Acts of War

By: James Young

Narrated by: K. Caldwell

Length: 10 hrs and 9 mins

Publisher's Summary

"Somehow I doubt that this is quite how anyone expected Adolf Hitler's death to turn out...." - Squadron Leader Adam Haynes, No. 303 (Polish) Squadron

August 1942. London is in flames. Heinrich Himmler's Germany stands triumphant in the West, its "Most Dangerous Enemy" forced to the peace table by a hailstorm of nerve gas and incendiaries. With Adolf Hitler avenged and portions of the Royal Navy seized as war prizes, Nazi Germany casts its baleful gaze across the Atlantic toward an increasingly isolationist United States. With no casus belli, President Roosevelt must convince his fellow Americans that it is better to deal with a triumphant Germany now than to curse their children with the problem of a united, fascist Europe later.

As Germany and Japan prepare to launch the next phase of the conflict, Fate forces normal men and women to make hard choices in hopes of securing a better future. For Adam Haynes, Londonfall means he must continue an odyssey that began in the skies over Spain. American naval officer Eric Cobb finds that neutrality is a far cry from safety. Finally, Rear Admiral Tamon Yamaguchi must prepare himself and his men to fight a Pacific War that is far different than the surprise attack Imperial Japan had once planned but never executed.

©2014 James Young (P)2015 James Young

Beautifully detailed book and amazing performance.

Where does Acts of War rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It is among the best.

What did you like best about this story?

Acts of War: Usurper's War Book 1 combined a detailed knowledge of WWII war equipment and tactics with a story that made you really care about the characters. It was interesting to imagine how events could have been changed by a few key events, and what didn't change.

What about K. Caldwell’s performance did you like?

He effortlessly moved from accent to accent, which allowed you to identify the characters and also put you into the middle of the story. He handled the detailed fighting sequences flawlessly.

Any additional comments?

I really enjoyed this book and look forward to listening to others in the series. I wouldn't call myself a military buff, but this series might change my mind.

I loved the new direction the war went

I love the fact that they went in a different direction with the war. I thought it was great they kept close to the facts but at least changing the outcome.

Learn the words

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

It was OK but there were some minor problems

What other book might you compare Acts of War to and why?

I would buy the next one in the series but it is not on Audible

What didn’t you like about K. Caldwell’s performance?

He did not have the correct pronunciation of several words. For example: corpse man. Obama did it too, but it doesn't make it right. Also, Cavite, fuselage, and some others. He hurries through some action sequences so rapidly that they are hard to follow. There are several unexplained gaps in the recording.

Do you think Acts of War needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Yes, because the story moves along.

Any additional comments?

One more thing: pineapples do not grow on trees

Decent Story - Weak Narration

Mr. Young did his research and understands WWII-era fighting. His writing is crisp and intelligent. As alternate history, he doesn’t dwell on the point of departure, letting the action and characters move the story forward and paint the picture of a different world from our own timeline. My only complaint is that he uses too many characters developed too thinly.

The narrator almost ruins the book. His intonation is decent, but his paving is consistently too fast, especially in describing battle scenes. But his unforgivable sin is his dozens of mispronunciations. I might have forgiven “quay” and “corpsman,” but the word for the leading edge of a ship--in a book about the navy? How in the world does he mispronounce “bow”?