostly by shooting hand guns at paper. He dabbles in web design and programming, avidly follows political and military activities, and is happily married. The Shield is his first novel. He’s working on a sequel.
In 1987 Nachman moved to the U.S., obtaining citizenship through a program for internationally recognized unique expertise. He is fluent in five languages and enjoys reading history and fiction in all of them, especially if the subject is mid-twentieth century Europe. His research in ballistics, which earned him a Ph.D. from California Coast University, is expressed these days mostly by shooting hand guns at paper. He dabbles in web design and programming, avidly follows political and military activities, and is happily married. The Shield is his first novel. He’s working on a sequel.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
August 24, 2020
In the tradition of Harry Turtledove and S. M. Stirlings's "Island in the Sea of Time."
21st century Israel - terrorists, tourists, diplomats, pacifists, and all - finds itself transferred to 1941, days before Nazi Germany plans to attack the Soviet Union. Raises interesting questions about changing history and what modern technology can (and cannot) do, about how people adapt to a different time. I can't wait for the sequel!
21st century Israel - terrorists, tourists, diplomats, pacifists, and all - finds itself transferred to 1941, days before Nazi Germany plans to attack the Soviet Union. Raises interesting questions about changing history and what modern technology can (and cannot) do, about how people adapt to a different time. I can't wait for the sequel!
January 6, 2015
WOW
My biggest disappointment was that the book ended! I loved the detail, the various characters and development was just enough. The detail in the decisions that were made concerning every ripple in time that was made really made the book, and story just that more enjoyable and real.
Nachman please write faster, I need more of this great story.
My biggest disappointment was that the book ended! I loved the detail, the various characters and development was just enough. The detail in the decisions that were made concerning every ripple in time that was made really made the book, and story just that more enjoyable and real.
Nachman please write faster, I need more of this great story.
July 9, 2014
An Enjoyable Read
Modern Israel is transported back to 1941 without any explanation. I thought I missed something. However the author writes an exciting alternative WWII story that kept me turning pages. I'm looking forward to the next book.
Modern Israel is transported back to 1941 without any explanation. I thought I missed something. However the author writes an exciting alternative WWII story that kept me turning pages. I'm looking forward to the next book.
November 26, 2016
Since I wrote it, I think it's worth reading.
This website: http://theshield.rankarmor.com gives readers additional information.
This website: http://theshield.rankarmor.com gives readers additional information.
June 14, 2023
The Shield By Nachman Kataczinky is a sci-fi time-travel/alternative history novel, that explores the What If ? The scenario being: modern day Israel was thrown back in time to 1941, before the holocaust.
Twenty-first century Israel finds itself transferred to 1941 days before Nazi Germany plans to attack the Soviet Union. Opportunities abound for changing history and the population – including terrorists, tourists, diplomats, and pacifists – has divergent goals. Everything is debated and every action has unpredictable consequences. The Shield follows an extended family as they adapt to their changed world. A businessman sees opportunities, his son in the army faces new enemies, and the cousin visiting from America is confused and angry. The Israeli government, a fractious coalition with diverse goals, struggles to protection the population in a new world they only think they understand.
I started Nachman Kataczinky’s Shield... and I just could not put it down. It is a page turner with great action, wonderful twists and turns, with just enough techo-thriller jargon to make it all interesting. His history bending time travel was refreshing compared to the various other time travel stories.
Alternate histories of WWII and the idea of people from our near future traveling back in time to WWII, are not new, but this book offers a unique twist. As the time travelers are a entire population of a modern 21st century country. And they have their own, very strong ideas about how history can be improved.
The premise is pure, distilled awesome. The novel follows a whole cast of characters, both time travellers and "temporal natives" it interweaves historical. characters with fictional and may be the first of several. It moves along with enough detail to keep it interesting. But the author made it not only seem believable, he keeps both sides very sympathetic and heroic.
