---
product_id: 17255956
title: "Weapons of Choice: Axis of Time, Book 1"
brand: "john birmingham"
price: "$26"
currency: NZD
in_stock: false
reviews_count: 18
category: "Books"
url: https://www.desertcart.nz/products/17255956-weapons-of-choice-axis-of-time-book-1
store_origin: NZ
region: New Zealand
---

# Weapons of Choice: Axis of Time, Book 1

**Brand:** john birmingham
**Price:** $26
**Availability:** ❌ Out of Stock

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- **What is this?** Weapons of Choice: Axis of Time, Book 1 by john birmingham
- **How much does it cost?** $26 with free shipping
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## Description

Weapons of Choice: Axis of Time, Book 1

## Images

![Weapons of Choice: Axis of Time, Book 1 - Image 1](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51UI+GfteAL.jpg)
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## Customer Reviews

### ⭐ 







  
  
    It’s kind of like “The West Wing”.
  

*by E***Y on Reviewed in the United States on December 24, 2018*

Like “The West Wing”, this novel takes place in the alternative universe that progressives retreat into when they don’t get their way. This installment is ripped off from a much-better 1970s movie (The Final Countdown).In this world, the US military is disproportionally staffed with minorities and women, to the point that any positive character exists at the intersection of an oppressed gender and race. The straight white male characters are almost exclusively the violently racist and misogynistic members of “the greatest generation,” who upon meeting their betters from the future, start a race riot and lynch a U.S. Navy Captain for being black and female.The entire gist of this book is that everyone and everything is the past was awful, and the Allies were only shades of gray from being as evil as the Axis. Oh, and war crimes are ok, if they victims are rapists and the war crimes are committed by women in retribution.The flagship is the “USS Hillary Clinton” ffs, and she is described as “America’s greatest wartime president” and a JFK-Style martyr. Her future military is unstoppable due to a combination of high tech, and most of the commanders being female. Diversity truly is our strength!Bonus, the writer has zero idea how the military works on a functional level, and has an embedded war reporters being issued guns and kit a la carts like they’re ordering from Starbucks, then going on to fight alongside (although better, since she is female) than the Marines she is with.The author wrote for Rolling Stone and did an article once on future weapons, so he’s clearly an expert.I wish I could give it zero stars.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    I enjoyed it for what it was [may contain spoilers]
  

