Birmingham, John Disappearance. #bk. 1

Read by Tom Weiner

On the eve of the US invasion of Baghdad, as the world waits for war, a miles-high wave of incredible power cordons a vast area from southern Canada to northern Mexico, wiping 99 percent of the US population from the face of the earth in the blink of an eye. In Seattle, at the very edge of the phenomenon, heroes must rise to meet the unimaginable challenges of food riots, mass panic, and terror. James Kipper, chief engineer of the city, and Caitlin Monroe are on the trail of a Muslim fanatic ready to take advantage of what has become known as the Disappearance. Meanwhile, General Tusk Musso and Admiral James Ritchie are trying desperately to keep the peace in a world gone mad with fear. Gritty, suspenseful, and thought-provoking, Birmingham's audacious geopolitical thriller asks what would happen to the world if America suddenly disappeared. "John Birmingham's ability to seamlessly merge the gritty realism of Tom Clancy with the raw speculation of Michael Crichton is like no other author I've ever read. Brilliant, nail-biting, thoughtful, and excruciatingly pertinent to our times, his latest novel, Without Warning, is simply a tour de force, a true classic in the making. It should be required reading for the entire world." "Delivers all the action and techno-detail that any Clancy fan could wish for." "Like any well-built tech thriller, the actions come fast and hot, ripping the reader along on the ride." "[A]n unusual and intriguing scenario…This well-thought-out alternate history will appeal to fans of hard SF and techno-thrillers." "If you really want to be terrified, consider John Birmingham's Without Warning, an alternate reality in which 99 percent of the US population is wiped out by a mysterious energy force on the eve of the country's invasion of Baghdad." "Narrator Tom Weiner impresses with a broad range of male and female characterizations that reach across several cultures-English, Spanish, Australian, and others. Overall, Weiner's delivery is strong, exacting, and accurate…This is must listening-fast paced and edgy." "A blockbuster…While Birmingham's shocking premise may unnerve some American readers, a story line replete with full-throttle action should appeal to Anglophones everywhere." "An absolutely cracking read that was set to become a classic series."

Mode of access: World Wide Web