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Axis of Time #4-6
Stalin's Hammer 1-3
Ten years have passed since Admiral Kolhammer’s 21st century battlefleet was dragged into a wormhole and thrown across oceans of time, emerging with disastrous consequences and shattering the history of the Second World War.
Hitler and the Nazis have fallen, but Stalin rules half of Europe and Asia. The great Soviet engines of state power turn and burn to ‘set history right’. Not just of the war, but of all future time.
In Rome with his lover Julia Duffy, an older, mellower Prince Harry is drawn into Stalin’s plans when a simple game of spies goes horribly wrong. Underneath the eternal city, former Spetsnaz officer Pavel Ivanov fights a running battle with the NKVD’s executioner-in-chief as Stalin’s minions fight to preserve the secret of a weapon that could destroy the West with one, fearsome blow.
Moving from Rome to Paris to Cairo, Harry and the uptimers must fight a shadow war against the communist superstate and the suspicion and prejudices of their forebears. They can save world, but world does not want saving by the likes of them.
Hitler and the Nazis have fallen, but Stalin rules half of Europe and Asia. The great Soviet engines of state power turn and burn to ‘set history right’. Not just of the war, but of all future time.
In Rome with his lover Julia Duffy, an older, mellower Prince Harry is drawn into Stalin’s plans when a simple game of spies goes horribly wrong. Underneath the eternal city, former Spetsnaz officer Pavel Ivanov fights a running battle with the NKVD’s executioner-in-chief as Stalin’s minions fight to preserve the secret of a weapon that could destroy the West with one, fearsome blow.
Moving from Rome to Paris to Cairo, Harry and the uptimers must fight a shadow war against the communist superstate and the suspicion and prejudices of their forebears. They can save world, but world does not want saving by the likes of them.
379 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 23, 2017
173 people are currently reading
137 people want to read
About the author
John Birmingham
77 books1,158 followersJohn 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
July 4, 2020
Stalin’s Hammer by John Birmingham is a continuation of his Axis of Time trilogy that begin with Weapons of Choice. In the original trilogy…
A military experiment in the year 2021 has thrust an American-led multinational armada back to 1942, right into the middle of the U.S. naval task force speeding toward Midway Atoll…
I should first note that this trilogy is in my top ten list of favorite stories. After one initial science fiction plot twist, the “military experiment” the story speeds along like an early Tom Clancy military thriller. Mr. Birmingham’s genius is to follow on all the implications his story sets up. Not just injecting into the past modern military tech than can’t be resupplied, but the issues that arise from a 21st century crew thrust back to a time before women and minorities were fully mixed into the armed forces and had command positions. It’s a story not just of the clash of armies, but the clash of cultures, past and future.
This book is made up of a single smaller story spread over 3 novellas, known as the Rome, Cairo and Paris Sequence. It is set in the 60’s, some 20 years after the original trilogy. Folks have come to term with what would have been and have set to carve out their version of the future. This world has early and clunky iPads and smart phones. The military hoards and sparingly uses the tech brought from the future in their fight against communism.
In this standalone novel the mystery is to find out what Stalin is up to? He knows what happens in our future and he wishes to avoid that historical outcome for his Soviet Union. The story stays tightly focused on a few characters from the trilogy, namely Prince Harry who came through with the fleet and his occasional romantic companion, the NY Times reporter, Julia Duffy and some others.
The focus on a narrowly defined story allows us to stick with fewer characters and their place in this world, reading their commentary of their world vs the way the world was to be before their intrusion is enjoyable. Though I admit I loved the huge epic that was the original books.
My one disappointment was, while the story is self-contained there is a huge thread that needs to be followed up on as the story explodes in its last few pages and we even get the line that The Axis of Time story will continue in World War 3.1. But note, this book was published in 2016 and no follow on was every put out. Where is WW 3.1?
I note this here not as a spoiler but as a warning. This book is enjoyable, but there is no continuation. Fortunately, this book can be enjoyed as is (though it really is more enjoyable if you read the original books). You do get a conclusion to this smaller story. But as that curtain falls, a larger one opens and… I’m still waiting for that story to start.
I did some searching and saw some notes on a manuscript being worked on, but in these 4 years the author has put out other work. I can only guess that maybe the story didn’t come as easily as expected and he’s shelved it till later?
If you are fan of the series, this is a nice return to the world the author created. If you are completely new to it, find the original books and strap in for one wild ride before reading this book. (The trilogy is self-contained and this book is not needed to wrap anything up.) Just know, that the rest of the story hinted in this book is not here yet. Hope it comes to us… in the future.
A military experiment in the year 2021 has thrust an American-led multinational armada back to 1942, right into the middle of the U.S. naval task force speeding toward Midway Atoll…
I should first note that this trilogy is in my top ten list of favorite stories. After one initial science fiction plot twist, the “military experiment” the story speeds along like an early Tom Clancy military thriller. Mr. Birmingham’s genius is to follow on all the implications his story sets up. Not just injecting into the past modern military tech than can’t be resupplied, but the issues that arise from a 21st century crew thrust back to a time before women and minorities were fully mixed into the armed forces and had command positions. It’s a story not just of the clash of armies, but the clash of cultures, past and future.
This book is made up of a single smaller story spread over 3 novellas, known as the Rome, Cairo and Paris Sequence. It is set in the 60’s, some 20 years after the original trilogy. Folks have come to term with what would have been and have set to carve out their version of the future. This world has early and clunky iPads and smart phones. The military hoards and sparingly uses the tech brought from the future in their fight against communism.
