Tilting the Balance (Worldwar, Book Two)

Turtledove doesn't always write well. Sometimes he can get bogged down in the minutiae of all his knowledge, I think, and the story drags. Not so in the World War series. I am learning more about WWII, and enjoying it as well. The characters are excellently portrayed, and Turtledove really gets into their minds. He can balance out a multiplicity of characters, keeping them all separate and easily understandable, unlike say Robert Jordan in his fantasy series. And Turtledove really sees it from the perspective of each of his characters! Male or Female, Chinese or Russian, Human or mythical lizard, he's done his research, and projects himself in a believable way into the mind of each character, so we see the characters come to life and act true to life. This story continues the fight of the ware to end all wars. Turtledove uses the standard of this genre of multiple stories progressing at once, switching between them soap opera style. There are times when the story does bog down a little, but there are so many stories going on at the same time that one can breeze through that section to move on to the next more exciting part. And this isn't just one subject, as some alternative history gets into. There is military conquest, love and romance, cultural anthropology- there are a number of different themes progressing concurrently through the text, to satisfy any reader's whim. So far, I would definitely recommend the series.

As with the previous novels, Turtledove shows his talent for getting inside the minds of very different characters.If you are even consering not buying this, it is probable that you haven't read the previous bood, because they are addictive page-turners. Buy all the books in the series and enjoy.

It dosen't matter if your not intrested in war you will get caught up and you'll never be able to put it down. You must get the whole series and you'll read it and you'll like it.

After beginning this book I could not put it down. The suspense that had been building throughout the series was coming to a magnificent climax. The allies and the aliens were destroying city after city, and both sides were getting desperate. The use of actual historic personalitites in alternate-history roles draws mild humor into the book. Where else but in this series could you find aliens addicted ginger? Turtledove paints a fantastic picture that produces a feeling of reality in the reader. After reading this novel I had to reread the series to appreciate the magnitude of the conflict that the author created. This book is a grand close to a truly fantastic alternate-history series.

Often in a series of novels, the first is the strongest while the others offer a less satisfying read. Not the case with this second entry into the World War series. The power of the initial invasion has faded and the long struggle is engaged in earnest in this volume. The invaders are faced with unexpected opposition in the most unlikely places. Among the humans, unlikely heroes emerge. Strongest among the heroes is Heinrich Jaeger, a colonel in the Wehrmacht. Jaeger finds it difficult to accept the unthinking compliance required of him by his Nazi masters, but he is a man of honor who will fight for the survival of the human race against impossible odds, no matter what the personal cost. He is capable of great physical heroism and has a depth of character that questions blind obedience. He grows beyond the nationalistic self interest still evidenced among the fighters of Earth. As the struggle continues, a strange phenomenon occurs among the fighting forces. Each side finds itself drawn closer to the other, not in ideology, but in the details of day to day survival. Both sides are changing as the conflict continues. Neither remains as it was in the beginning. Turtledove's insightful prose strips away the mask of "heroism" to examine the soul beneath the warrior's mask. What he reveals there is a startling examination of the individual spirit. This is not to say that the book lacks action. Far from it. The battles are drawn with stark clarity and heroes die easily at the hands of an enemy. He has also managed to create a credible foe for the human forces, despite their "alien" nature, with a complexity of character that makes the prolonged struggle believable. Some of the "bad guys" grow to be admirable in their own fashion. The skillful blending and bending of history with a strong narrative is sure to capture interest. Add to that characters you really grow to like and respect. The result is a strong second part of the series that demands to be followed to its conclusion.