Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Weapons of Choice | 2004 | John Birmingham | Buy |
| 2 | Wybór broni | 2004 | John Birmingham | N/A |
| 3 | Designated Targets | 2005 | John Birmingham | Buy |
| 4 | Final Impact | 2006 | John Birmingham | Buy |
| 5 | Stalin’s Hammer 1-3 | 2017 | John Birmingham | N/A |
| 6 | Stalin’s Hammer: Cairo | 2016 | John Birmingham | N/A |
| 7 | Stalin’s Hammer: Paris | 2016 | John Birmingham | N/A |
| 8 | World War 3.2: The Axis of Time | 2025 | John Birmingham | N/A |
A multinational naval task force from 2021, led by the USS Hillary Clinton, is conducting operations near Papua New Guinea when a failed weapons experiment hurls them back in time to 1942. They arrive at the Battle of Midway, and their first contact with the past is catastrophic. Automated defense systems open fire on the American fleet, killing thousands of sailors before anyone understands what happened.
John Birmingham uses this setup to explore how future technology and future knowledge would destabilize the entire war. Both sides scramble to exploit the newcomers. The Allies gain access to advanced weapons but also learn uncomfortable truths about the future, including the Holocaust and the Cold War. The Axis powers capture some of the time-displaced ships and begin reverse-engineering their technology. Japan and Germany adapt faster than expected.
The trilogy covers military campaigns, political maneuvering, and the cultural shock of people from 2021 interacting with 1940s society. Women and minorities from the future fleet face hostility from their supposed allies. The series blends large-scale naval combat with questions about whether knowing the future makes it easier or harder to change.