Review: Five Star with Reservations
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 09 29, 2012
I have given this book a five star rating but with reservations. The first 2/3rds of the book is a solid five star rating.  Good descriptions, characterizations and, although an alternate history story, a very believable story line and a hard book to put down. Then it suddenly becomes very James Bondish and out of the realm of reality. For instance, I can't really  accept that a nurse with only recreational flying experience on single engine biplanes would suddenly be able to steal and fly a four engine heavy bomber.  However,  since by this time a good deal of empathy  for the characters and main plot interest has arisen, I will leave it at five stars.It is  an alternate history but it is not over much so.  In the Second Great War circa 1939-1940s, the British and Americans have Italy as an ally but France, who lost the First Great War in 1915 - 1919, is neutral.  The story concerns this Entente fighting the Three Powers, Germany, Austria and Turkey, in North Africa.  The fighting, tactics and weapons used are very similar to those of WWII. The alternate history mode  gives the author a free hand without being handcuffed by historic fact.The novel is interspersed with alternate history creations, President Wilkie's address to Congress, a letter to Klara Hitler informing her of her son, Adolph's, death in the (First) Great War, etc.  which add a bit of fun.  One also gets a breather from the main story line with biographies of some of the main characters.  These chapters themselves make very interesting reading.I am not a fan of long drawn out fight scenes in novels. Often I will simply skip over them.  But, the battle scenes in this novel held my rapt interest. I really did find it hard to put this book down once I started reading.