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After America

The Disappearance #2 / 3
by John Birmingham
After America (The Disappearance #2) by John Birmingham
Unrated

March 14, 2003, was the day the world changed forever. A wave of energy slammed into North America and devastated the continent. The U.S. military, poised to invade Baghdad, was left without a commander in chief. Global order spiraled into chaos. Now, three years later, a skeleton U.S. government headquartered in Seattle directs the reconstruction of an entire nation — and the battle for New York City has begun.

Pirates and foreign militias are swarming the East Coast, taking everything they can. The president comes to the Declared Security Zone of New York and barely survives the visit. The enemy — whoever they are — controls Manhattan’s concrete canyons and the abandoned flatlands of Long Island. The U.S. military, struggling with sketchy communications and a lack of supplies, is mired in a nightmare of urban combat.

Caught up in the violence is a Polish-born sergeant who watches the carnage through the eyes of an intellectual and with the heart of a warrior. Two smugglers, the highborn Lady Julianne Balwyn and her brawny partner Rhino, search for a treasure whose key lies inside an Upper East Side Manhattan apartment. Thousands of miles away, a rogue general leads the secession of Texas and a brutal campaign against immigrants, while Miguel Pieraro, a Mexican-born rancher, fights back. And in England, a U.S. special ops agent is called into a violent shadow war against an enemy that has come after her and her family.

The president is a stranger to the military mindset, but now this mild-mannered city engineer from the Pacific Northwest needs to make a soldier’s choice. With New York clutched in the grip of thousands of heavily armed predators, is an all-out attack on the city the only way to save it?
   
From the geopolitics of post-American dominance to the fallout of Israel’s nuclear strike, After America provides a gripping, intelligent, and harrowing chronicle of a world in the maw of chaos — and lives lived in the dangerous dawn of a strange new future.

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Alternate History
Release date: July 2010

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John Birmingham

John Birmingham

John Birmingham is an Australian author whose work blends history, speculative fiction, and an unflinching look at human resilience. With a knack for writing high-octane thrillers and thought-provoking dystopian narratives, Birmingham has made a name for himself as a writer unafraid to push boundaries—whether exploring the devastating consequences of alternate history or tackling the existential chaos of the modern world.

Birmingham's storytelling career began with a unique mix of commentary on the absurdity of life and an exploration of what happens when the world as we know it suddenly shifts. His Axis of Time series, which imagines a world where a modern naval fleet is transported back in time to World War II, was one of his early forays into mixing historical events with speculative twists. The series not only captivated readers with its thrilling action sequences but also sparked conversations about the nature of war, power, and humanity's ability to adapt.

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Birmingham’s work stands out in its ability to balance intense action with complex character development. In his The Disappearance series, for instance, he delves into the aftermath of a global event that causes people to simply vanish, offering a deep dive into the chaos that ensues. The tone is darker, filled with high tension and a palpable sense of loss, but there’s always an underlying current of hope and resilience that shines through.

Though his novels often deal with apocalyptic and dystopian themes, Birmingham’s approach is deeply human. He doesn't just ask "what if the world ended?"—he asks, "what do we do next?" This curiosity about the human spirit is central to his work, making his stories not just thrilling but thought-provoking as well.

Beyond his novels, Birmingham has a reputation for his sharp wit and insightful commentary on society, politics, and culture. His career as a journalist and columnist informs his writing, allowing him to craft stories that are not only engaging but also grounded in real-world issues and dilemmas. His sharp, satirical voice, combined with a deep understanding of human nature, elevates his books beyond mere entertainment into a space where readers can reflect on the world around them.

As a writer, Birmingham has always been unapologetically bold. Whether he’s dissecting the horrors of war or imagining an alternate history where civilization is upended, he brings an honesty and grit to his storytelling that resonates with readers. His works are an exploration of what happens when the world we know crumbles—and how we rebuild from the wreckage.

In every novel, John Birmingham invites readers not just to escape into thrilling narratives but to think about the world we live in, challenging them to ask tough questions and, perhaps, reconsider how we might react when faced with the unimaginable.

Photo: CraigPRichmond / CC BY 3.0

The Disappearance

The Disappearance consists of three books. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.

Without Warning (The Disappearance #1)
Unrated
After America (The Disappearance #2)
Unrated
Angels of Vengeance (The Disappearance #3)
Unrated


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