All Clear

De: Connie Willis

Narrado por: Katherine Kellgren, Connie Willis (introduction)

In Blackout, award-winning author Connie Willis returned to the time-traveling future of 2060, the setting for several of her most celebrated works, and sent three Oxford historians to World War II England: Michael Davies, intent on observing heroism during the Miracle of Dunkirk; Merope Ward, studying children evacuated from London; and Polly Churchill, posing as a shopgirl in the middle of the Blitz. But when the three become unexpectedly trapped in 1940, they struggle not only to find their way home but to survive as Hitler's bombers attempt to pummel London into submission.

Now the situation has grown even more dire. Small discrepancies in the historical record seem to indicate that one or all of them have somehow affected the past, changing the outcome of the war. The belief that the past can be observed but never altered has always been a core belief of time-travel theory, but suddenly it seems that the theory is horribly, tragically wrong.

Meanwhile, in 2060 Oxford, the historians' supervisor, Mr. Dunworthy, and 17-year-old Colin Templer, who nurses a powerful crush on Polly, are engaged in a frantic and seemingly impossible struggle of their own - to find three missing needles in the haystack of history.

Told with compassion, humor, and an artistry both uplifting and devastating, All Clear is more than just the triumphant culmination of the adventure that began with Blackout. It's Connie Willis' most humane, heartfelt novel yet - a clear-eyed celebration of faith, love, and the quiet, ordinary acts of heroism and sacrifice too often overlooked by history.

BONUS AUDIO: Includes an introduction written and read by author Connie Willis.

Also listen to the first book, Blackout.©2010 Connie Willis (P)2010 Audible, Inc.

Reseñas de la Crítica

• Nebula Award, Best Novel, 2010
• Hugo Award, Best Novel, 2011
• Best SF and Fantasy Books of 2010: Readers' Choice (SF Site)

"By the time the three historians and Mr. Dunworthy have unraveled the mystery and arrived at the full-on, three-hanky finale, you’ll no longer be a disinterested observer. Drawn in Willis’s skillful storytelling, you’ll be back in 1941, wondering what’s about to happen next." ( The Village Voice)

"Katherine Kellgren's delightful English accent is perfect for the many characters she portrays." ( AudioFile)

“As vivid an evocation of England during World War II as anyone has ever written.... You’ll find here a novelist who can plot like Agatha Christie and whose books possess a bounce and stylishness that Preston Sturges might envy.” ( The Washington Post)

The Oxford Time Travel series - so sad it's over!

All of Connie Willis' Oxford time travel books are incredible, including this, the (sob!) last in the book series. To get the most out of them, I recommend you read in this order: Doomsday Book, To Say Nothing of the Dog, Blackout, and All Clear. The first two are free standing works, but the last two are actually one book split into two. You'll appreciate these books much more, however, if you read them all - this is a case where the sum is greater than the parts; major characters and concepts flow throughout the series.

One thing I do find, although this might be my personal issue, is that actually reading these works is better than listening to Audible versions, but only because Ms. Willis writes such intricate books. I find myself constantly backtracking on Audible because I was doing some minor chore and lost focus and missed something. But that's just me, I think. The narrator, Katherine Kellgren, is first rate. She has every accent and dialect down perfectly, and you always know who is speaking. I'd give her a higher than 5 star rating if I could.

A Movie or TV series??!!

Loved these two books! Connie Willis is such a great writer!!
I'd love to see these books on the small or big screen!!

It's so hard to rate this book

I really enjoyed this book...both of them in the series. I feel a definite void now that I've finished. This has been a long time to spend with these characters.

The historical bits were good. The time spent on the theater was a bit much, in my opinion. And I wasn't thrilled with the ending. I still have a question.

I loved the narration. Katherine Kellgren did a fantastic job!

I'm unable to write an accurate review of this. These two books are very different than what I tend to read. But they are good, very good - just hard to explain.

Sci-fi?

This is an excellent historical novel, but not what I would call sci-fi. The time travel aspect is kind of an afterthought added to move the characters around.

Ahh Time Travel

Connie Willis managed the time travel elements of this story with great skill and it was a bit like an Agatha Christie mystery. The description of St. Paul's and the war in England and London was exciting in itself. The plot moved along and the Chapter header quotes were moving. I recommend Blackout and All Clear to time travelers and historians.

great imagination.

Like the premise, great story, had to listen to the whole series!! Sometimes when the story lines get repetitive makes me wonder if the author forgot herself what had gone on previously?

breathtaking!!

Spectacular!!! Ive read the hardcopies and wished desperately for Spielberg to make a movie out of this story!!! but it would need to be a miniseries so as to not cut antlything! Terrific characters, fit seemlessly into gripping history, with more twists & turns than any mystery; I couldnt put it down, even knowing the story!! And the narrator did a magnificent job keeping all the voices straight, natural, and believable!

Improves with time

I really liked this on the first listen. Willis always draws strong characters and the narration is top class. Alf and Binnie are especially notable in both respects.

The book is even better on repeat listening when your brain can shift to trying to figure out whodunnit and can instead lean back and enjoy the construction of the plot. Much like the stories of Agatha Christie, who makes a nice cameo appearance

The research over ww2 made it worth while to listen

So tedious... could be at least 30% shorter and it would actually make it a better book. too many near misses and agonizing over every choice.

What stood out?
The goodness in people, and the vast amount of research that went into these books.


went through it because i was already invested in the story. but i nearly gave up....

Nice conclusion to the story

I'm constantly surprised that I enjoy this series because it is so far departed from what I expected it to be, and what I would normally listen to.

Willis has created a unique historical fiction, that is only superficially sci-fi. At times this is a bit annoying, as a more interest in the mechanics of time travel would have made the plot much more interesting. As it is, this series remains 99% character driven.

These books were captivating enough, but not particularly memorable. I enjoyed the journey but will soon forget about it and will not come back to revisit it.