In this standalone novel the mystery is to find out what Stalin is up to? He knows what happens in our future and he wishes to avoid that historical outcome for his Soviet Union. The story stays tightly focused on a few characters from the trilogy, namely Prince Harry who came through with the fleet and his occasional romantic companion, the NY Times reporter, Julia Duffy and some others.
The focus on a narrowly defined story allows us to stick with fewer characters and their place in this world, reading their commentary of their world vs the way the world was to be before their intrusion is enjoyable. Though I admit I loved the huge epic that was the original books.
My one disappointment was, while the story is self-contained there is a huge thread that needs to be followed up on as the story explodes in its last few pages and we even get the line that The Axis of Time story will continue in World War 3.1. But note, this book was published in 2016 and no follow on was every put out. Where is WW 3.1?
I note this here not as a spoiler but as a warning. This book is enjoyable, but there is no continuation. Fortunately, this book can be enjoyed as is (though it really is more enjoyable if you read the original books). You do get a conclusion to this smaller story. But as that curtain falls, a larger one opens and… I’m still waiting for that story to start.
I did some searching and saw some notes on a manuscript being worked on, but in these 4 years the author has put out other work. I can only guess that maybe the story didn’t come as easily as expected and he’s shelved it till later?
If you are fan of the series, this is a nice return to the world the author created. If you are completely new to it, find the original books and strap in for one wild ride before reading this book. (The trilogy is self-contained and this book is not needed to wrap anything up.) Just know, that the rest of the story hinted in this book is not here yet. Hope it comes to us… in the future.
August 22, 2018
I loved the "Axis of Time" series and jumped at the chance of another in the series but it turned out to be only part one of a "trilogy" making up Stalin's Hammer. SO, when the whole thing came out in one book I had to get hold of it and read it.
Well, despite the fact that the main hero is a pampered parasitic member of the "royal" family (and believe me, that is quite a stumbling block I had to get over!) I loved Prince Harry (I'm gagging here, I'm gagging) and found him great fun to follow in this rip-roaring, boy's own adventure.
And the ending!!!
Well I'm not going to give any of the plot away apart from the fact that that nasty man, Stalin, has had his people develop an evil weapon in order to preserve him and his empire. Harry and a group of other individuals get involved in what has to be very loosely called "espionage" (there are some very amusing aspects to this) and stop the villain from getting his way. Will they, won't they... I'm not telling... but the ending!!!
It's a good read, it's a gripping read and, in parts, it's a very amusing read. I got the feeling that John Birmingham is lampooning "Bond" type stories and, certainly, elements reminded me of the films. If you like entertainment read this - how can you go wrong?
Well, despite the fact that the main hero is a pampered parasitic member of the "royal" family (and believe me, that is quite a stumbling block I had to get over!) I loved Prince Harry (I'm gagging here, I'm gagging) and found him great fun to follow in this rip-roaring, boy's own adventure.
And the ending!!!
Well I'm not going to give any of the plot away apart from the fact that that nasty man, Stalin, has had his people develop an evil weapon in order to preserve him and his empire. Harry and a group of other individuals get involved in what has to be very loosely called "espionage" (there are some very amusing aspects to this) and stop the villain from getting his way. Will they, won't they... I'm not telling... but the ending!!!
It's a good read, it's a gripping read and, in parts, it's a very amusing read. I got the feeling that John Birmingham is lampooning "Bond" type stories and, certainly, elements reminded me of the films. If you like entertainment read this - how can you go wrong?
October 13, 2017
This is a qualified four-star review.
I loved the book (as I enjoyed the previous three in the series) and heartily recommend them to people looking for alternate history pulp adventure.
But these are not high art. They are dumb fun military SF / alternate history that deals with an updated Philladelphia Experiment type situation where several dozen futuristic battleships get accidentally thrown through time into the middle of World War Two.
By the time of this novel, a decade has passed, and the anachronistic technology and information has warped history pretty thoroughly. One of the time travellers is vice president, and Stalin is threatening Europe with orbital weapons systems.
One of the highlights is the way that Birmingham takes an unbelievable premise and then treats it seriously with a lot of well thought out repercussions. The copyright of anachronistic movies is covered, as is the difficulty of reverse engineering an ipod.
All-in-all, I'd recommend it to those who like military sci fi or alternate history.
I loved the book (as I enjoyed the previous three in the series) and heartily recommend them to people looking for alternate history pulp adventure.
But these are not high art. They are dumb fun military SF / alternate history that deals with an updated Philladelphia Experiment type situation where several dozen futuristic battleships get accidentally thrown through time into the middle of World War Two.
By the time of this novel, a decade has passed, and the anachronistic technology and information has warped history pretty thoroughly. One of the time travellers is vice president, and Stalin is threatening Europe with orbital weapons systems.
One of the highlights is the way that Birmingham takes an unbelievable premise and then treats it seriously with a lot of well thought out repercussions. The copyright of anachronistic movies is covered, as is the difficulty of reverse engineering an ipod.
All-in-all, I'd recommend it to those who like military sci fi or alternate history.
July 15, 2018
Just to get it out of the way, yes this was a terrific book and another compelling entry in the Axis of Time series. Throughout the first three books I had really enjoyed making Prince Harry into a kick-ass SAS character, but now he is with MI-6? Awesome! But, I am royally pissed (See how I did that?) that this is a cliff-hanger! Argh! There is a Russian soldier that I want to see deadified in the worst possible way and a conflict that now needs to be resolved. This is good as it means another entry into the universe, yet awful as I was really grooving into the story and it just... ends. Mr. Birmingham, you are a right bastard!
