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Worldwar: Striking the Balance
- Narrated by: Todd McLaren
- Series: Worldwar, Book 4
- Length: 25 hrs and 36 mins
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Genre Fiction
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Summary
At the bloody height of World War II, the deadliest enemies in all of human history were forced to put aside their hatreds and unite against an even fiercer foe: a seemingly invincible power bent on world domination.
With awesome technology, the aggressors swept across the planet, sowing destruction as Tokyo, Berlin, and Washington, D.C., were A-bombed into submission. Russia, Nazi Germany, Japan, and the United States were not easily cowed, however. With cunning and incredible daring, they pressed every advantage against the invaders' superior strength and, led by Stalin, began to detonate their own atom bombs in retaliation.
City after city explodes in radioactive firestorms, and fears grow as the worldwide resources disappear; will there be any world left for the invaders to conquer or for the uneasy allies to defend? While Mao Tse-tung wages a desperate guerrilla war and Hitler drives his country toward self-destruction, U.S. forces frantically try to stop the enemy's push from coast to coast. Yet in this battle to stave off world domination, unless the once-great military powers take the risk of annihilating the human race, they'll risk losing the war.
The fatal, final deadline arrives in Harry Turtledove's grand, smashing finale to the Worldwar series, as uneasy allies desperately seek a way out of a no-win, no-survival situation: a way to live free in a world that may soon be bombed into atomic oblivion.
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What listeners say about Worldwar: Striking the Balance
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- Darren
- 13-12-13
Great story let down by poor narration
Where does Worldwar: Striking the Balance rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
I am grouping the World War series together and as a series they are one of my favourite books.
What did you like best about this story?
The story rolls along at a steady pace, I love the way the Race can't get a grip on us humans, and in my opinion is the best guess on how aliens would see us if they ever landed here.
What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?
I was a little disappointed with the narration, the Todd McLaren does an appalling British accent and I honestly thought that one of the characters was an Australian instead of a Londoner. Also the pronunciation of some words left a lot to be desired didn't anyone proof listen this before it was released.
If you can ignore the rubbish accents and mispronunciation of some words then you will enjoy this series of books.
Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
Some parts of this book made me smile mainly the parts where the Race failed to grasp us ' Big Uglies'.
1 person found this helpful
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- allan spencer
- 04-09-20
great story well read
need to get the next book, so much to continue with, have to research the next
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- Kindle Customer
- 13-07-20
Great books, great reader
Well read, amazing books. Must continue with the rest of the series. What will become of Mankind?
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- James Abernethy
- 12-05-20
Perfect ending!
I am probably in the minority here but often find the beginnings of books, movies and games much more stimulating than then end. This book was amazing and for me was the best of the 4. I found not just the story satisfying but the writing too. Although it had never become a problem, there were moments when Turtledove became unnecessarily wordy and it just spoiled the flow. This part did not suffer that. An almost perfect score over this first series of 4 books. I have avoided looking at details for the next 4 but am really looking forward to them. A good balance of things that I feel have been tied up and the things that set up for the next books. Over the course of this series I love the aspect of the alien technology having parallels to modern technology that we are now only becoming familiar with now that would have been only theory during WWII and some aspects were only pipe dreams when this book was written. It's definitely worth going back to the beginning to remind yourself of the characters you've followed, loved and hated over the course of this journey. Sci-fi is to me what ginger is to the Race, I will definitely be checking out more of his Alternate History works. An almost perfect score over this first series of 4 books. I have avoided looking at details for the next 4 but am really looking forward to them. A good balance of things that I feel have been tied up and the things that set up for the next books.
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- John
- 31-05-15
The conclusion to the series
Really enjoyed it! "Luhans" parts felt a little dull for me. But I still loved the series and this was a good ending for it.
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- Michael Jacobi
- 02-03-15
Great Story Better Narration
I purchased lthe entire Worldwar sweries and found that the story really carried the recording because the narration was really poor, The story was great though, and i eventually got used to the boring narration, When this version arrived I took a chance and bought it. What a difference. Todd McLearn really delivers and makes the story come to life. I have already bought to first two volumes and plan to buy the next one and the "Colonization" series too. That means I will have paid for the same story twice, but the narration here is so much better than the original version that its worthwhile. I highly recommend the series, but you need to be sure you take them in order. It would be a ot easier to do that if they would number them book one, two etc. Get the frst one put on your headphones and prepare to be swept up in a titanic struggle. Will humanity continue to rule itself, or will it suffer the same fate as did the native Americans when they met superior technology at the hands of Cortez and Columbus. Only Harry Turtledove and you will know for sure.
