Against the Tide of Years

By: S. M. Stirling

Narrated by: Todd McLaren

Length: 21 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's Summary

In the years since the Event, the Republic of Nantucket has done its best to re-create the better ideas of the modern age. But the evils of its time resurface in the person of William Walker, renegade Coast Guard officer, who is busy building an empire for himself based on conquest by technology.

When Walker reaches Greece and recruits several of their greater kinglets to his cause, the people of Nantucket have no choice. If they are to save the primitive world from being plunged into bloodshed on a 20th-century scale, they must defeat Walker at his own game: war.

©1999 S. M. Stirling (P)2008 Tantor

I've Finished the entire series

and I am richer for the experience. These travels back through time somewhat reminiscent of Weber's Safehold series are such an enlightening mix of history and science fiction. Nantucket citizens of the present are cast back 30 centuries into the past privileged to forge a brave new world. The characters are unexpected time travelers. Who would conceive of a black woman admiral in command of the Nantucket navy doing battle with the ancient Greeks and Egyptians led by one of the most evil characters ever brought to life in literature? I cheered her victories out loud. 75 hours of relentless interest. What a great series. Buy this and you won't be disappointed if you would love to change the past.
This third installment got quite a bit more tedious than the first two installments covering too much territory and too many battles as the characters got lost in the action. But I suppose it was difficult to avoid. I loved the first two books and merely enjoyed most of the third.

9 of 9 people found this review helpful

You can't beat this series

I loved this series when I read it in papareback and loved hearing the voices come alive even better. You will not be dissapointed, But you wil have to buy all three, LOL.

10 of 12 people found this review helpful

Okay story but it dragged for me

This is hard to put into words... The story was pretty good but I guess it just dragged on too long. It wasn't interesting enough to make me want to listen to it every chance I could get. It is long to begin with, about 21 hours; but it look me over 6 months to finally listen to the entire book as I would find myself not really caring if I listened to it vs. music in my car.

This became more evident to me after finishing this book as the next book I listed to (from OSC) I zipped through in a week. Then another, and another, as I was more compelled to listen - and found I wanted to listen to these next books; while driving, doing dishes, late at night, etc. This wasn't the case for Against the Tide of Years unfortunately. So I guess I'm bailing on the 3rd book. The thought and detail that went into the story is amazing and I liked the premise. I'm not saying it's bad, but for me it just didn't keep me on the edge of my seat.

3 of 4 people found this review helpful

BOOK GOOD, BUT JUMPS AROUND TOOOOOO MUCH!!!!!!!!!

Would you listen to Against the Tide of Years again? Why?

I ENJOYED THIS S.M. STIRLING BOOK, BUT NOT AS MUCH AS THE CHANGE SERIES, I STILL LISTEN TO IT AGAIN EVERY FEW MONTHS. LOVE THE ESCAPE FROM THESE WORRIED TIME IN WHICH WE LIVE

What was one of the most memorable moments of Against the Tide of Years?

THE CHALLENGE OF CHANGING HISTORY

What about Todd McLaren’s performance did you like?

JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

NO

Any additional comments?

IS THERE EVER GOING TO BE AN END TO THE CHANGE SERIES SAGA?

2 of 3 people found this review helpful

Amazing Series for an Apocalyptic Nut

SM Stirling keeps you on the edge with baited breath rooting for the good guys of Nantucket and loathing William Walker and Alice Hoang.

Todd McLaren does a masterful job of narrating this story and the Emberverse story line (Dies The Fire).

After listening to all 3 books in this series (each at least 5 times), I would love to see it continued with Alston and Swindapa’s daughters, Coughlin and Martha’s children and Walker’s spawn.

great book, I wish there was a pause

Loved everything, my only complaint is: a lack of pause between sections in the same chapter.

great but jumped all around

authour jumped around a lot from one setting to another making it a little confusing

Great story.

loved the story. would love to see a more definite break between settings. got confusing sometimes

One of the best alt-history books ever.

This series is superb. If you like "Yankee in King Arthur's Court" style time travel, this is prime material.

decent

I've read a lot of SM Stirling. If you like alternative history, you'll like this. He does a better job of sticking to the story arc than he does in the Emberverse series.

Fifth time

I must have read the paperbacks already four times. The Audible books are better with excellent naration