Final Impact: World War 2.3

Axis of Time #3

by John Birmingham

As history reaches a tipping point, the forces unleashed by the Transition threaten to bring the future crashing down in ruins. Will Hitler and Tojo finish their race towards an atom bomb? Is another catastrophic wave of destruction about to sweep out of a revitalised Soviet Union? What price will Kolhammer and his people pay for disrupting their own past?

Praise for Weapons of Choice: World War 2.1:
"Weapons of Choice... With a thermal shock, blasts the alternative history airport novel out of the genre field" (Weekend Australian)

Praise for Designated Targets: World War 2.2:
"An action-packed, cracking good read" (Herald-Sun)

Genres: Alternate History, Science Fiction, Fiction, Time Travel, War, Thriller, Military Fiction

460 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 2006

About the author

John Birmingham grew up in Ipswich, Queensland and was educated at St Edmunds Christian Brother's College in Ipswich and the University of Queensland in Brisbane. His only stint of full time employment was as a researcher at the Defence Department. After this he returned to Queensland to study law but he did not complete his legal studies, choosing instead to pursue a career as a writer. He currently lives in Brisbane.

While a law student he was one of the last people arrested under the state's Anti Street March legislation. Birmingham was convicted of displaying a sheet of paper with the words 'Free Speech' written on it in very small type. The local newspaper carried a photograph of him being frogmarched off to a waiting police paddy wagon.

Birmingham has a degree in international relations.

Reviews

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0 to 4.5 stars. As a whole, this series is an incredible achievement and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND it to anyone who likes military fiction. This last novel, while very good, was not quite as good as the first two novels in the series (which I thought were AMAZING). Even so, it was a very satisfying ending and left the door open for the author to come back to this "alternative" history in the future. I hope he does!!!

[Graeme Rodaughan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The weakest of the three books but still worth a read.

My big beef with this book is the horribly open ending...

Enuf said. If you feel my review was unfinished - that's a little insight into how this book will leave you feeli-

[Mieczyslaw Kasprzyk · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Axis of Time series is superb, not just because of John Birmingham's ability to pack his writing with tension and excitement but also with the way he keeps us on edge throughout. You think you know how things are going to work out but you're left with enough doubts and misgivings that you just have to carry on to the next page, the next chapter... The outcome isn't predictable; there is enough mayhem and destruction, intrigue and chaos (enough cliffs to hang from by your fingernails!) that you really can't be sure... People die, battles are fought... and the arrival of the fleet from the future has muddied the water so much that you have to question that it is a better world... no, you KNOW that it isn't. There is deep-rooted suspicion of these men and women of the future which interferes with the creation of a (possibly) better world.
Superb trilogy.

[Paul · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bit disappointed really. Started out with a great concept and an interesting look at the cultural and social interactions involved in the 'Transition'. By halfway through book 2 and all of book 3 I felt an inevitable drive towards a minimalist ending....good guys win, bad guys lose and we can all have a good night sleep. I had such high expectations and feel that this series of books is an opportunity lost for a great exploration of alternative realities.

[Aaron · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would have LOVED this trilogy if I'd read it when I was 18. Unfortunately at 38 it doesn't come across nearly as well.

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable conclusion to fun "what-if" alt-history of WWII (where everybody gets nuked!)

Birmingham's Axis of Time trilogy was one of several SF alt-history series that popped up in the early aughts centered on modern military forces being sent backwards in time (Taylor Anderson's Destroyermen series, S.M. Stirling's Nantucket and Emberverse series, and the Flint/Weber 163X series being among the more popular).

The premise here is that a hi-tech multinational fleet from 2021 (which was "far future" at the time) ends up sucked back in time to the Battle of Midway in WWII. But not every piece of technology falls into Allied hands. What happens next is that all sides now have some level of access to this advanced technology (and a glimpse into the future based on the digital libraries the "uptimers" brought with them) such that every side starts to subtly, and not so subtly, change their strategic approaches to fighting the war.

In this final novel, we get the culmination of all those strategic (re)decisions where the Soviets develop their own A-bomb way before anyone else (and use it), the Germans accelerate their biological/chemical agents (and use them), the Japanese find a way to employ kamikaze tactics without risking a single man (and use it), and the Americans and British just kinda….sit and watch.

