All Clear

Winner of the Nebula Award

Traveling back in time, from Oxford circa 2060 into the thick of World War II, was a routine excursion for three British historians eager to study firsthand the heroism and horrors of the Dunkirk evacuation and the London Blitz. But getting marooned in war-torn 1940 England has turned Michael Davies, Merope Ward, and Polly Churchill from temporal tourists into besieged citizens struggling to survive Hitler’s devastating onslaught. And now there’s more to worry about than just getting back home: The impossibility of altering past events has always been a core belief of time-travel theory—but it may be tragically wrong. When discrepancies in the historical record begin cropping up, it suggests that one or all of the future visitors have somehow changed the past—and, ultimately, the outcome of the war. Meanwhile, in 2060 Oxford, the stranded historians’ supervisor, Mr. Dunworthy, frantically confronts the seemingly impossible task of rescuing his students—three missing needles in the haystack of history. The thrilling time-tripping adventure that began with Blackout now hurtles to its stunning resolution in All Clear.

“Praise for Blackout “As vivid an evocation of England during World War II as anyone has ever written . . . You’ll find here a novelist who can plot like Agatha Christie and whose books possess a bounce and stylishness that Preston Sturges might envy.”- The Washington Post “A tour-de-force. [Willis is] one of America’s finest writers.”- The Denver Post “[Willis has] researched Blackout so thoroughly her readers may imagine she had access to the time machine her characters use.”- The Seattle Times “This compassionate and deeply imagined novel . . . gives the reader a strong you-were-there feeling.”- The Times-Picayune “A page-turning thriller . . . Willis uses detail and period language exquisitely well, creating an engaging, exciting tale.”- Publishers Weekly “Depicts the times and the spirit of the British people remarkably vividly. . . . multifaceted and believable.” - Booklist (starred review) “[A] book with something for everyone that ends up working on every level. It is adventure. It is history. It is science. It is, indeed, thrilling. And it is unforgettable.”-J anuary Magazine “I loved this book. It is informative, subtle, full of great characters and has a wonderful plot. . . . Brilliant. Willis at her finest.”-Michael Moorcock From the Hardcover edition.”

“Enthralling . . . a story so packed with thrills, comedy, drama and a bit of red herring that the result is apt to satisfy the most discriminating, and hungry, reader.”—The Denver Post

“[Connie] Willis can tell a story like no other. . . . One of her specialties is sparkling, rapid-fire dialogue; another, suspenseful plotting; and yet another, dramatic scenes so fierce that they burn like after-images in the reader’s memory.”—The Village Voice

“Ambitious, and moving . . . with a lovely twist at the end.”—The San Diego Union-Tribune
 
“[Willis’s] re-creation of wartime England is meticulous, energetic and exhaustive.”—The Wall Street Journal
 
“[A] tour de force.”—The Charlotte Observer

Connie Willis, who was recently inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame, has received six Nebula awards and ten Hugo awards for her fiction; her novel Passage was nominated for both. Her other works include Blackout, Doomsday Book, Lincoln’s Dreams, Bellwether, Impossible Things, Remake, Uncharted Territory, To Say Nothing of the Dog, Fire Watch, and Miracle and Other Christmas Stories. Connie Willis lives in Colorado with her family.

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.