Rating: 
Summary: Extremely frustrating
Review: I greatly enjoyed the first two books of this series but found the conclusion to be a maddening, frustrating letdown. Perhaps that's because the book doesn't give the reader the same looks that the previous books did at how the displaced Nantucketers adapt to their situation and improvise various technological improvements, perhaps that's because of the ultimately pointless and tedious subplot involving the frontier explorers, perhaps that's because Swindapa is more annoying than Jar Jar Binks and Lucy from "The Practice" cubed, perhaps that's because Stirling contrives to make characters use the title of the book in conversation no less than three times, perhaps that's because the ending is as anticlimactic as John Wayne Bobbit must be these days, perhaps it's a combination of the above factors. I don't know. What I do know is that I will be avoiding any additional sequels to this trilogy that started well enough with a nifty premise but fell to pieces in the home stretch.
Rating: 
Summary: On the Oceans of Eternity
Review: Being a military historian I enjoyed the book, and the series. It shows well the Bronze Age. There were no "nice people" at that time. Civilizations were chewing each other up for land and resources. It is for that reason I did NOT find the ending rushed or contrived. Poisoning one's enemies was common during that time. I would have liked to have seen the "villains" to be defeated honorably (especially Hong), but sometimes reality doesn't end that way (ex Hitler, Mao, Ho). Nor did I mind women as infantry. When you have a small population, you use everybody available. Not PC, just simple survival in a harsh world. Looking for the next installment.
Rating:
Summary: A quibble or two
Review: I agree with the readers who feel that this book had a contrived ending. For example, Arnstein living with Odysseus instead of being slowly tortured to death by Hong, after babbling out everything he knows, is clearly ridiculous. But, hey, this is fantasy. I have a physiological quibble with integrating females into the infantry. As the US experience has shown, the only way that women can be integrated into the Army is by drastically reducing physical fitness standards: physiologically, women are simply not capable of the same level of physical strength, etc, as men. To have completely integrated combat infantry units, especially given how heavy a combat load they would have to carry, is just stupid. Similarly, female sailors on a 19th century sailing ship! Again, women do not have the upper-body strength to do this type of work. It makes sense to have women pilots flying the ultralights--less weight=greater ultralight performance--or manning (sorry, womynning) the dirgible. It also makes sense having them in intelligence, logistics, or any other rear-area function but not in frontline combat units. Before any outraged American feminist starts sharpening her daggers, let me point out that it was Martina Navratilova--arguably the greatest female tennis player of her generation if not of all time--who pointed out that any of the top 100 male seeds could beat her in straight sets. Its sad to see Stirling, of all people, giving in to this kind of PC nonsense.
Rating: 
Summary: Mixed and Disappointed feelings
Review: Was hoping for a better ending to the trilogy than what happened. Didn't we keep reading because we wanted Walker and (at least for me) Hong to get theirs? It was way too much.. " and then the battle was over" As another reviewer mentioned, when I got down to 75 pages I realized that Stirling was going to cheat and rush the climax. Although it is blatently obvious that another book (or even trilogy) is potentially in the works, don't think I'll bother. (Could Marian really survive another war?)
Rating:
Summary: Still too much to follow... and make sense of
Review: Well, I finished it. And I still mourn the lost stories of the years between Island in the Sea of Time and Against the Tide of Years. Perhaps Mr. Stirling can fix that :) Or maybe fanfic! Like AtToT, there are a lot of characters, history, geography, politics to keep track of. Actually way too much for me. There is so much ground to cover, and an emphasis on history and geography, that character depth remains shallow. That's why I've found his last two books in this trilogy less than satisfying. I'm a character reader... and the characters and situations from Island in the Sea of Time enchanted me. I still read that book over and over to remind myself that Stirling can write character depth.
Rating: 
Summary: Story telling at its best!
Review: Once again Stirling shows that he ranks right alongside Turtledove in the alternate history genre. If you are reading this you probably already read the book, but if you haven't, stop reading this and go out and get it. No need for me to synopsize, as that has already been done, but I must say that Stirling knows how to write a combat scene and shows, throughout the series, that he knows a great deal about the brotherhood of arms. Further, Stirling seems to know from whence he speaks regarding firearms... The fact that the armed forces of The Repubic of Nantucket are using copies of the Colt Python as their standard sidearm speaks well for Stirling, as the Python is the finest revolver ever produced. I look forward to the next installment.
Rating:
Summary: I hope this isn't the end
Review: I enjoyed Islands in the sea of Time, and Against the Tide of years better, but this was a good one, too. Stirling set up a continuation of the story, but it could end with this one, too. I hope he writes more in the series as it is one that I look forward to future installments of. I'm particularly curious about what happens to Vicki Cofflin and Company.
Rating:
Summary: If only life was really this ordered...
Review: After waiting for #3, I was left feeling somewhat cheated. First, the capabilities of the RON are EXCEPTIONAL (gross understatement). I felt that should there be a fourth or fifth treatise, it will have the RON military armed with phasers and photon cannon and fighting Walker's progeny in space (a la Stone Dog's). Their manufacturing capability and mass production was just not realistic given the industrial base and available skilled labor. It reminded me of the heroine in "Clan of the Cave Bear' who seemed to single-handedly invent post-neolithic society. Walker's demise was too pat and neat and it seemed like after years of brilliant conquest he had a sudden attack of the 'stupids'. Some additional nit-picking: why didn't they use the screw propeller on their ironclads instead of the more vulnerable paddlewheels ? They apparently had the technical capability based upon other accomplishments. Anyways, given the teaser at the end, I'm sure we will see more stories in this franchise.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointed
Review: I was really expecting an ending to this trilogy that befit the action of the first two volumes. I was upset at the way this book ended...I mean, the resolution was kind of weak...and did anyone else catch the Draka-like qualities in this book that Stirling has presented in his other novels?
Rating:
Summary: Take a sail on the Oceans of Eternity
Review: In the book _On the Oceans of Eternity_, S.M. Stirling wraps uphis trilogy set circa 1250 B.C. when the modern day island ofNantucket is mysteriously transported back in time. Readers will find more of Stirling's complex and well developed characterization, meticulousy researched historical information, and exciting battle scenes. I thought the further development of characters such as Isketerol of Tartessos and George McAndrews was well done and added flavor to the series. And while some have said that the ending is rushed or anticlimatic, I found it to be a refreshing change from the standard speculative fiction wrap-up. All in all, an excellent piece of work.
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