The result of these developments leads to a shift in the war's centers of gravity and areas of operation which is interesting but ultimately the American and British plotlines and characters feel more like hangers on as the real CHANGES are all occurring on the Axis side. The non-historical characters are essentially placeholders that serve little purpose other than for exposition and to move the plot along. You don't really feel bad when stuff happens to them for the simple reason that the story has primed you for the more "significant" changes that are coming.

Overall, a fun little diversion that spends a bit too much time counting rivets in its various super-jets and laser guns but still scratches that "what-if" itch.

[Arnold · Rating 4 out of 5]

The series remains good! While this third book still has some of the same weaknesses of the earlier ones (e.g., sometimes there’s a dip into pop culture reference–based humor that takes me out of it), we get even deeper into the super-interesting grand-scale strategy implications of the time travelers. Along with that, the time jump in this book also lets us see how the more granular aspects of the future tech are playing out, such as inventing jet fighters years before they are “supposed” to be invented. Legit page turner!

[Jonathan cann · Rating 2 out of 5]

The worst of the series, just wanted to get through it as soon as possible. It feels like the author had signed a three book deal and had to produce a third book.

[Garth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun if you enjoy a 1% Sci-Fi, 99% alternative history mix.
Lots of military action as WWII forces are injected with future military and communications technology.
Abounds in stereotypes, but what the hell.

[Adam Whitehead · Rating 4 out of 5]

World War 2.3: Final Impact is the conclusion to the Axis of Time trilogy, following Weapons of Choice and Designated Targets. Those books chronicled how, in the year 2021, a UN multinational carrier taskforce was deployed to drive a terrorist insurgency out of Jakarta. Unfortunately, a nearby scientific vessel undertaking experiments into quantum tunnelling accidentally opened a wormhole through space and time, dumping the entire fleet on top of Admiral Spruance's US Navy fleet sailing to relieve Midway in the summer of 1942. With no way home, the UN force's presence rapidly changed the course of the Second World War.

The final novel opens in the late spring of 1944. Both the Axis and Allies are now equipped with considerable technological advances gleaned from the ships from the future. Jet aircraft fight on both sides, and the UN taskforce's immense AWACS and radar capabilities provide the Allies with considerable tactical and intelligence advantages over the enemy. Germany and Japan made alterations to their strategies after capturing some of the ships from the future themselves and these paid off in the short term, with Germany and the USSR concluding a cynical peace and Japan successfully invading Australia and occupying Hawaii. Driven by their superior economic base, however, the Allies are now resurgent, having retaken Hawaii and defeated a German invasion of Britain before preparing their own, improved version of D-Day. The Allies, the Germans and the Russians are now in their own, frantic races to complete the atom bomb before the others, for whoever develops a nuclear arsenal the earliest will likely be the side that wins the war.

Final Impact marks a solid conclusion to the trilogy, although unfortunately some of the more interesting elements that were being developed in Designated Targets seem to have been scaled back. The sociological ramifications of the arrival of the ships from the future continue to be examined, but not quite so cleverly as in the previous volume. The sheer mass of data that the people of the 1940s would have to absorb is overwhelming and you can't help but feel that Birmingham occasionally misses out on a few interesting possibilities (although a scene where John Kennedy quietly arranges for a young Lee Harvey Oswald to be taken into state care is a nice touch). However, with the need to bring this alternate Second World War to a conclusion the sacrificing of some of the quieter elements in favour of the main storyline is understandable. This also explains the somewhat jarring leap ahead of more than a year since the end of Book 2. Several major characters die off-page between the two books, and given the ending of Book 2 it is a surprise to find Hawaii already back in Allied hands. Birmingham obviously felt that expanding on these elements would expand the series to four books or more and I certainly understand him wanting to avoid that.

