Final Impact
“The action is nonstop, the characters very real – and very different from each other – and, to coin a phrase, it makes you think.” – S. M. Stirling, author of Island in the Sea of Time
In the year 2021 a multinational fleet–experimenting with untested weapons technology–pitched through time, crash-landing in 1942. The world is thrown into chaos as Roosevelt, Hitler, Churchill, Tojo, and Stalin scramble to adapt to new, high-tech killing tools, and twenty-first-century ways of war.
For “uptimers” like Britain’s Prince Harry and the men and women who serve aboard the supercarrier USS Hillary Clinton, war is a constant struggle with their own downtime allies, who are mired in ignorance and bigotry.
As the Allies counter the Nazi assault and set off for the coast of France, Japan begins to buckle, soon every battle will be played out in a lethal dance of might and intelligence, unholy alliances and desperate gambles, and each clash will be fought with the ultimate weapon; knowledge from the future.
Thanks to the historical records, all sides know that two superpowers will emerge, while the losers will be pounded into submission. But time has shifted on its axis, so none know who will survive, or how peace will take hold in a world turned upside down. These are the questions that John Birmingham brilliantly answers in his critically acclaimed adventure of war and imagination.
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John Birmingham
John Birmingham is an Australian author whose work blends history, speculative fiction, and an unflinching look at human resilience. With a knack for writing high-octane thrillers and thought-provoking dystopian narratives, Birmingham has made a name for himself as a writer unafraid to push boundaries—whether exploring the devastating consequences of alternate history or tackling the existential chaos of the modern world.
Birmingham's storytelling career began with a unique mix of commentary on the absurdity of life and an exploration of what happens when the world as we know it suddenly shifts. His Axis of Time series, which imagines a world where a modern naval fleet is transported back in time to World War II, was one of his early forays into mixing historical events with speculative twists. The series not only captivated readers with its thrilling action sequences but also sparked conversations about the nature of war, power, and humanity's ability to adapt.
Axis of Time
Axis of Time consists of six books. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.