The author knows his history, but more importantly he knows what would happen if the protagonists had just decided to "boom" level everything with a nuclear device. He is thoughtful and this book is very well written. The story goes between politics, war, human problems, solving said problems., dealing with people and how to function "out of time." I was very impressed with that. I was also surprised that he, the author, had done so much research in minutiae of the time period.
It ended a bit abruptly... Almost anti-climactic. That is really my only complaint, though, and it is easy to criticize. This book were a fantastic read, a great story, and VERY entertaining. (It not might be so entertaining for those who are pre-disposed against Israel, but I know history well enough that I am sympathetic to them.) I thought the whole premise was original, and it was well executed.
All in all, A rare read that’s not only wildly entertaining, but also profoundly moving. That I would most definitely recommend to anyone looking for a a good military techno thriller or alternate history novel.
Twenty-first century Israel finds itself transferred to 1941 days before Nazi Germany plans to attack the Soviet Union. Opportunities abound for changing history and the population – including terrorists, tourists, diplomats, and pacifists – has divergent goals. Everything is debated and every action has unpredictable consequences. The Shield follows an extended family as they adapt to their changed world. A businessman sees opportunities, his son in the army faces new enemies, and the cousin visiting from America is confused and angry. The Israeli government, a fractious coalition with diverse goals, struggles to protection the population in a new world they only think they understand.
I started Nachman Kataczinky’s Shield... and I just could not put it down. It is a page turner with great action, wonderful twists and turns, with just enough techo-thriller jargon to make it all interesting. His history bending time travel was refreshing compared to the various other time travel stories.
Alternate histories of WWII and the idea of people from our near future traveling back in time to WWII, are not new, but this book offers a unique twist. As the time travelers are a entire population of a modern 21st century country. And they have their own, very strong ideas about how history can be improved.
The premise is pure, distilled awesome. The novel follows a whole cast of characters, both time travellers and "temporal natives" it interweaves historical. characters with fictional and may be the first of several. It moves along with enough detail to keep it interesting. But the author made it not only seem believable, he keeps both sides very sympathetic and heroic.
The author knows his history, but more importantly he knows what would happen if the protagonists had just decided to "boom" level everything with a nuclear device. He is thoughtful and this book is very well written. The story goes between politics, war, human problems, solving said problems., dealing with people and how to function "out of time." I was very impressed with that. I was also surprised that he, the author, had done so much research in minutiae of the time period.
It ended a bit abruptly... Almost anti-climactic. That is really my only complaint, though, and it is easy to criticize. This book were a fantastic read, a great story, and VERY entertaining. (It not might be so entertaining for those who are pre-disposed against Israel, but I know history well enough that I am sympathetic to them.) I thought the whole premise was original, and it was well executed.
All in all, A rare read that’s not only wildly entertaining, but also profoundly moving. That I would most definitely recommend to anyone looking for a a good military techno thriller or alternate history novel.
May 5, 2017
Great AH!
Well developed characters fill this fast paced novel from start to finish. I could hardly put this novel down and read it in a little over 36 hours, from noon on day one to midnight on the second day.
Highly recommended for all time travel World War II fans.
Well developed characters fill this fast paced novel from start to finish. I could hardly put this novel down and read it in a little over 36 hours, from noon on day one to midnight on the second day.
Highly recommended for all time travel World War II fans.
November 27, 2020
Alternative history of Israel
What happens when you mix time travel, world war two and Israel? Read this unusual book and find out. Hard to put down.
What happens when you mix time travel, world war two and Israel? Read this unusual book and find out. Hard to put down.
March 15, 2024
A bit boring
January 3, 2015
Excellent alt history novel!
