Rating: 
Summary: fun and essential, but not as engrossing as the first
Review: I have been eagerly waiting for this book since the first one came out, and it was worth the wait, but if you haven't read Island in the Sea of Time read it first or you will be lost. I was surprised by the jump of eight years, but in retrospect it makes sense, though the way the scenes in the first chapters shifted in time as well as place can be confusing--I found myself going back to the chapter headings to keep on track. The people are just as fascinating as the first book, though there is a shift of emphasis to the military and, with the primary focus shifting to Greece and Sumer, the main characters on Nantucket get little coverage. Walker continues to shine as one of the best villains I've ever read: smart, ruthless (but intelligently so) and aware of his own weaknesses. He certainly isn't any worse than most of the rulers of the time and better than many. His wife is still as twisted as ever, but Stirling was a little more discreet about it, for which I was grateful. Overall, this book fills the same position in the trilogy as The Empire Strikes Back does for Star Wars: incomplete without the other two, without as much action, but needed to set things up for the big blowout (the next book looks like it will be the first world war, with fighting from Spain to Egypt).
Rating: 
Summary: Fascinating, but suffers from "middle-of-trilogy" syndrome
Review: I thought the first book in this series, "Island in the Sea of Time," was superb, and looked forward to this sequel eagerly--I pre-ordered it about a month before the actual publication. And I enjoyed the book, as I expected. There are flaws. As a previous reviewer pointed out, there are severe editing snafus in the book. Also, the characterization seemed weaker than in the previous book. The best fleshed-out character in this book is the villain, Walker. But watching the sweep of events makes this an enjoyable book, even if the characters are not as deeply-drawn as we might wish for. I'd have liked a more detailed accounting of events, especially of the rationale for the one major action Tartessos takes in the book. For fear of spoilers, I won't say what it was, but I will say that the reasoning behind it has eluded me....Finally, the failure to resolve things is a bit frustrating, even though essential in the second of three books. Read it and enjoy it, but do read the first book in the trilogy before getting this one!
Rating: 
Summary: Weaker middle book in great series
Review: Inexplicably cast back into the Bronze Age, the New England island of Nantucket is attempting to preserve modern technology and democratic traditions, but it isn't easy. Although Nantucket and its proto-British allies defeated the renegade Walker in his first attempt to set up a kingdom of his own, Walker has escapted to Myceanian Greece where he is hobnobbing with Agamemnon and the wily Odysseus. His ally in Phoenecian Spain, is also adapting modern technology and poses a threat to the Island republic. New allies are critical and the Island turns to Babylon. After battling the Assyrians, the epic battle heads toward modern-Turkey--toward Troy. In the meantime, back in North America, Nantucket authorizes a Lewis and Clark-like exploration of the largely depopulated continent, and Nantucket engineers experiment with breech-loading rifles to replace the flintlocks that gave them initial advantage over their opponents. AGAINST THE TIDE OF YEARS is the second book in a trilogy following the exploits of the residents of Nantucket. No longer fighting for their lves on a daily basis, Nantucket has used its technology to carve out a protectorate. Unlike Walker, who provides technoogy broadly to his people, Nantucket hoards its technological advantage using 'locals' as spear-catchers for the most part, with a stiffening of regular troops behind them. A lot that made the first book in the series so powerful is lacking by the timeframe in this second novel. The island is rich, has adapted much of its technology to available resources, and is able to use all of its thousands of residents to further its military and economic goals. Walker, with his handful of renegades, becomes more admirable than an enemy. I sense that author S. M. Stirling has ambiguous feelings about Walker himself. Although his relationship with the sadistic Alice Hong and his tendency to rape and enslave keep him on the evil side, the man is spreading technology that Nantucket hoards, is developing close friendships with the locals (beyond the marriage to local nobility-friendships that seem Nantucket's only way of going local), and is honorable in his own way. Indeed, AGAINST THE TIDE OF YEARS comes alive largely when Walker is on the stage. Middle books are hard, and it would be hard to write a sequel to the powerful ISLAND. With plenty of action, a number of characters familiar to everyone who's ever read Homer, and well researched and detailed technology introduction, AGAINST THE TIDE OF YEARS is certainly worth reading.
