1939.com.pl book review

[Anatoli]

Just finished listening to a very entertaining audiobook which is about a Polish reconnaissance battalion from the year 2007, that is field testing a new device made by the Americans which is supposed to work as a ballistic projectile shield. While the battalion is field testing the device with their American allies something goes wrong and they find themselves thrown back to September 1st, 1939 - just when the invasion of Poland is starting.

Check the full review on my blog:
http://anatolisgameroom.blogspot.com/2012/02/1939compl-book-review.html

[joroas]

Sounds like an awful film I saw once, where a modern Japanese Self-Defence Force Unit finds itself back in the time of the Samurai .........

[Galland]

Ehum, polish pride and all that?

[Anatoli]

Not really, as they don't win the war with a single 500man battalion 
After all they only have a handful of tanks and 4 helicopters to cope with the still numerically and at the time of 1939 technologically superior Wehrmacht.
Indeed the story continues after the capitulation in September 1939 in the next book, half the battalion join the home army and the rest of the survivors and the Americans leave through Romania.

The story is not really much of a flag waving contest. Though if you want to talk "pride", there are countless Hollywood productions that beat this by many miles.

[joroas]

Can I throw in some button-counting pedantry?  How would they be resupplied? I am assume that 1939's POL and ammunition would be different to that of today, not to mention spare parts and repairs.  Those helicopters and tanks are likely to be grounded after a single action.

[Anatoli]

@Joroas, don't worry. The author is very realistic about both fuel and ammunition situation for the modern weapons and vehicles as well as the fighting capability of such a small force thrown into such a titanic struggle.



SPOILER <sub>The modern Poles arrive on September the 1st and take part in the ongoing battle for 3 days only. They do manage to shatter a single German corps, but the Germans finally attack them with everything and blow up the time travel device. The modern Poles survive the attack but have spent so much of their fuel and ammo that they split up and hide the vehicles and weapons that survived and continue aiding the Poles of 1939 in the home army after the capitulation at the end of September 1939. The events do alter history slightly, but most events end playing out just like they did in "reality". In book nr 2 the effects of altering history make a larger impact as the Americans who escaped to the US and warned about Pearl Harbor only manage to lead the US fleet out into the open ocean where the Japanese finally catch up with them and inflict larger losses to the US fleet.

The really interesting aspect of book nr 2 so far is how the Germans and Soviet spies are aware of the "time travelers" and look for them among the Polish home army in occupied Warsaw.</sub> SPOILER




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[joroas]

A bit different from Turtledove's book where South Africans go back in time to help Bobby Lee win the Civil War, then.......... 

[Galland]

Oh I dont mind a little polish pride. It sure beats hollywood, any day, I mean Band of Brothers :S
And actually, the story seem to be more exiting than I first thought.

[Calimero]

Oh I dont mind a little polish pride. It sure beats hollywood, any day, I mean Band of Brothers :S

What about Band of Brothers? Do you mean that the US paratroopers didn’t win WWII all by themselves?

[Galland]

What about Band of Brothers? Do you mean that the US paratroopers didn’t win WWII all by themselves?

Of course they did, dont be silly. :-P

[Weird WWII]

You know it baby!  Eat lead Ratzi!

Currahe!!!!
Brian

[Galland]

You know it baby!  Eat lead Ratzi!

Currahe!!!!
Brian

No. Hals und beinbruch.

[Weird WWII]

Nah, they roll with the landing with Thompson in hand and trench knife in their teeth.

That's a rule I believe,
Brian