Final Impact (novel)

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Title Final Impact
Author John Birmingham
Country Australia
Language English
Series Axis of Time
Genre(s) Alternate history, Science fiction
Publisher Macmillan
Released January 2007
Media type Print (Paperback)
Pages 368 pp
ISBN ISBN 0-345-45716-1
Preceded by Designated Targets

Final Impact is the third volume of John Birmingham's Axis of Time trilogy.

Contents

[edit] Plot summary

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Picking up two years onwards from the end of Designated Targets, Final Impact is the last novel in the Axis of Time trilogy. The Big Hill has been refurbished and is to head back into battle, with Admiral Kolhammer back in command. Many characters have died in the intervening time period, from FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, by his own hand to Commander Dan Black, one of the main characters of the story who asks for a return to combat and dies during the retakeover of Hawaii, when his plane crashed during take-off from Muroc Airfield, California. D-Day has begun a month early and the Third Reich is crumbling as the Allies invade France. Paul Brasch (who is now a Major General) cover is blown and is extracted by the British. Hitler has a seizure and suffers permanent brain and muscle damage, with the T4 program in mind and believing it is for the good of the Reich, Himmler suffocates him. The USSR re-enters the war on the Allied side and surges through the Western Front and the Eastern, having used the intervening two years to train huge armies as well as outfits their troops with advanced technology, including AK-47s and Mig-15s. However before a full scale invasion of the Home Islands of Japan can begin, the Soviets drop an atomic bomb on the Polish city of Łódź.

In response Himmler authorizes the use of anthrax in an unsynthesized form which will hang around for months halting a Russian advance. The USSR takes another blow when a massive kamikaze strike cripples their Pacific Fleet.

The Allies have by now completed the Manhattan Project which has been delayed for several months as too create an illusion that The Allies have a large stockpile of bombs. Berlin is attacked by three nuclear weapons and is obliterated. The Soviets also destroy Tokyo killing the Emperor. The Axis Powers give in to unconditional surrender but the damage has been done. The USSR has pushed into Asia securing gains as far as Vietnam as well as taking half of Japan and in Europe the USSR has gone around Germany and has taken all of Eastern Europe including Greece & Italy as well as the Middle East to secure Afghanistan. With the war over, most of the main characters move into the private sector and start anew.

[edit] Historical characters featured

[edit] British Commonwealth

[edit] Germany

[edit] Japan

[edit] USA

[edit] USSR

Axis of Time
v • d • e
General Major Events Specific articles Characters

• Weapons of Choice
• Designated Targets
• Final Impact
• John Birmingham

• The Transition

• Sanctions
  » Sanction_Four
• Special Administrative Zone
• UNPROFLEET
  » USS Hillary Clinton
  » 82nd Marine Expeditionary Unit
• Metal Storm

• Admiral Phillip Kolhammer USN
• General J Lonesome Jones USMC
• Captain Karen Halabi RN
• Captain Jane Willet RAN.
• Captain Mike Judge USN
• Colonel HRH Harry of Wales
• Julia Duffy
• Minor Characters
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