Final Impact marks a solid ending to the series, with the war rapidly winding down after the nukes start being deployed. Birmingham treats these weapons as the terrible forces they are (some military authors, Turtledove particularly comes to mind, seem to love hurling them around with almost gleeful abandon) and the impact of their use is made clear. The ending is also not particularly neat. The USSR emerges from the war far stronger than it did in real life, with the threat of a real 'hot war' with the Allies seemingly much greater than in reality, but that is not part of the story that the author is telling, so that element is left dangling. As with the prior books, the author mixes action with intriguing historical speculation with solid characterisation and a fascinating contrast of the morales and attitudes of the two time periods: the 'uptimers' are far more inured to war and suffering after twenty years of warfare, whilst the 'downtimers' are prepared to accept far vaster civilian casualties to achieve victory. There is also plenty of humour to be mined, such as SAS commander Harry Windsor having an amusing conversation with his 16-year-old grandmother or disco becoming popular thirty years ahead of schedule, as well as interesting side-effects of the transition, such as questions over who has the copyright on films yet to be made by directors and actors yet to be born.

Final Impact (****) is a solid and worthwhile conclusion to this intriguing trilogy. It is available in the UK from Penguin and in the USA from Del Rey.

[Darcy · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first started Final Impact I thought I had somehow made a mistake and missed an entry in the series. When part 2 ended, the Japanese had just taken Hawaii and yet this story commences after the state was retaken by the allies, along with some other developments. Once assured that I did not miss anything I plowed onwards and gradually had the salient details unveiled as the 3rd part progressed. Other than that narrative hic-cup this entry continues with the same pacing and thrills that Mr. Birmingham had previously established.

I very much enjoyed the approach taken with these books and also with the conclusion as it was not where I thought this saga would end up. I choose the word saga, as I do not believe this will be the end of the story since the world created has much more potential. Overall I thought the author was true to his characters and that the conflicts and resolutions were in keeping with the combatants at the time. On a side note, without giving it away, I thought for sure I knew who the guilty party was regarding an atrocity committed in part I, but as usual, I was wrong. (That entire story line could make an interesting read on it's own).

This is an excellent alternative history series and I was very glad I purchased them. I am moving on to Stalin's Hammer, which I understand to be more of a, "set in the same universe," type of story more so than a sequel, but I do not care. If John Birmingham wrote it, I am sure it will be terrific!

[Patti · Rating 5 out of 5]

World War II is not the same. It seems that a multi-national fleet from 2021 accidentally somehow transported themselves back in time to the period just as hostilities were getting into full swing in 1942. Not only does the technology from the future have an impact on the time, but the people do as well. They are quite different than the people of that era, including their acceptance of women and minorities in strategic positions in the military.

The bulk of the technology has ended up in the hands of the Allies. You would think that would make victory a cakewalk for them, but that’s just not so. One ship fell into the hands of the Germans and Italians, while the Soviets have their own secret program going with a ship from the future they have managed to keep a secret.

Even with all this technology, the outcome of the war hinges on who manages to develop atomic bombs first. Complicating that is the fact that Stalin now knows what will become of the Soviet Union in the future unless he does more to shore up their strongholds. They aren’t content with their place in history having their empire deteriorate until the 1980’s when it all falls to capitalism. Stalin is determined not to repeat the same mistakes and that’s been set up throughout the previous two books to reach a payoff here.

To read my full review, please go to: https://thoughtsfromthemountaintop.co...

[Neil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thots so far:
I do like how the author has mixed 'old' tech with the 'new' [modern] tech in the series, especially this book. He has done a good job of it so far.

I also like how the author has included dates with each chapter. I think it helps the narrative; it helps create a sense of what is happening and how much time has elapsed. The first two books did not have this 'feature' and it showed.

It bugs me to no end that the Allies 'are so far behind' in the technological race [as it were] and yet the Germans and Russians 'are so far ahead' with no justification for it. This novel takes place eighteen months [nearly two years] after the second novel; it is during the time when America's industrial base is geared up for wartime production, yet it seems to have made no difference. Yet the Russians are supposed to have created advanced testing centers out in the middle of nowhere and created advanced tech faster than the rest of the world? Not to come across as judgmental, but this is the hardest part of the book to swallow, and it is kind of ruining it for me.

I'm about halfway through the book - I figure I should finish it in the next day or so. Hopefully it gets better.