Rating:
Summary: Engrossing
Review: Against the Tide of Years is S. M. Stirling's second novel in an ongoing series whose core is a group of modern Nantucket Yankees learning to cope with the Bronze Age. Compared to the first volume (Island in the Sea of Time) there is less tension, less anxiety over their survival, and thus a less involving read. In part this is because a much longer period of time is covered (hence the story becomes episodic, and laced with flashbacks to a parallel story), the stage expands to the Mediterranean and Near Eastern world, and the many new players are more civilized (fundamentally less exotic) than in the first story. The revival of near-modern skills happens a little too easily now, usually off-stage, with little dissension, and excessively focused on (19th century) military technology to wow the enemy (and us). Fascinating new characters appear, but the crucial women receive only flesh wounds. Here the renegade Yankee deserter, Walker, who was such a threat in the first novel seems actually a rather decent chap while he is enslaving Agamemnon and the world of Homeric pre-Classical Greece (and his first wife's now-comical Sadism proves that sin is ultimately boring)! In some ways this volume is just marking time, setting up the initial situation for the climactic battles with Walker and his Iberian ally. (Then of course there is Africa and China, if Stirling would only continue his intriguing world.) This is definitely a series to be read only from the start.
Rating:
Summary: A new standard in alternate history novels. Excellent.
Review: AGAINST THE TIDE OF YEARS, the second book in S.M. Stirling's Nantucket trilogy, is a riveting, delightful, novel of war on a global scale, of people in love, and of great deeds and high adventure. It is also an exploration of the nature of sacrifice, the concepts of duty and honor, and each person's responsibility for each other. It's not an overstatement to say that along with its predecessor, it sets a new standard in the alternate history genre of SF. It is one hell of a read. In the first novel, ISLAND IN THE SEA OF TIME, the island of Nantucket off the Massachusetts coast is inexplicably thrown three thousand years back in time. The Coast Guard cutter EAGLE, near Nantucket at the time, goes with it. The people of the island deal with this miraculous event and start to build a community. Jared Cofflin, the town Sheriff, is made Chief Executive of the small nation. Marian Alston, Captain of the Eagle, heads its armed forces, which everyone thought were not going to be necessary for a while. Then William Walker, a junior Coast Guard officer, steals a ship, weapons, and technology, and takes off for Bronze Age England to make himself king of the world. Nantucket raises an army, travels to England, and defeats him in battle, though he escapes to the mainland with his small group of evil rebels. In AGAINST THE TIDE OF YEARS, it is eight years later. The fledgling Republic of Nantucket(RON) has achieved economic stability and is pushing into the American continent, while maintaining close relations with the Fiernan and the Sun People of the British Isles. Walker has traveled to Greece, where he's become a favorite noble of King Agamemnon. As Walker's political and military power grows, it becomes clear he's preparing for a war of conquest. The Republic of Nantucket decides it's time to stop their wayward sociopath, even if it means war. Thus a series of global conflicts begins, in which RON establishes a treaty with Babylon takes part in the siege of Troy, in which Nantucket defends itself on the ground and on the high seas in a pitched naval battle. The brother-sister team of Kathryn and Kenneth Hollard, career soldiers both, are dispatched to Babylon to offer military aid and instruction. They find themselves quickly mired in a full-scale war as well as the political intrigue of Babylon itself. While the fighting and the strategy is interesting, the best parts of the book are the living characters who inhabit its heart. Marian Alston and her Fiernan lover Swindapa are complex people. Loving parents, excellent soldiers, deeply committed, and just plain fun. William Walker is a depraved portrait of evil. The truly chilling thing about him is his humanity--he loves his children, he takes care of his people. If he weren't a mass-murdering sociopath, he'd almost be likeable. As you can tell, AGAINST THE TIDE OF YEARS is a bit complex; it is also a delight for anyone who has ever studied history, for anyone who enjoys a good love story, for anyone who enjoys military strategy, and for anyone who likes a good book. I can't recommend it enough. --Marshall Moseley
Rating:
Summary: Yawn
Review: I like the premise, but this book drags on way too long...
