Mark Gardiner

Smashwords book reviews by Mark Gardiner

  • The Whale Has Wings Vol 1 - Rebirth on Feb. 03, 2013

    I first discovered this story from David's thread on AlternateHistory.com and have been an avid reader since then. This timeline, concentrating upon a properly funded and equipped Fleet Air Arm, with the consequences this has for the Royal Navy and their foes, contains the three essential ingredients required to make this a success. First: it is perfectly believable, and the reader does not have to suspend belief. Second: this is not bogged down in technical detail, but neither does it skimp on detail that supports the conclusions. Finally, it is well-written, with no little humour, making a fine commentary on events as they unfold. I eagerly await future editions.
  • The Whale Has Wings Vol 2 - Taranto to Singapore on June 02, 2013

    An excellent continuation from the first volume that takes us from the dawn of the raid on the Italian fleet to the eve of Pearl Harbour. The author has painstakingly devised an alternative history based upon the Royal Navy taking control of the Fleet Air Arm's future with all that it implies for the carrier fleet, and butterflies that affect both the Army and the Royal Air Force. The changes are not on the surface huge and are eminently believable - indeed one wonders why the actual powers-that-be did not follow such obviously sensible decisions. As a result the British & Commonwealth armed services, following the Army's expulsion from Western Europe and Norway, have greater success in their battles in the Mediterranean, and also face a major Kriegsmarine breakout into the North Atlantic. Interestingly both the French & Greek forces also have proportionately greater parts to play. This instalment leaves me eagerly awaiting the showdown with the IJN in the South China Sea & further abroad.