The Foresight War: alternative WW2 novel

The Foresight War

A novel of an alternative World War 2 by Anthony G Williams

What if – you went to sleep as usual in 2004 – and woke up in 1934?
What if – you had vital knowledge about the forthcoming Second World War, and could prove that you came from the future?
What could you do to affect British policy, strategy, tactics and equipment?
How might the course of the conflict be changed?
And what if there was another throwback from the future – and he was working for the enemy?
The novel follows the story of these two 'throwbacks' as they pit their wits against each other. A very different Second World War rages across Europe, the Mediterranean, Russia, the North Atlantic and the Pacific, until its shocking conclusion.

This book may be purchased online, or very shortly in paperback
To read the first chapter and for ordering details, click on my website link below.

Tony Williams: Military gun and ammunition website and Discussion forum

 

Alternate histories

Ahh, what we on the various boards could do the screw up the timeline (or may have already - you'll have to read 'The Proteus Operation' by James P Hogan to understand what I mean but think 'multiple universes') :smok:

From the back cover of ‘The Proteus Operation’ by James P Hogan, it involved time travel, WW2 and Hitler,

‘Utopia was achieved in the 21st Century. But even in a world of prosperity and freedom there were malcontents. They called themselves Overlord, and their possession of time travel gave them the ability to change the past and shape the future according to their twisted desires. They built a time gate, then picked a crucial turning point in the previous century and travelled back to transmute an obscure figure on the lunatic fringes of German politics into an invincible conqueror. His name: Adolph Hitler. By the 1970’s, only North America and Australia remained free, but time was running out and both would soon be faced with a choice of surrender or nuclear annihilation.

Then a ray of hope arose: American agents learned of the time gate, and smuggled technical information and defecting experts out of Europe. By 1975, the crash project – code name ‘Proteus’ – ordered by President John F Kennedy had successfully built a second time gate. Threatened with annihilation at any time, the Americans take the desperate measure of sending a team back to 1939. Their mission: stop Overlord before its agents give Hitler the weapons that will hand him the world on a silver platter!


Overlord's machine being fusion powered could go back fron 2026 to 1926 while Proteus's being fission powered could only go back from 1975 to 1939.

Will have a look at the link

Perhaps an 'Alternate Universe' section is called for on the board.

 

Re: Alternate histories

Well, it sounds much fun but I have a few objections to this cover summary...
A. Why is it always Americans that save the world. In the given scenario, the Australians are also still free, as are the Canadains and Mexicans; why don't they save the world.
B. Darn it, the guys misspelled Adolf Hitler again. Why can't they do that right for a change.
C. Why send people back to 1939 when Hitler was already firmly in power and couldn't nearly as easily be removed. By a little adaptation there you could send them back to 1933 when stopping Hitler shouldn't be too hard...

I have read stories of similar ideas once that were absolutely fascinating, however, so I will probably check this one out. One of those stories I read featured a kind of "time police" that used time travel to "maintain the current flow of history", that is to wipe out any possible sidetracks that could change the present. It involved the assassination of George Washington before he could help form the US... Some have different ideas about the current flow of history.

Another one involve "time deportation": moving people who don't like the present to the past to be rid of them...

 

I thought the Hogan book sounded familiar - I've just checked my bookshelf and I have a copy.

IIRC Poul Anderson did a Time Police book - one of the great originals of SF, he was.

Tony Williams: Military gun and ammunition website and Discussion forum

 

Now available in paperback from amazon.com, amazon.co.uk or from the publishers. See http://www.authorsonline.co.uk/New/Syno ... BookID=385

TW

 

I must admit I read chapter 1 & got hooked.
I'm awaiting the postman

 

Me to - Tony you may have some questions later on.

 

Re: Alternate histories

Maybe because they buy the books?

 

:lol:

That must be it!

 

More probably because they had the required population, wealth & industrial base to achieve it...

 

My copy has finally arrived!
(bloomin' Amazon :angry: )
Now I just need the time to read it...

 

Good book and congratulations on geting it published - the various battles and strategies would probably generate quite a few heated discussions on these boards.

Cant say too much on the boards as there are some who may still be reading it.

 

Very interesting...
I do like how you managed to get Hitler to accept & listen to his 'advisor' - I was wondering how that would work!

The only bit I'm not convinced of is the Battle between the RN & the Japanese fleet - I'd have thought that in a night time engagement the radar equipped force would enjoy a much greater degree of success (like the battles in the Med with the Italians in real life). Plus - surely the RN would not have been daft enough to get into a gun duel wih the Yamato?

My advice - get this book! Very worthwhile.
And I'm not even getting any commission per copy sold

 

Sorry for the delay in responding - I missed the posts!

Thanks for your comments. The balance of advantages between the Japanese and British fleets would have been interesting. Yes, the British radar was an advantage, but in compensation the Japanese gunners (especially early in the war, before the quality reduced) were very highly trained, especially in night fighting. And much of the battle took place in daylight anyway.

No doubt the RN would have preferred not to face the Yamato in a gun duel, but if it was imperative to stop the enemy (as it was in this case), the RN tradition was to go into the attack regardless of the odds. Somerville was not optimistic, despite having six new battleships under his command.

Tony Williams: Military gun and ammunition website and discussion
forum