Oooooh, that was a dirty trick! But well played! In my opinion, Julia Duffy has continued to be the most least likable 'hero-character' in the series. And I thought she had died! By a German execution squad, no less! I should have known my joy was for naught! We learn she's the only survivor a couple of pages later; her advanced future-armor [sounds funny, saying that] saved her miserable hide [drat it all!]. ~sigh~ I guess that means she'll survive until the end of the book.

"Best Scene of the Book" so far: The crew of the HMAS Havoc talking about whether or not to attack the Japanese fleet before or after the Japanese fleet attacks the Soviet fleet. There was something about that scene in the book; I loved it. I think it was the best scene for far.
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Well, I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I actually 'liked' it more, by the end, than I did the second book and even the first book. I liked it enough to give it three stars. Maybe it has to do with three B-52s being used to nuke Berlin off the face of the Earth, I don't know; it was too cool, though, or with the Japanese kamikaze carrier being allowed to 'nuke' the Russian nuclear facility off the face of the Earth before being sunk, setting back the Russian program indefinitely and 'making things right' [so to speak]. I still do not agree with the 'ultimate ending' to the book, personally with the Russians controlling "four-fifths" of the world. The 'temps' know what the Communists are like; there is no way they would have allowed the Russians to remain in power like they did at the end of the book.

It was an odd book, for being about World War II. Obviously the book could not have an overall broad focus; we only get snippets letting us know that the war is still being fought in other parts of the globe. It was so 'focused' in its narrative that it made it seem like the War had devolved to specific locales and nowhere else. If it were not for those snippets, then it would no longer have seemed to have been a global conflict any longer.

I did appreciate that it was not so focused on the 'political agendas' of the author like the first two books. The second book seemed to bog down in the minutia of 'civilian life' like the first book did, ignoring the fact that a war was going on. The uptimers, while being the 'saviors' of the world [as it were] were shown to have their own foibles and weaknesses and imperfections, which was 'nice' on the one hand. There did not seem to be as many consequences for their actions, though, when they disobeyed orders and 'took the law into their own hands' because it was more expedient to do so.

I was actually "sad" [disappointed] at one point in the book: I was hoping Yamamoto would survive with his fleet of four to six battleships and remaining carrier. I get it why the battleships were sunk, on the one hand, but it still seemed 'stupid' and hypocritical, considering they were letting the German Army survive and move to the East to fight the Russians. So it really should not have been any different, on the one hand, to have let Yamamoto and his forces live. But what is life, if not chock full of stupid decisions and hypocrisy.

I guess it was a decent series. Eighteen months did pass between the second and third book, so perhaps the Russian improvements were more feasible than I give them credit for. It just seemed like the United States still had one hand tied behind its back in the narrative whereas the Nazis and the Communists had everything going their way [for a while]. Obviously, it had to stop for the Nazis, as they still are shown as losing the War.

I did like that Israel was forming its own nation earlier than the 'original' historical records; I thought it was interesting that they were described as essentially dominating in their regional conflict like they had in their wars during the original timeline.

I think it would be interesting to learn what kind of technologies are developed in America to keep America from becoming dependent upon the oil deposits in the Middle East. References were continually made to ensure the United States never becoming beholden to the House of Saud like they had become in the original timeline.

I think it is crap that the Russians dominated like they did at the end of the book. I also think it is crap that they were reported as moving into India, which was still a part of the British Empire at the time. It seems to me that would have been [should have been] viewed as an 'act of war' on the part of the Communists and justified Allied retaliation against them. Ah,well.

I am glad that I finished the series. It ended on a better note than I thought it would [based on the first two books in the series and how they bogged down on stupid details that really had nothing to do with the story].

[Joe Stamber · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the first novel, a multinational fleet from 1921 was thrown back in time to 1942 and into chaos. In this, the third in the series, the Second World War continues, but the fight has been completely different as all sides have tried to capture and make use of the modern technology alongside their existing weapons. This is pure Hollywood action movie, with only the crowds chanting U-S-A! U-S-A! missing, although you can almost hear them ringing in your ears, especially if you've watched a European taking a putt in the Ryder Cup recently... There are some unpleasant events, courtesy of the bad guys (we all know who they are!), some real-life characters popping up (Prince Harry in the SAS and calling the young future Queen Elizabeth II "granny"), political posturing, lots of action; and everything whips along at a breakneck pace. In a way, it's thought-provoking, whilst being ridiculous at the same time. But it's also fantastic entertainment if you listen to it for that reason only, without getting too bogged down in the detail. How much more can we take?