3 people found this helpful
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- my0pinion
- 23-01-12
Good book - Audible STINKS!
Any additional comments?
No where in the description does Audible make it clear this is the FOURTH book in the series...I thought it was the third. Is it really so hard, Audible, to figure out that folks will want to listen to the books in order and that you need to clearly state what that order is in the description?
25 people found this helpful
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- Jason
- 15-02-15
An amazing series a must read if you like syfy/WW2
A great series overall i just wish he had put alittle bit more into the end like what happens to the characters after the war ends
1 person found this helpful
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- Kindle Customer
- 27-07-12
Interesting Idea Never Fulfilled-Entire Series
Spoiler AIert-If you plan on reading the entire series, you may want to skip this review. The idea is interesting and, in the first book, very promising. But as the series develops, some of the characters develop personality aspects that are farfetched if not outright ridiculous. For instance, one character develops the personality of a serial killer without any of the known aspects that make up a serial killer's psyche. One minute, he's a normal guy, the next, he's getting aroused by killing people - no tormented childhood, no psychopathic tendencies. It's ridiculous.
Another problem is all the porn. We don't need detailed accounts of the characters sex lives to move the story forward. We know they had sex, we don't need the graphic details any more than we need to know the length and consistency of their bowel movements. (Thank heaven for fast forward.)
The author, while having a good grasp of the mechanics of the war (dates, battles, names of major players) doesn't seem to be aware of the character of that generation. He puts modern attitudes into mid-twentieth century people and it just doesn't work. It makes me wonder if he knew anyone from that generation. At one point, the humans are gaining the upper hand and they know it, then they just decide to sue for peace. It would never have occurred to that generation to simply stop when they had the upper hand. They didn't think like that.
As the series went on, there was no resolution to the story lines. For some characters, we're simply told they died some time ago. For others, they have one child and no more (definitely not how people, especially that generation, behave after a war).
In conclusion, it appears the author fell in love with his alien characters and simply forgot that there was a story to tell. He wanted to keep his aliens going and write graphic sex scenes and that's about all he did.
I would not recommend this series to anyone. Further, I won't be reading anything else by this author.
4 people found this helpful
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- Fearchild
- 06-11-20
A brilliant idea masterfully expressed
What if World War II suddenly became Worlds War I? Harry Turtledove answers my question with his Worldwar suite. I won’t go into any details because I’m about to start his follow-on Colonization series... and typing on an iPhone sucks.
These excellent stories are skillfully presented and performed by Todd McLaren, so you know your Audible credits will be well spent.
I love science fiction, history, insightful thinking, and cheesecake. Mr. Turtledove has come through with a most wonderful three out of four.
Enjoy.
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- Anonymous User
- 21-09-20
Another great installment
The series continues with some heart gripping moments. If you read the other books you like this one
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- Morgan
- 10-04-20
An excellent ending!
The conclusions to the Race's conquest of Earth is equal parts exciting, heartbreaking, and hopeful!
I can't wait to see the continued story in Collonization.
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- Nathaniel E. Parkinson II
- 06-10-19
Great series
This entire series is brilliantly written and endlessly entertaining.
Todd McLaran is equally brilliant with ONE minor complaint.
He mispronounces Kuo Min Tang as "Coo" Min Tang and
Places the accent in "Adjutant" on the second syllable making "Ah JOO tent" over and over and over.
Drives me nuts...but I'm still buying all four of the Colonisation books.
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- Casey
- 08-08-19
great mash of WWII and sifi fantasy
I'm a first time listener of this author.
I'm impressed with the scope and breath of the world building along with the attention to each character. no matter the race or planet of origin each faction has strong realistic characters that will have you questing who you want to live and die.
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- Chuck Jirsa
- 10-03-19
Good end to a good series
I give credit to the voice acting. Very distinct and yet easily understandable. I just wish there were more books in the series.