Rating:
Summary: Go, Nantucket!!!!
Review: This is the second of SM Stirling's sweeping Nantucket saga. While it lacks a little of the appeal of the first part "Island in the Sea of Time" it is nonetheless a solid and enjoyable novel. What can I say but that I went to great trouble to secure the entire set in Hardcover, which is a rare compliment.
Rating:
Summary: a well done sequel
Review: This is the first book I ever read by S.M. Stirling. I was pleasantly suprised with the caliber of the writing. He chose a difficult historical period to work with, and he handled it well. I only found one serious historical error - distaffs are not actually used to put twist in yarn. A spindle is the tool to put twist in yarn, a distaff holds prepared fiber. This error, like the other errors of fact in the book could easily have been inserted by an overexcitable copyeditor. The plot is not simple, the number of characters is rather large, and the action shifts around quite a bit. The scene shifts are noted at the beginning of each chapter, and they help keep the reader oriented. I would have preferred that the scene shifts be noted when the scene changes, but that is another minor quibble. The scene changes are handled so that is not necessary. Enough of what I don't like *g*. The book starts in the middle of things, and just zooms along. The characters are introduced clearly, as are the situations. Even though it is the second book in a series, everything is laid out so that the series can be begun with this book. It is clear that Mr. Stirling made some compromises on how quickly the Nantucketers could ramp up industrial production, but it's handled well. You don't notice that they all would likely have died of food poisoning, starvation or from a serious industrial accident until about the third or fourth time through. Even there, you can argue that the characters could have gotten lucky and that they had the necessary experts to handle such problems. All in all the book is very enjoyable, and the writing is very well done.
Rating: 
Summary: This could never happen
Review: Although the first book was at least plausible (if one accepts the premise of the "Event"), this one was absurd. How is it possible that the RON wins every battle it fights, losing not one commander? The weaponry Stirling uses (essentially Civil War-era) resulted in extremely large amounts of command-level casualties. While Commodore Alston is wounded a great many times, she somehow never dies or is even permanently wounded. Her perfection, as well as that of every general officer of the RON, gets annoying and totally ridiculous by the time the novel ends. In contrast, Walker's lack of perfection (and his realization of it) makes him the most interesting of the characters, and I find myself rooting for him, although an Islander victory is inevitable the way the books are going. Stirling might as well have killed Walker in Island and saved us the trouble of reading two more books.
Rating:
Summary: I'm ordering another set!
Review: I loved this series. I've lost track of my initial purchases, since I've lent them out to so many people. This is a series I love to read and reread. There's so much depth to the characters and so many different plot threads I notice something new each time. Stirling has done a masterful job at engaging the reader in the "time & place." Those reviewers here who balk at the "PC" correctness they see as prevalent must have a personal agenda. I find it fairly realistic that in this situation of being suddenly thrust into the past, the islanders bring their 20th century values with them. Would they really ignore the contribution the women in their midst are able to make? I don't think so. I'm not a big fan of military fiction, but his descriptions of the battles grip my imagination as much as do his sailing scenes and there I do have a personal reference. He makes better use of the power of smells to evoke memory than any other writer I know. You can smell the woodsmoke, the tang of iron, the dank mud, the clean sweep of the sea. His characters are engaging and believable. I heartily recommend all three books in this series. You'll get hooked! I just hope Steve Stirling continues to add to the three books. He left plenty of loose ends to be picked up and woven into another 3 books.
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