*by M***R on Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2017*

When I first read this book, I was not able to put it down, and I must of re-read the chapters concerned the initial battle between the 1942 fleet and the 2021 five times. Quite honestly I'd like to see a competent director put it to film. -- This book isn't without its flaws, but I suppose I liked it as much as I did I wasn't expecting the realism and plausibility of how characters from both eras think, speak, behave and approach the situations. As well as how accurately the battles and the technology is depicted. It definitely doesn't read like a overly imaginative teenager wrote it.Myself being former military, I had lower expectations on the realism of the modern technology. When I saw "2021" on the plot summary; I was initially expecting to read about far-fetched future war technology that neither exists today, nor likely to exist in 2021 for that matter. The first few pages describe the 2021 ships with fictionalized class names like "Nemesis-Class Stealth Cruiser", and an aircraft named after Hillary Clinton... and so already I was fairly skeptical thinking "Alrighty, .I guess I'm really going to have to turn my brain off before this book even starts".Well, I am very happy to say that I was pleasantly surprised. -- What initially seemed like a book I was skeptical of keeping interest in and finishing; turned out to be an intelligently written book where the battles were epically described and entertaining, but also realistic and plausible. It answers the questions of "If the 1942 Midway Fleet got into a all out sea-battle with a present day Naval carrier battle group....how would that happen?"Despite the fictional class names of the 2021 Fleet; the descriptions of the cruisers and destroyers themselves were not unlike the Ticonderoga and Arleigh-Burke class ships we currently have. The capabilities of the so called "Nemesis" array is described very similar to the Aegis Combat System. Anyone unfamiliar with how it works might think its far-fetched. The main difference is an "auto-pilot" like capability where the navigation and fire control can be computer controlled in the event the ship's crew is incapacitated or killed by a biological weapon. -- Which is how things go terribly wrong from the outset. -- The only far-fetched part is the research vessel that accidentally sends the 2021 fleet back. With the fleet itself being very close to a present day carrier battle group than a "futuristic" fleet of ships that doesn't exist yet.Despite the rest of the book afterward....my favorite part that makes it what it is, was the initial battle. It alternates between the point of view of both the 2021 sailors and Marines of the various ships, as well as the WW2 sailors on the different ships in Spruance's Pacific Fleet, who think the former it the Japanese fleet due to the nearest ship being a Japanese Self-Defense Force cruiser. Their thoughts and reactions are very on point as some sailors remark how the ships appear mostly defenseless "with only one 5" gun" being visible, and for a short-time wonder why they aren't fighting back despite Spruance ordering his fleet to open fire. The descriptions of the triple turrets being fired with their flash-bulb effect immediately brings to mind the documentaries of the Battle of Midway. -- While the 2021 crews are either unconscious or very sick with from the effect of the time travel, and unable to perform their duties.When the computerized systems first take defensive action, its told from the point of view of Spruance and the 1942 crews. The book does a great job of painting an unforgettable picture, but to them... the previously unresponsive and 'defenseless looking' mystery ships suddenly send several pillars of white fire that light up the night sky, then blackness, then 20 seconds laters the carriers Yorktown and Hornet, cruisers Portland, New Orleans, Indianapolis, and most of the destroyers are obliterated almost simultaneously with all hands lost. Also seen are impossibly accurate tracer fire that quickly eliminates all of the F4-F Wildcats and Dauntless bombers sent up. -- To the characters, they are unable to process the massacre or the unnamed weapons are seeing; whereas, we the reader have a pretty good idea that the white pillars of fire are anti-ship cruise missiles and the impossibly accurate anti-air are the CIWS. Again, it'd be interesting if someone could make a film of it. -- The only thing is that isn't clear why Spruance's carrier, the Enterprise isn't targeted. The USS Astoria only survives because one of the 21st century cruisers halfway materializes into it.Despite the fact that Navy carrier battle group is sent back to World War 2, to include troop transport ships with a Marine Expeditionary Unit, Abrams tanks, Cobra gunships, Harrier jets; they won't be able to win the war as quickly as one might think. Despite being able to wipe out most of the 1942 fleet, due to it being within visual range of the ships; none of the satellites made the trip back severely diminishing the long-range capabilities; and that before the computerized defenses came online, the 1942 fleet did quite a bit of damage, namely a Dauntless bomber destroying most of the F22s and F35s on the flight deck and the carrier's catapults before the CIWS took over. And last but not least....not all of the 21st century ships ended up in the same place, which is where things really start to get interesting.The only part of the book I'm not sure what to make of, is the whole political one. While I do know that racism, homophobia and sexism were very common in the 1942, I'm not sure whether the author may be overly exaggerating it... or telling it like it really was. The N-word appears over 30 times, which...to each their own, but its why I have my doubts on this series becoming a movie anytime soon. -- That being said, the Commanding Officer of the 2021 Marine Expeditionary Unit is a 6'4 African-American Colonel and the way he handles it and puts a few in their place is rather satisfying: ( "You don't know me yet, so I'll let your disrespect pass...but I know ya know THESE dont ya boy! *pointing to his silver eagles* And you'll respect the uniform of the U.S. Marine Corps or I'll beat that respect into ya!" )There are a few over the top characters like Prince Harry being an British SAS leader or the female NY Times reporter that more of a elite solider than an embedded reporter; but these are fairly minor bits that don't really take away from what I liked about it. I've re-read Chapters 2-8 so many times and it never gets old.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    Great fun and logical as well as fascinating.
  

*by L***A on Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2017*

I love this book.  What I like best is the juxtaposition of the future with the past and the impact that future tech and social mores have on WWII society.  I have read this book and its sequels more than five times.Birmingham has a good grasp of history and his "spin off" history is logical and well thought out.  This is my area of history, WWII, emphasis on POWs.  I have given this book to several people and they all liked it very much.The novel begins with a tech accident.  And that accident actually leaves a couple of important questions hanging.  When you read the book you will understand what I am talking about.In any event a disparate naval group from 2025 [or whatever year], including all "allied" nations ends up smack dab in the middle of the Battle of Midway.  Much havoc ensues until someone figures out that neither group, the WWII navy or the future navy, are fighting who they think that they are fighting.The best, for me, parts of this story is how history changes.  There are several bits that are so real that I could actually see them laid out before me.  In addition, Birmingham brings in "real people" and the juxtaposition of mores and attitudes and then and now is not just interesting but fascinating.This book is fun.  And it is logical.  There are a few bits that I thought were too fluid, but given that Birmingham was moving the story along, I swallowed my protests and enjoyed the ride.Do the Allies win the war?  How does History change?  Does History actually change?  Do they drop the Bomb?  And something that made me laugh was the asides about "copyright law."  Who owns books or movies that were made in the 2000's?  What do you do about royalties?  Little bits like that add to the realism and the fun.Oh, and another thing I thought was fun was people from the "now" meeting their "heroes" not to mention their grandparents and great grandparents while they were still young.

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*Product available on Desertcart New Zealand*
*Store origin: NZ*
*Last updated: 2026-03-08*