Okay, this story takes a little while to get rolling as there is much more character development, but the author makes that enjoyable. The action in the first three quarters is not as prevalent as the earlier books in the series, however I found it to more intimate as these are more personal battles and this seemed to work better for this novel. Closer to the end fights ramp up and seem to be more of a harbinger for another full scale world conflict like the first trilogy.
Be aware that the author does away with some favorite characters and has at least one instance of foreshadowing that will have me waiting in line for the next entry. As a result, if you want your Axis of Time jones dealt with, at least for a while, get this book and welcome to a very hot cold war.
Okay, this story takes a little while to get rolling as there is much more character development, but the author makes that enjoyable. The action in the first three quarters is not as prevalent as the earlier books in the series, however I found it to more intimate as these are more personal battles and this seemed to work better for this novel. Closer to the end fights ramp up and seem to be more of a harbinger for another full scale world conflict like the first trilogy.
Be aware that the author does away with some favorite characters and has at least one instance of foreshadowing that will have me waiting in line for the next entry. As a result, if you want your Axis of Time jones dealt with, at least for a while, get this book and welcome to a very hot cold war.
January 17, 2019
This is a too-short but epic extension to John Birmingham's "Axis of Time" series, which begged for more for so long. At first blush it is pretty standard "what if people went back in time and changed history" fare, but along with the fictional and historical characters you get one very interesting contemporary that stands out. I have no idea why the author decided to send him back in time too but we also have a "what if Prince Harry was in the SAS and ended up in WWII" scenario. The mind boggles, but it is immense fun.
October 19, 2017
Bought the 3-in-1 Stalin's Hammer ebook, after not trying very hard & thus being unsuccessful at finding it in a couple of libraries online. Having read the original trilogy, I was very much looking forward to catching up on the 21C gang and their antics. Result: LOVED IT!! Yes, there is a lot of bloody action/violence, but if you can move past that, it's a cracking good read. Extremely looking forward to the next in the series!
February 7, 2021
liked it but not as engaging as the first 3 books until right at the end. Hopefully the series will be finished
June 2, 2023
Stalin’s Hammer: The Complete Sequence By John Birmingham, is anthology novel containing all three of his short novellas ( Stalin’s Hammer: Rome, Cairo, and Rome Sequences) of his Stalin’s Hammer trilogy.
Book 1 - Stalin’s Hammer: Rome
This is a series of novellas that follow the characters developed in John Birmingham’s Axis of Time trilogy. In that series, he has a UN multinational military navel force battling Islamic terrorists in the year 2021 fall through a wormhole and end up in the middle of the Battle of Midway in 1942 changing the course of World War 2.
More-so than the people, it’s the technology from 2021 that changes the direction of the world and the war in 1942. However, there was one person among that multinational force that would cause a ripple effect. Prince Harry from Great Britain happened to be on those ships, and he was sent back in time to when his grandmother – the future Queen – was just a young girl.
Prince Harry wasn’t the focus of those books, but these three novellas follow him in his role in this universe. Laws were put in place to exclude him from royal succession, although he does have something of a role with the Royals. He’s probably also the most famous member of the “uptimers” as those who went back in history are called.
Here he has a relationship of sorts with reporter Julia Duffy, who was an embed with the forces in 2021. While he is in Rome for a trade conference, and trying to catch up a bit with his girlfriend, MI6 taps him to meet with a Soviet businessman who is looking to defect. At the same time, a Russian ex-Special forces uptimer, Pavel Ivanov, who is independently working against Stalin is also planning to meet with the businessman.
It was not only technology that came back from the future, but also information. The information about the course of history has Stalin frantically trying to prevent the future collapse of the Soviet Union. In all of the confusion surrounding the events at Midway and the Second World War, Stalin made more of a land-grab in Europe, and the city of Rome now is divided, similar to how Berlin was in our time. However, the Italians, through the use of the Cosa Nostra and the many ancient ruins beneath the City are resisting as much as is possible. This is secondary, though, to what Stalin is planning for the world.
It had been a few years since I read Final Impact, the last book in the original trilogy. I’d forgotten a lot of the characters but Birmingham refreshed most of them for me. I couldn’t remember all of the details, but it was enough to be able to appreciate the story. I think anyone who hasn’t read the original trilogy would be totally lost.
Stalin’s Hammer: Rome, is a good follow-up to that trilogy. It’s building on it by using a celebrity of sorts as the center of the story. This is a thriller and it’s written at a great pace, keeping the action and intrigue going throughout the story. There is a lot of detail in the weaponry, which mostly went over my head. For people who like Tom Clancy-style thrillers, this will appeal to them.
Birmingham does a great job describing the technological changes in society as well. Melding the 21st-century technology with what they were capable of producing in the 1950s is handled pretty well. Things are a bit clunkier than they should be. There’s the start of an internet, which doesn’t always work. There’s the start of a cell phone network, which doesn’t always work. Most of the things that do work were harvested from the uptimer’s technology.
Overall, This short novella was a good bit of alternate history mixed with a thriller. It was a quick read and I enjoyed it, as I have enjoyed most of Birmingham’s books. He’s created an alternate world that is believable by blending two time periods that are not so far apart except in technology.
Book 2 - Stalin’s Hammer: Cairo
In the previous novella, Stalin’s Hammer: Rome, readers were introduced to Prince Harry as a central figure. He was part of that multinational task force and sent back in time with the rest, although he wasn’t at the center of the first three books. This series, though, is all about him. Since he was eliminated from any possibility of royal succession due to a specific act passed by Parliament, he finds himself recruited by MI-6. He can be the jet-setter going to any number of places where he’s needed and no one will question it, and at the same time make contact with people and get them to trust him.
He’s sent to Cairo with his girlfriend, former embedded reporter Julia Duffy, to make contact with a German rocket scientist he helped extract at the end of World War II. The professor has dedicated his life to peace and is at a peace conference in Cairo. However, he is acting strangely and MI-6 is worried his knowledge will fall into Soviet hands.
The most valuable thing Stalin gained from the future was knowledge. He’s not about to let what happened to the Soviet Union in our timeline happen again. At the end of World War II, he made a big land grab in southeast Europe and is now working on a weapon that might ensure Soviet domination. MI-6 and other organizations know something is up, but aren’t sure just what it is.
I found Stalin’s Hammer: Cairo to be a great thriller. It’s got plenty of action and intrigue with Prince Harry and Julia at the center of it. There are other “uptimers” as these people from the future are called involved in the action and intrigue as well. Some we met in previous books, and some are new characters. Admiral Kolhammer is now the Vice President of the United States and several others are in strategic positions to try to steer the future to what they want. There are several people in this current time who have managed to fare quite well in this new world. One, in particular, is Charlotte, an orphan of the war in the Pacific who was adopted by one of the uptimers and learned their ways. She’s part of a covert freelance team headed by one of Harry’s buddies.
The descriptions of the weaponry go right over my head for the most part, but fans of books with these types of descriptions will love them. The characters are great and have good depth to them. The characters who have been seen before in the series are great and the new ones are also great. Even though it’s a relatively short book, it does a lot in a little space. The political situation in Egypt is ripe for exploitation from within and that sense is conveyed without extraneous material.
Overall, I wouldn’t jump into this series unless you’ve read the first three novels, but Stalin’s Hammer: Cairo continues the story quite well and adds in great intrigue and action. For readers who like alternate history, I can’t recommend Burmingham’s work enough.
Book 3 - Stalin’s Hammer: Paris
Prince Harry now out of the British line of succession but is working with MI6 as someone who can hide in plain sight. With his girlfriend, former embedded reporter Julia Duffy, he traveled to Cairo to make contact with a former German rocket scientist that the West wants to keep out of Soviet hands. However, that operation went sideways, and at the opening of this book, we find him and Julia captives of the Soviets, along with the scientist.
There is more intrigue here as agents in Great Britain and the United States are catching on to what Stalin is attempting to do. His greatest realization from the future was the history that hadn’t happened yet, and he’s taking steps to try to correct the mistakes the Soviets made that led to their downfall. One, in particular, is an orbital space weapon that will allow them to dominate. When the United States suddenly loses a majority of its satellites, they realize Stalin is making his move and must scramble to try to stop him in time.
This novella trilogy has been a great bridge between the end of World War II and what will likely be World War III. Birmingham does a great job setting up the political intrigue as well as the conflicts between the nations. There’s more going on behind the scenes with the “uptimers” (those who came back from the future) acting together despite national boundaries. Admiral Kolhammer is now Vice President of the United States but has people in strategic places around the globe who are loyal to him and who can be relied on to respond at the right moment. This is exactly what is about to happen in Paris.
Behind the scenes, a mercenary who survived the massacre during which Harry and Julia were kidnapped is making a play to rescue them. It’s a good aside as Harry isn’t as involved with the story here as he was in the last two novellas, but rescuing him is necessary to keep what he knows out of Soviet hands as well as keep him from being a hostage. The characters have followed through really well from the initial series, which is why I can’t recommend starting here. Readers really need to go back to the beginning and start the series with Weapons of Choice. It’s hard to really grasp who everyone is without that as Birmingham doesn’t regurgitate the whole backstory of each character when they appear. The political intrigue, however, is really great for this tense time of confrontation.
It’s said at the end of this book that Birmingham is continuing the story into World War III trilogy. This was published in 2016, and there are no signs that those books are coming, however. The problem is that waiting so long allows readers to forget who is who, which was a problem I faced when I started these three novellas. I went back and re-read Weapons of Choice just to get a brief synopsis of who was who before I tackled these three books. Birmingham has kept the characters consistent and interesting, but it’s also hard to remember who everyone is after too long between books (and especially if you are an avid reader of alternate history.)
That said, though, Stalin’s Hammer: Paris is a great continuation of the series and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. The technology may go over my head at times, but there’s enough there that I can understand why the weapons are intimidating and warranted. It’s a Tom Clancy-style thriller with some science fiction thrown in.
All in all, Stalin’s Hammer: The Complete Sequence is a great short story collection that expands on the world of John Birmingham’s the “Axis Of Time” trilogy. I would definitely recommend these novellas for lovers of alternative history or military techno thrillers.
Book 1 - Stalin’s Hammer: Rome
This is a series of novellas that follow the characters developed in John Birmingham’s Axis of Time trilogy. In that series, he has a UN multinational military navel force battling Islamic terrorists in the year 2021 fall through a wormhole and end up in the middle of the Battle of Midway in 1942 changing the course of World War 2.
More-so than the people, it’s the technology from 2021 that changes the direction of the world and the war in 1942. However, there was one person among that multinational force that would cause a ripple effect. Prince Harry from Great Britain happened to be on those ships, and he was sent back in time to when his grandmother – the future Queen – was just a young girl.
Prince Harry wasn’t the focus of those books, but these three novellas follow him in his role in this universe. Laws were put in place to exclude him from royal succession, although he does have something of a role with the Royals. He’s probably also the most famous member of the “uptimers” as those who went back in history are called.
Here he has a relationship of sorts with reporter Julia Duffy, who was an embed with the forces in 2021. While he is in Rome for a trade conference, and trying to catch up a bit with his girlfriend, MI6 taps him to meet with a Soviet businessman who is looking to defect. At the same time, a Russian ex-Special forces uptimer, Pavel Ivanov, who is independently working against Stalin is also planning to meet with the businessman.
It was not only technology that came back from the future, but also information. The information about the course of history has Stalin frantically trying to prevent the future collapse of the Soviet Union. In all of the confusion surrounding the events at Midway and the Second World War, Stalin made more of a land-grab in Europe, and the city of Rome now is divided, similar to how Berlin was in our time. However, the Italians, through the use of the Cosa Nostra and the many ancient ruins beneath the City are resisting as much as is possible. This is secondary, though, to what Stalin is planning for the world.
It had been a few years since I read Final Impact, the last book in the original trilogy. I’d forgotten a lot of the characters but Birmingham refreshed most of them for me. I couldn’t remember all of the details, but it was enough to be able to appreciate the story. I think anyone who hasn’t read the original trilogy would be totally lost.
Stalin’s Hammer: Rome, is a good follow-up to that trilogy. It’s building on it by using a celebrity of sorts as the center of the story. This is a thriller and it’s written at a great pace, keeping the action and intrigue going throughout the story. There is a lot of detail in the weaponry, which mostly went over my head. For people who like Tom Clancy-style thrillers, this will appeal to them.
Birmingham does a great job describing the technological changes in society as well. Melding the 21st-century technology with what they were capable of producing in the 1950s is handled pretty well. Things are a bit clunkier than they should be. There’s the start of an internet, which doesn’t always work. There’s the start of a cell phone network, which doesn’t always work. Most of the things that do work were harvested from the uptimer’s technology.
Overall, This short novella was a good bit of alternate history mixed with a thriller. It was a quick read and I enjoyed it, as I have enjoyed most of Birmingham’s books. He’s created an alternate world that is believable by blending two time periods that are not so far apart except in technology.
Book 2 - Stalin’s Hammer: Cairo
In the previous novella, Stalin’s Hammer: Rome, readers were introduced to Prince Harry as a central figure. He was part of that multinational task force and sent back in time with the rest, although he wasn’t at the center of the first three books. This series, though, is all about him. Since he was eliminated from any possibility of royal succession due to a specific act passed by Parliament, he finds himself recruited by MI-6. He can be the jet-setter going to any number of places where he’s needed and no one will question it, and at the same time make contact with people and get them to trust him.
He’s sent to Cairo with his girlfriend, former embedded reporter Julia Duffy, to make contact with a German rocket scientist he helped extract at the end of World War II. The professor has dedicated his life to peace and is at a peace conference in Cairo. However, he is acting strangely and MI-6 is worried his knowledge will fall into Soviet hands.
The most valuable thing Stalin gained from the future was knowledge. He’s not about to let what happened to the Soviet Union in our timeline happen again. At the end of World War II, he made a big land grab in southeast Europe and is now working on a weapon that might ensure Soviet domination. MI-6 and other organizations know something is up, but aren’t sure just what it is.
I found Stalin’s Hammer: Cairo to be a great thriller. It’s got plenty of action and intrigue with Prince Harry and Julia at the center of it. There are other “uptimers” as these people from the future are called involved in the action and intrigue as well. Some we met in previous books, and some are new characters. Admiral Kolhammer is now the Vice President of the United States and several others are in strategic positions to try to steer the future to what they want. There are several people in this current time who have managed to fare quite well in this new world. One, in particular, is Charlotte, an orphan of the war in the Pacific who was adopted by one of the uptimers and learned their ways. She’s part of a covert freelance team headed by one of Harry’s buddies.
The descriptions of the weaponry go right over my head for the most part, but fans of books with these types of descriptions will love them. The characters are great and have good depth to them. The characters who have been seen before in the series are great and the new ones are also great. Even though it’s a relatively short book, it does a lot in a little space. The political situation in Egypt is ripe for exploitation from within and that sense is conveyed without extraneous material.
Overall, I wouldn’t jump into this series unless you’ve read the first three novels, but Stalin’s Hammer: Cairo continues the story quite well and adds in great intrigue and action. For readers who like alternate history, I can’t recommend Burmingham’s work enough.
Book 3 - Stalin’s Hammer: Paris
Prince Harry now out of the British line of succession but is working with MI6 as someone who can hide in plain sight. With his girlfriend, former embedded reporter Julia Duffy, he traveled to Cairo to make contact with a former German rocket scientist that the West wants to keep out of Soviet hands. However, that operation went sideways, and at the opening of this book, we find him and Julia captives of the Soviets, along with the scientist.
There is more intrigue here as agents in Great Britain and the United States are catching on to what Stalin is attempting to do. His greatest realization from the future was the history that hadn’t happened yet, and he’s taking steps to try to correct the mistakes the Soviets made that led to their downfall. One, in particular, is an orbital space weapon that will allow them to dominate. When the United States suddenly loses a majority of its satellites, they realize Stalin is making his move and must scramble to try to stop him in time.
This novella trilogy has been a great bridge between the end of World War II and what will likely be World War III. Birmingham does a great job setting up the political intrigue as well as the conflicts between the nations. There’s more going on behind the scenes with the “uptimers” (those who came back from the future) acting together despite national boundaries. Admiral Kolhammer is now Vice President of the United States but has people in strategic places around the globe who are loyal to him and who can be relied on to respond at the right moment. This is exactly what is about to happen in Paris.
Behind the scenes, a mercenary who survived the massacre during which Harry and Julia were kidnapped is making a play to rescue them. It’s a good aside as Harry isn’t as involved with the story here as he was in the last two novellas, but rescuing him is necessary to keep what he knows out of Soviet hands as well as keep him from being a hostage. The characters have followed through really well from the initial series, which is why I can’t recommend starting here. Readers really need to go back to the beginning and start the series with Weapons of Choice. It’s hard to really grasp who everyone is without that as Birmingham doesn’t regurgitate the whole backstory of each character when they appear. The political intrigue, however, is really great for this tense time of confrontation.
It’s said at the end of this book that Birmingham is continuing the story into World War III trilogy. This was published in 2016, and there are no signs that those books are coming, however. The problem is that waiting so long allows readers to forget who is who, which was a problem I faced when I started these three novellas. I went back and re-read Weapons of Choice just to get a brief synopsis of who was who before I tackled these three books. Birmingham has kept the characters consistent and interesting, but it’s also hard to remember who everyone is after too long between books (and especially if you are an avid reader of alternate history.)
That said, though, Stalin’s Hammer: Paris is a great continuation of the series and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. The technology may go over my head at times, but there’s enough there that I can understand why the weapons are intimidating and warranted. It’s a Tom Clancy-style thriller with some science fiction thrown in.
All in all, Stalin’s Hammer: The Complete Sequence is a great short story collection that expands on the world of John Birmingham’s the “Axis Of Time” trilogy. I would definitely recommend these novellas for lovers of alternative history or military techno thrillers.
April 13, 2017
Maybe its because I didn't read the original Axis of Time books but I found this very slow to start off, though by the end it got much better. Birmingham has an eye for the detail of close combat; knows a thing or two about martial arts, and military strategy and history, and this is reflected in his writing. The characters are little more than cardboard cutouts however; lacking much in the way of real depth. I guess that's also a side-effect of this being the continuation of a story I never started.
That all said the premise itself is fun, the characters are entertaining, and the action feels satisfying. I'll probably go back and read the originals.
That all said the premise itself is fun, the characters are entertaining, and the action feels satisfying. I'll probably go back and read the originals.
February 6, 2017
Interesting mix of alternative history with some real and fictional characters and pop culture references. Witty writing with action, fights, explosions, shooting and a cliff hanger or two. Can be read without reading the three previous axis of time novels, will make you want to read them as well though.
May 5, 2018
Unusually fun for a sequel to a satisfyingly completed trilogy. Glad I read it; find myself looking forward to another one. While this may be sort of "science fiction alt-history comfort food," it was really fun to read. I think I begin to see a little shift towards focus on downtimers(to use a Ring of Fire term), which would be a good shift if this series is to continue.
September 10, 2018
Another enjoyable book in the Axis of Time Series. Good to catch up with the characters now dealing with the Cold War. Always wonder what the Royal Family thinks of Prince Harry being an action hero. Would have given it a 5 but I thought the ending was a bit quick. 4.4
November 20, 2023
Take this review with a grain of salt. I'm not an Axis of Time fan, nor am I a fan of alternate history novels in general. If you enjoyed other books in this series, then there is a good chance you will enjoy this one as well.
If I had to sum up this collection in one word, it would be "cringe." I spent most of this book wondering if it was a joke. I don't think it is, but every time I try to describe it to someone, it sounds like a comedy. Watch this:
A time traveling Prince Harry has become a James Bond figure in alternate 1953. Stalin is still alive, his health barely maintained by modern medicine. He's building missile satellites and looking at an iPad. Someone mentions that a young Stephen Hawking is already receiving gene therapy. These things, and more, are supposedly possible because a modern aircraft carrier was transported into the past through a wormhole. More than once, Prince Harry describes someone applying a "Judo Choke", evoking...I think unintentionally...a fairly well-known joke from Austin Powers. Numerous people make Star Wars references.
See, all of that sounds like it would be hilarious. Instead, it's played as some kind of straightforward spy thriller exploring some serious "what if" scenario. I'm willing to accept that a modern aircraft carrier went back in time and that its technology, data, and the expertise of its crew change history. I'm not willing to accept that this is the result.
Look, I don't want to be mean, but I'm sorry. This seems like a book by and for grown men who, despite having never been in a fight, have made self-defense their entire personality. A huge percentage of the text is dedicated to people assessing combat situations and choosing the appropriate course of action. I want to be clear here. You may have read that as "taking" the appropriate action. Oh no. It often takes as much as a paragraph to describe actions that a character DIDN'T take.
Harry didn't know how many bullets he had in his gun. He didn't check the magazine because he suspected that the moment he did, he'd look up to see the muzzle of a submachine gun in his face.
Oh. Well, then I guess I'm glad he didn't do that? Every bullet, gun, night vision goggle, or other piece of military surplus gear collected by gun nuts is described in excruciating detail. Various martial arts are name dropped. There's a scene where the story stops dead to explain Judo training etiquette. There is even a part where two women fight and one unironically tells the other that her kung fu is better than the other woman's kung fu. Afterwards, the victorious woman assumes a seiza position to gather herself because she was a prisoner of the Japanese Imperial Army, and she took what she needed from the experience, including Bushido. I had such second-hand embarrassment reading this section that I actually put the book down for a moment.
The author makes no attempt to have people from the past talk like people from the past unless it is to use a now-unacceptable slur. He does make a lot of jokes about people from the past not understanding corporate jargon. But anything that might require actually researching trends in language beyond things "you can't say these days" is totally absent.
But worst of all, it's just boring. If it's supposed to be funny, then it needs fewer slurs, descriptions of prison camps, and women regretting abortions. The plot could be summarized in three sentences. Nothing of any importance happens between the very beginning and the very end. It's just scene after scene of lazy stream-of-consciousness descriptions of the author's James Bond fan film that has yet to find financing.
If I had to sum up this collection in one word, it would be "cringe." I spent most of this book wondering if it was a joke. I don't think it is, but every time I try to describe it to someone, it sounds like a comedy. Watch this:
A time traveling Prince Harry has become a James Bond figure in alternate 1953. Stalin is still alive, his health barely maintained by modern medicine. He's building missile satellites and looking at an iPad. Someone mentions that a young Stephen Hawking is already receiving gene therapy. These things, and more, are supposedly possible because a modern aircraft carrier was transported into the past through a wormhole. More than once, Prince Harry describes someone applying a "Judo Choke", evoking...I think unintentionally...a fairly well-known joke from Austin Powers. Numerous people make Star Wars references.
See, all of that sounds like it would be hilarious. Instead, it's played as some kind of straightforward spy thriller exploring some serious "what if" scenario. I'm willing to accept that a modern aircraft carrier went back in time and that its technology, data, and the expertise of its crew change history. I'm not willing to accept that this is the result.
Look, I don't want to be mean, but I'm sorry. This seems like a book by and for grown men who, despite having never been in a fight, have made self-defense their entire personality. A huge percentage of the text is dedicated to people assessing combat situations and choosing the appropriate course of action. I want to be clear here. You may have read that as "taking" the appropriate action. Oh no. It often takes as much as a paragraph to describe actions that a character DIDN'T take.
Harry didn't know how many bullets he had in his gun. He didn't check the magazine because he suspected that the moment he did, he'd look up to see the muzzle of a submachine gun in his face.
Oh. Well, then I guess I'm glad he didn't do that? Every bullet, gun, night vision goggle, or other piece of military surplus gear collected by gun nuts is described in excruciating detail. Various martial arts are name dropped. There's a scene where the story stops dead to explain Judo training etiquette. There is even a part where two women fight and one unironically tells the other that her kung fu is better than the other woman's kung fu. Afterwards, the victorious woman assumes a seiza position to gather herself because she was a prisoner of the Japanese Imperial Army, and she took what she needed from the experience, including Bushido. I had such second-hand embarrassment reading this section that I actually put the book down for a moment.
The author makes no attempt to have people from the past talk like people from the past unless it is to use a now-unacceptable slur. He does make a lot of jokes about people from the past not understanding corporate jargon. But anything that might require actually researching trends in language beyond things "you can't say these days" is totally absent.
But worst of all, it's just boring. If it's supposed to be funny, then it needs fewer slurs, descriptions of prison camps, and women regretting abortions. The plot could be summarized in three sentences. Nothing of any importance happens between the very beginning and the very end. It's just scene after scene of lazy stream-of-consciousness descriptions of the author's James Bond fan film that has yet to find financing.
December 30, 2021
Stalin is madder than a hatter, and determined to make sure that the Soviet Union will not fail as prophesied by the uptimers who upset the apple cart of history in the Axis of Time trilogy.
This series of 3 connected novellas, set in 1955 tell the story of how WWIII is just about to happen. Rome (divided a la Berlin), Cairo (still lorded over by King Farouk) and Paris (which is inexplicably rainy) are the locales for the hi-jinks which are largely espionage and fire-fight based.
Our heroes are newly ninted MI6 operative Prince Harry (now an ex prince courtesy of the 1948 Act of Succession which excluded uptimers from the British throne) and his main squeeze Julia Duffy (American journalist rather than actress, but a kick-ass partner who'd not suit the stuffy British Royals or the English tabloids). They are ably assisted in their exploits by mercenaries who resemble Test Cricketers, and Russian Agent Pavel Ivanov as they pursue a German Scientist Bremmer whose knowledge will be crucial for weapons development. Their chief nemesis, Stalin's fixer Skarov is a looming presence throughout the story, one which none of the protagonists can quite neutralize.
It is fun, a touch implausible (our heroes are incredibly lucky for instance) and makes for good holiday reading - fast paced and a fine page turner. Best not take it too seriously.
There are hints that World War 3.1 might be in the works soon (an excerpt of the prologue published in June 2020 on the author's website)
This series of 3 connected novellas, set in 1955 tell the story of how WWIII is just about to happen. Rome (divided a la Berlin), Cairo (still lorded over by King Farouk) and Paris (which is inexplicably rainy) are the locales for the hi-jinks which are largely espionage and fire-fight based.
Our heroes are newly ninted MI6 operative Prince Harry (now an ex prince courtesy of the 1948 Act of Succession which excluded uptimers from the British throne) and his main squeeze Julia Duffy (American journalist rather than actress, but a kick-ass partner who'd not suit the stuffy British Royals or the English tabloids). They are ably assisted in their exploits by mercenaries who resemble Test Cricketers, and Russian Agent Pavel Ivanov as they pursue a German Scientist Bremmer whose knowledge will be crucial for weapons development. Their chief nemesis, Stalin's fixer Skarov is a looming presence throughout the story, one which none of the protagonists can quite neutralize.
It is fun, a touch implausible (our heroes are incredibly lucky for instance) and makes for good holiday reading - fast paced and a fine page turner. Best not take it too seriously.
There are hints that World War 3.1 might be in the works soon (an excerpt of the prologue published in June 2020 on the author's website)
December 21, 2023
A bit bogged down as Spy vs Spy
What draws me most to time travel reads is culture clashes, clash of ideas and viewpoints aa well as marvel and surprise at what technology can do--- between the people of the reaident time and the people time traveling.
Here there's a big portion of the book that just boggs down in spy thriller sort of action and for me that takes away from the other element that I like so much.
Another thing that I makes me doubt the author's grip on what's plausible and what's not is his penchant for wokeism driven girl power. Any martial artist will tell you that it's not that easy to break someone's neck, especially if it's a woman doing the breaking. If you saliviate on this sort of representation of girl power then Stirling is for you. For me it's so much more of the line of bullshit she-fu and waifu promoted by wokeists like Strling.
Been doing martial arts and rolling around mats for a?lot of years. Really get disgusted when what we do gets unrealistic potrayal of this sort.
What draws me most to time travel reads is culture clashes, clash of ideas and viewpoints aa well as marvel and surprise at what technology can do--- between the people of the reaident time and the people time traveling.
Here there's a big portion of the book that just boggs down in spy thriller sort of action and for me that takes away from the other element that I like so much.
Another thing that I makes me doubt the author's grip on what's plausible and what's not is his penchant for wokeism driven girl power. Any martial artist will tell you that it's not that easy to break someone's neck, especially if it's a woman doing the breaking. If you saliviate on this sort of representation of girl power then Stirling is for you. For me it's so much more of the line of bullshit she-fu and waifu promoted by wokeists like Strling.
Been doing martial arts and rolling around mats for a?lot of years. Really get disgusted when what we do gets unrealistic potrayal of this sort.
September 20, 2022
Fun speculative fiction
I read Birmingham's Axis of Time trilogy years ago, one of the first Kindle books I ever read, and enjoyed it immensely. Kind of an expanded Final Countdown concept, a modern US Naval task force finds itself transported back to WW2. This is a logical extension of that, set in 1955, and shows how that event changed the present and potentially the future. Stalin didn't die of a stroke in 1953 and is planning a Star Wars kind of attack on the US and NATO countries. Good plots, good characters, lots of action and back story. Birming ham delivers again.
I read Birmingham's Axis of Time trilogy years ago, one of the first Kindle books I ever read, and enjoyed it immensely. Kind of an expanded Final Countdown concept, a modern US Naval task force finds itself transported back to WW2. This is a logical extension of that, set in 1955, and shows how that event changed the present and potentially the future. Stalin didn't die of a stroke in 1953 and is planning a Star Wars kind of attack on the US and NATO countries. Good plots, good characters, lots of action and back story. Birming ham delivers again.
June 29, 2020
A reasonable short story trilogy, not as good as the original Axis of Time novel trilogy, but it does set it up nicely for a return to the better novel format for world war three. Worth reading if you enjoyed the originals and very much looking forward to the next part.
Ray Smillie
Ray Smillie
September 29, 2020
A Rollicking Read!
Fab alternative history. A tad unbelievable, but, hey, you’ve got to expect that in this series! A great read and exciting right up until the end of the epilogue.
Fab alternative history. A tad unbelievable, but, hey, you’ve got to expect that in this series! A great read and exciting right up until the end of the epilogue.
March 3, 2022
Lengthening a good story.
Birmingham’s alternate reality is once again totally engrossing. The only problem is, I like these people, and I don’t know what happens next. Come on Sir, we want a sequel!!
Birmingham’s alternate reality is once again totally engrossing. The only problem is, I like these people, and I don’t know what happens next. Come on Sir, we want a sequel!!
December 1, 2025
Excellent
I bought 3.1 not realising this mini series existed so, I stopped reading 3.1 and read all of SH. Brilliant. Thoroughly enjoyed the Prince Harry and Julia Duffy relationship. It really added to the story as far as I’m concerned.
I bought 3.1 not realising this mini series existed so, I stopped reading 3.1 and read all of SH. Brilliant. Thoroughly enjoyed the Prince Harry and Julia Duffy relationship. It really added to the story as far as I’m concerned.
July 5, 2018
Not as good as the first trilogy but a fun read and a good transition to the next one.
July 28, 2018
Birmo at his action-packed best, as the time-lost Harry Wales (Prince Harry, in our timeline) gets involved in the early maneuvering of an alternate World War Three.
February 25, 2019
Fun series. Enjoyable alt reality.
April 24, 2024
This was a very good continuation "The Axis of Time." Mr. Birmingham has done a great job reintroducing us to favorite characters.
August 13, 2025
Bloody awesome.
JB does not disappoint. Couldn't put it down. Can't wait for the next books in this modern epic.
Bring on World War 3.1!
JB does not disappoint. Couldn't put it down. Can't wait for the next books in this modern epic.
Bring on World War 3.1!
March 8, 2017
A thoroughly enjoyable return to the Axis of Time. Looking forward to more of this quality writing and adventure.
January 12, 2020
I read the first ebook, and thought why stop there, so I waited and when the Stalins Hammer 1-3 grabbed it, read it and loved it. It was just the right mix after the original trilogy.
July 12, 2017
AoT 2.4, 2.5 and 2.6 combined in one edition, setting up for WW3.1. Can't wait for this new series
April 14, 2017
This is an excellent continuation of Birmingham's World War series, which is my favourite of all of John's books. This was originally published as three separate shorter books - Rome, Cairo and Paris (of which I had read only Rome) .
These stories are set some 10 years after the original trilogy finished at the end of the Second World War, and the uptimers are more integrated and the world, unsurprisingly, has developed along a very different path.
Whereas the first trilogy was a war series with strong science fiction elements, this is basically a classic Cold War spy story - the advanced technology brought from the 21st century is present but isn't as integral part of the story as in the initial trilogy.
I am eagerly anticipating the next books in this series.
These stories are set some 10 years after the original trilogy finished at the end of the Second World War, and the uptimers are more integrated and the world, unsurprisingly, has developed along a very different path.
Whereas the first trilogy was a war series with strong science fiction elements, this is basically a classic Cold War spy story - the advanced technology brought from the 21st century is present but isn't as integral part of the story as in the initial trilogy.
I am eagerly anticipating the next books in this series.
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