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

The war for the future has begun

I will start by saying that I love alternate history. Harry Turtledove is in my top 5 authors. This trilogy by John Birmingham is as gripping to me as the Worldwar series was. The way the story moved ahead at a brisk pace without a lot of embellishments was just right. Characters were hard because of the future they came from but they have some humanity. I like how historical characters were portrayed and shocked at what happened to some. One has to suspend some disbelief when reading books like this and for some things it was kind of hard ( for example that it took two years from arrival in the past to build a B-52 ). I really enjoyed the series, highly recommended.

[Ronald Spitzer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fine ending to this trilogy. The book jumps some events after the second book and picks up later in the alternate World War II. The tech advances based on the future fleets intervention in the war help dictate the way the war ends. In my view, the ending sets up world much more likely than ours to have World War III and not bother with a Cold War. The World War III in this world likely would be extremely nasty as the leaders on the different sides seem callous toward wanton killing just send messages and now that they have a variety of technologies to do so. They all of course would have the motto to "Forward the research to make future killing even more so!", especially in response to the nastiness messages from the other side.

[Dennis E. Flynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great ending for a good series

I have enjoyed all the books in this set. Being former Navy and then Air Force over 32 years of service with Vet Nam and Desert Storm under my belt. I could understand the terms and see in my mind the spaces and aircraft described. I also love history and the intractions of the main charicters and how they might have acted in a similar situation was very believable. Great Job

[CASPER HILEMAN · Rating 5 out of 5]

The easy victories enabled by the dominant technology brought to the past by a Naval and Marine Task Force transported back in time to 1942 and smack into the Second World War. The enemy does not simply surrender out of fear due to these "Wonder Weapons". Brutality rules the day combined with gleaned knowledge by the Axis of mistakes made at in a different time against the same enemy. A final conflict is in the making.

[Jota Houses · Rating 3 out of 5]

La inercia de la historia poco a poco va devolviendo la 2ª Guerra Mundial a su final en lineas similares a las de la original. Sin embargo Stalin desvela su nuevo Telón de Acero más amplio que el de la primera iteración. Un buen final para una interesante trilogía aunque deje abiertos algunos hilos.

[William Walter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice finish to a trilogy of alternate history WWII--missed this in real time (2000s) but revisited the series now and am glad I did. The original premise is still relevant, and the tale woven by Birmingham is fresh despite the years. Looking forward to the apparent sequels he has added in the intervening years. Worth the effort!

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as the other books in the series.

This book should have been split into two separate books in my opinion. It skips past to much “this happened since the last book”. Adding to this, it also doesn’t detail out the plot points nearly as well. Even with these problems it still is a decent read however. .

[Kim Johnstone · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this to finish the series, but I enjoyed this one the least of the three. I really think the series would have made a great novel, without the tedious descriptions of battles and weapon types (which I often skipped to get to the relationships and the impact of two times and cultures colliding).

[Andy Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Andy's review

So glad I downloaded these books - I've thoroughly enjoyed all three and I think that this one is a fitting end to the trilogy. My only regret is that there won't be a fourth novel!

[Richard Domey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great finish!

Worth waiting for. A wrap up that brings most everything together. I would like to see the after action story that deals with the Soviet Union and Stalin. Of course, I want him to get his comeuppance while still alive.

[Christopher · Rating 2 out of 5]

Weird end to a reasonably compelling series. Oddly one sided with no real peril for any allied characters, meaning it turns into a bit of weird war porn. Also, very uncomfortable use of nuclear bombs with no real talk about the morale implications.

[Louise Potterton · Rating 5 out of 5]

could keep going! great series

[Crt · Rating 1 out of 5]

Weird

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marvelous rendition of alternative history

This is the third read of the series and I keep returning

[Theo Milligan]

Should have read the first 2 books. There would have been more flow as a read.

[D Hanno]

M