It was an enjoyable read and presented a fascinating look at WWII from a perspective largely overlooked. This is classic sci-fi so the details about the "Event" which sends a 21st century Israel back in time are not important. It's a plot device not unlike the "Change" in SM Stirling's Emberverse series or the energy wave in John Birmingham's After America trilogy. Why some folks are hung up on it is beyond me. The author has an interesting idea: if given the chance would Israel prevent the Holocaust from occurring and what ethical quandaries would it wade into given what it would probably have to do? Some were also hung up on what might be reflected in the novel about the author's conservative political leanings. Yet this to didn't bother me at all because given the context of the story Israel would have to take a very hardline to survive. Overall I really enjoyed this one and look forward to the next book.
I do have to point out a couple of things I thought were flawed though:
1. I doubt that Nazi Germany would have bought the "Caliph" story, at least for very long. Way too difficult to keep an entire nation on lockdown for almost a year for such a big operation without some details spilling out.
2. It was a mistake not to warn the USA about the impending attack on Pearl Harbor. Before 9/11 this was seen rightly or wrongly as the greatest betrayal and wrongful act against our nation by another country. If it came out that Israel knew about it beforehand yet didn't warn them, and believe me it would have once they opened their borders, the USA would have become a bitter foe and it wouldn't have been forgotten. That might not mean much in the short-term given this fictional Israel's technological superiority but it would in the long-run.
It was an enjoyable read and presented a fascinating look at WWII from a perspective largely overlooked. This is classic sci-fi so the details about the "Event" which sends a 21st century Israel back in time are not important. It's a plot device not unlike the "Change" in SM Stirling's Emberverse series or the energy wave in John Birmingham's After America trilogy. Why some folks are hung up on it is beyond me. The author has an interesting idea: if given the chance would Israel prevent the Holocaust from occurring and what ethical quandaries would it wade into given what it would probably have to do? Some were also hung up on what might be reflected in the novel about the author's conservative political leanings. Yet this to didn't bother me at all because given the context of the story Israel would have to take a very hardline to survive. Overall I really enjoyed this one and look forward to the next book.
I do have to point out a couple of things I thought were flawed though:
1. I doubt that Nazi Germany would have bought the "Caliph" story, at least for very long. Way too difficult to keep an entire nation on lockdown for almost a year for such a big operation without some details spilling out.
2. It was a mistake not to warn the USA about the impending attack on Pearl Harbor. Before 9/11 this was seen rightly or wrongly as the greatest betrayal and wrongful act against our nation by another country. If it came out that Israel knew about it beforehand yet didn't warn them, and believe me it would have once they opened their borders, the USA would have become a bitter foe and it wouldn't have been forgotten. That might not mean much in the short-term given this fictional Israel's technological superiority but it would in the long-run.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 10, 2017
Very Interesting Alternative History
A very interesting science fiction alternative history. Draws on a mixture of World War II history and modern history of the Middle East. The underlying political and cultural commentary is fascinating. There is a large ensemble of characters with reasonable character development. The one drawback is the abrupt end of the book, which is actually volume one of at least two volumes.
A very interesting science fiction alternative history. Draws on a mixture of World War II history and modern history of the Middle East. The underlying political and cultural commentary is fascinating. There is a large ensemble of characters with reasonable character development. The one drawback is the abrupt end of the book, which is actually volume one of at least two volumes.
October 21, 2014
This book was an original, well researched and exciting alternative history. For me it brings home the true evil and loss caused by the holocaust as it happened in our timeline. It does this by hinting at what might have been had the holocaust been prevented or mitigated. Can't wait for the sequel.
October 22, 2014
Loved the book, even if it reads as Turtledove's book sometimes (nothing wrong with that:) Waiting for second book.
One more thing - cover... It projects wrong idea, in my opinion. Big Magen David instead of swastika would be more appropriate.
One more thing - cover... It projects wrong idea, in my opinion. Big Magen David instead of swastika would be more appropriate.
September 10, 2015
Premise is a stretch, but alternate history results impressive
I found the original idea to het Israel into 1941 non-plausible, but remainder of the book appeared well researched with only minor grammatical errors. A good read.
I found the original idea to het Israel into 1941 non-plausible, but remainder of the book appeared well researched with only minor grammatical errors. A good read.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews