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Harry Turtledove
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Worldwar: In the Balance (Worldwar, 1) Audio CD – CD, March 8, 2010

by Harry Turtledove (Author), Todd McLaren (Narrator)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 163 ratings
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War seethed across the planet. Machines soared through the air, churned through the seas, crawled across the surface, pushing ever forward, carrying death. Earth was engaged in titanic struggle. Germany, Russia, France, China, Japan: the maps were changing day by day. The hostilities spread in ever-widening ripples of destruction: Britain, Italy, Africa...the fate of the world hung in the balance. Then the real enemy came. Out of the dark of night, out of the soft glow of dawn, out of the clear blue sky came an invasion force the likes of which Earth had never known-and worldwar was truly joined. The invaders were inhuman and they were unstoppable. Their technology was far beyond our reach, and their goal was simple: Fleetlord Atvar had arrived to claim Earth for the Empire. Never before had Earth's people been more divided. Never had the need for unity been greater. And grudgingly, inexpertly, humanity took up the challenge. In this epic novel of alternate history, Harry Turtledove takes us around the globe. We roll with German panzers, watch the coast of Britain with the RAF, and welcome alien-liberators to the Warsaw ghetto. In tiny planes we skim the vast Russian steppe, and we push the envelope of technology in secret labs at the University of Chicago. Turtledove's saga covers all the Earth, and beyond, as mankind-in all its folly and glory-faces the ultimate threat; and a turning point in history shows us a past that never was and a future that could yet come to be.
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  1. Language
    English
  2. Publisher
    Tantor Audio
  3. Publication date
    March 8, 2010
  4. Dimensions
    6.4 x 1.6 x 5.3 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    1400113946
  6. ISBN-13
    978-1400113941
  7. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"This intelligent speculative novel depicts an alternate history in which, at the height of World War II, Earth is attacked by alien beings with weapons far more destructive than any possessed by the Allied or Axis forces." ---Publishers Weekly

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Tantor Audio; Unabridged CD edition (March 8, 2010)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1400113946
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1400113941
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 3.56 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.4 x 1.6 x 5.3 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 163 ratings

About the author

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Harry Turtledove

Harry Turtledove

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Harry Turtledove is the award-winning author of the alternate-history works The Man with the Iron Heart; The Guns of the South; How Few Remain (winner of the Sidewise Award for Best Novel); the Worldwar saga: In the Balance, Tilting the Balance, Upsetting the Balance, and Striking the Balance; the Colonization books: Second Contact, Down to Earth, and Aftershocks; the Great War epics: American Front, Walk in Hell, and Breakthroughs; the American Empire novels: Blood & Iron, The Center Cannot Hold, and Victorious Opposition; and the Settling Accounts series: Return Engagement, Drive to the East, The Grapple, and In at the Death. Turtledove is married to fellow novelist Laura Frankos. They have three daughters: Alison, Rachel, and Rebecca.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
163 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Bugsy123
5.0 out of 5 stars A no spoiler (plot wise anyhow) review
Reviewed in the United States on September 12, 2019
As with 99% of Turtledove this is an excellent read.

One of the most impressive things to me is that unlike some stories (even ones with much fewer characters) I never have trouble keeping track of who's who. It's something I wish other authors would master.

I'm also a fan of his characters and their solidness. So many other books have someone suddenly do something ridiculously out of character, just for the sake of the plot. I can always see his character's reason (even if the character is been stupid) for something.

As to the story... It's a cool concept and I think well done.

Slight (non plot) spoiler warning:

One problem with interstellar invasion of Earth books (set anytime but the future) is that anybody who can get from one star to another should be able to beat us. Really really easily. Interstellar travel is pole vaulting, defeating an aircraft carrier is dropping a pencil...

I've seen several "gimmicks" used to get around this... This series uses one of the best and well thought out I've seen.

Btw I'm going to use this basic review for the whole series.

Bottom line: I think the whole Worldwar series is well worth getting.
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KES
4.0 out of 5 stars A great page turner - clever and readable
Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2015
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A great page turner - clever and readable. Turtledove obviously has a wonderful ability to weave fiction and fact. I read all four books fairly quickly. It looks as though there's at least one more book that could come out of the plot line.
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Ensitue
4.0 out of 5 stars A bit wordy
Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2024
The action takes a back seat to the endless political pontificating of the numerous characters
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jpg1960
3.0 out of 5 stars The rest is fun.
Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2018
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Just rip out the Judaica and shred it. The rest is fun.
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Robin Sutton
2.0 out of 5 stars Two Stars
Reviewed in the United States on February 28, 2016
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The story is fascinating from a spec fiction point of view but the writing continues to be poor
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Top reviews from other countries

S. Brook
5.0 out of 5 stars Aliens try to take over
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 12, 2021
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Great read if you want action it is a little slow but part of the series that must be read
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Raceral
4.0 out of 5 stars Exciting Book
Reviewed in Canada on August 30, 2017
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Exciting book by Turtledove, well worth a read.
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Mishka
5.0 out of 5 stars Each book gets better than the last
Reviewed in Australia on October 13, 2018
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Turtledove continues to weave a masterful tapestry of inter-stellar proportions. His characters are both monstrous and likeable often at the same time.
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Frank
4.0 out of 5 stars Well-written, engaing
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 28, 2023
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I ike the realistic characters and the story which keeps drawing me on.
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Aaron Mullan
1.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing
Reviewed in Australia on October 20, 2019
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The concept is interesting which is what led me to purchase it.
But the characters are cliche annoying and some of their story arcs are boring, seemingly become irrelevant to the main story and a chore to read. I actually found myself skipping parts of the book to get to something more interesting. I persevered with the series hoping it would get better but this was just not for me.
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