I enjoyed this book more than the first one, probably just because I was better at keeping all the characters straight. I thought the battle scenes were great, especially the U-boat operations, the tank-busting by the ace Junker pilot, and the Panzer team in action against the Red Army in Poland. On the other hand, the characters in this book stay pretty shallow, and when it's a new face every five pages it's hard to get emotionally involved. I kept asking myself questions like:Will French Sergeant Demange just shut up and die of lung cancer already?Why can't that nice German pilot just have a drink and shut up already?Won't Peggy Druce please, please, please, die already? Girlfriend, you make Rhoda Henry from THE WINDS OF WAR look like Joan of Arc!Why can't "Papa" Ernest Hemingway take young Joaquin Delgadillo to the bullfights?Isn't Sergeant Hideki Fujita allowed to do something more than complain that "the higher ups don't understand?" Some martial arts combat for this man, please. Paging Mr. Miyagi!Pete McGill, your Russian girlfriend is a slut. Wake up, Devil Dog! She's done this before! Are you really a Devil Dog, or just a puppy dog? Having been disappointed by the first book in this series, The War That Came Early: Hitler's War, I had no great expectations for the second tome. But, having been well entertained by Turtledove's Worldwar Saga series of five books, I still had some faith in his writing. I rated the first book two stars and will give this one two and three fifths. There is some improvement as the plot gains in complexity; there is increased suspense and the reader gets more involved with characters carried over from the first book. Every character in combat seems to have their own agendas albeit they are sadly one-dimensional. The lack of respect in the line of command is a nagging theme. Jews are strategically interwoven in almost every scenario. Members of every race, nationality and political ideology--other than their own--are disdained, despised and disparaged by everyone. Curiously, in that regard, members of the black race is spared the deprecatory venom. Could it be that Turtledove is influenced by modern day political correctness?Again, I was puzzled why the writer chose to keep most of the scenarios in the trenches, tanks, planes and U-boats. The book would have been much more dynamic and suspenseful if he had included the goings-on in the upper echelons of decision making. Actual historical characters are only alluded to but virtually absent (one page of Hitler making a phone call).Otherwise I refer to my review of the first book. Like the first, this is how I think the second book could have been made better: 1. An introductory summary of the actual historical facts for the locations and the timeline covered by the story. 2. Each chapter of the book being headed by a timeline (e.g. April 1938 to July 1938). 3. Each section of every chapter being headed by stating the location of events. 4. At a minimum ten percent of the book presenting historical figures--what they said, thought and did. 5. More involvement of civilians impacted by the politics and combat. 6. More interweaving subplots and-- especially towards the end--some of the characters from the different scenarios meeting and interacting. 7. Some sketchy maps of where the action is happening.
What do You think about West And East (2010)?
An excellent read masterfully done by Harry Turtledove; it makes me want to get the next book!
—horsegirl
Really good, Harry really does create characters we care about on both sides of the war.
—emkeitrii
I had to stop because I couldn't get into it. it jumped between characters too often.
—tonayy
