Into the storm: destroyermen

Anderson's outstanding first novel combines alternate history and seafaring in a way that recalls S. M. Stirling's splendid Island in the Sea of Time trilogy. Two U.S. four-stacker destroyers on the run from the Japanese in the spring of 1942 sail into a mysterious squall. The USS Walker emerges upon an alternate earth, where the dinosaurs were never wiped out. One savage sapient race, the Grik, has evolved from the raptors; another, from lemurs. The latter becomes the allies of the castaways in parallel time, and together they prepare to fight the Grik, solve some of the mysteries of this world, and find the missing second destroyer. There may be points, probably few, at which naval buffs will raise their eyebrows, but the nonstop action will speed nearly all readers past them. That action works out in the context of extremely high-level achievement at both world building and characterization. It's safe to say that the series this book launches is going to go places for starters, into the hands of all seafaring-sf fans.--Green, Roland Copyright 2008 Booklist

Forensic archeologist Anderson uses fascinating, little-known historical details to bolster his debut tale of modern marines transported to a parallel world where dinosaurs still roam. Whisked away in the midst of battling the Japanese in the early days of WWII, Lt. Cmdr. Matt Reddy, captain of the USS Walker, finds his ship, crew and passengers suddenly involved in a very different war between the peaceful mammalian Lemurians and the vicious, raptor-descended Grik. Reddy must support his crew through the loss of their home world, teach the Lemurians to use steel and steam and keep a sister ship, commanded by a delusional army captain, from falling into the claws of the Grik. Paying homage to such tales as A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, Robinson Crusoe and William R. Forstchen and Greg Morrison's Crystal Warriors, Anderson expands on familiar concepts with high-tension nautical battles and skillful descriptions of period attitudes and dialogue. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

The four-stacker destroyer, USS Walker, played a part in World War II. Here, as Lt. Commander Matthew Patrick Reddy's first command ship, the destroyer plies the waters of the South Pacific in search of Japanese submarines. When a particularly vicious battle forces Reddy to retreat, the enemy pursues the ship through a heavy squall. Surviving the storm, the crew finds itself in strange waters, filled with monstrous fish. Likewise, dinosaurs stalk the lands known as Borneo and Madagascar. Two sentient races have evolved enough to war against each other: the catlike Lemurians and the raptorlike Grik. Reddy and his crew must choose which group to side with. Anderson's alternate history debut combines a love for military history with a keen eye for natural science. Reddy is a likable protagonist, epitomizing the best of the wartime American military. This series opener belongs in larger libraries and will appeal to fans of military sf. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Anderson's outstanding first novel combines alternate history and seafaring in a way that recalls S. M. Stirling's splendid Island in the Sea of Time trilogy. Two U.S. four-stacker destroyers on the run from the Japanese in the spring of 1942 sail into a mysterious squall. The USS Walker emerges upon an alternate earth, where the dinosaurs were never wiped out. One savage sapient race, the Grik, has evolved from the raptors; another, from lemurs. The latter becomes the allies of the castaways in parallel time, and together they prepare to fight the Grik, solve some of the mysteries of this world, and find the missing second destroyer. There may be points, probably few, at which naval buffs will raise their eyebrows, but the nonstop action will speed nearly all readers past them. That action works out in the context of extremely high-level achievement at both world building and characterization. It's safe to say that the series this book launches is going to go places—for starters, into the hands of all seafaring-sf fans. Copyright 2008 Booklist Reviews.

The four-stacker destroyer, USS Walker , played a part in World War II. Here, as Lt. Commander Matthew Patrick Reddy's first command ship, the destroyer plies the waters of the South Pacific in search of Japanese submarines. When a particularly vicious battle forces Reddy to retreat, the enemy pursues the ship through a heavy squall. Surviving the storm, the crew finds itself in strange waters, filled with monstrous fish. Likewise, dinosaurs stalk the lands known as Borneo and Madagascar. Two sentient races have evolved enough to war against each other: the catlike Lemurians and the raptorlike Grik. Reddy and his crew must choose which group to side with. Anderson's alternate history debut combines a love for military history with a keen eye for natural science. Reddy is a likable protagonist, epitomizing the best of the wartime American military. This series opener belongs in larger libraries and will appeal to fans of military sf.

Forensic archeologist Anderson uses fascinating, little-known historical details to bolster his debut tale of modern marines transported to a parallel world where dinosaurs still roam. Whisked away in the midst of battling the Japanese in the early days of WWII, Lt. Cmdr. Matt Reddy, captain of the USS Walker , finds his ship, crew and passengers suddenly involved in a very different war between the peaceful mammalian Lemurians and the vicious, raptor-descended Grik. Reddy must support his crew through the loss of their home world, teach the Lemurians to use steel and steam and keep a sister ship, commanded by a delusional army captain, from falling into the claws of the Grik. Paying homage to such tales as A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court , Robinson Crusoe and William R. Forstchen and Greg Morrison's Crystal Warriors , Anderson expands on familiar concepts with high-tension nautical battles and skillful descriptions of period attitudes and dialogue. (June)