And the Walls Came Tumbling Down by WM Gunn

 

AND THE WALLS CAME TUMBLING DOWN

By W.M. Gunn

Alternative History/ Historical Fiction/ Family Saga

Publisher: Atmosphere Press

Publication Date: August 11, 2025

SYNOPSIS

And the Walls Came Tumbling Down reimagines the twentieth century as it might have unfolded if fate had shifted—and mercy had not.

Two families, one American and one German, collide across World War I, the Great Depression, and a radically altered World War II, shaped by hatred, sacrifice, and forces that feel uncomfortably divine. As twin brothers choose opposing paths within Nazi Germany and a Texas farm boy takes to the skies, history veers off course. D-Day collapses in disaster. Britain faces annihilation. Volunteer pilots launch desperate missions, and a single flight toward Berlin carries the weight of ending the war at an unimaginable cost. Biblical echoes of Jericho haunt every turning point, raising unsettling questions about destiny, justice, and intervention.

Blending military history, family saga, and psychological tension, this gripping alternative history challenges readers to ask what if history changed, and what the cost of that change would be. 

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

WM Gunn is a native Texan who spent many years in the pharmaceutical industry and is now focused on writing. He is active in writing groups and volunteering with non-profit groups. He lives in his hometown in Texas with his high school sweetheart bride of many years. To date, he has published hundreds of short stories, two novellas, and two full-length novels. Holmes, Moriarty, and the Monkeys and Chasing the Sun were two novellas released in 2024. His debut novel, The Two Terrors of Tulelake, was released in 2024. The Calendar was his next novel, published in 2025. Now, And The Walls Came Tumbling Down, the first book in an exciting trilogy, will be published in September. 

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REVIEW

And the Walls Came Tumbling Down by WM Gunn.

The short story: Highly detailed alternative WWII history

And the Walls Came Tumbling Down is a condensed history of WWII that begins in the dying days of the Great War. Immediately the author introduces an element of paranormal influence on the outcome of the war. In its aftermath, we meet Manfred and Wolfgang Kretz, twin sons of a WWI flying ace who are raised by their Jewish grandparents and Allen Maxwell, a Texas boy reared by a single father with a passion for flying. We follow the boys as they become young men, Wolfgang and Manfred traveling vastly different roads. Each resolved to fight for their country for their own reasons, culminating in an eventual showdown.

Each chapter is a snapshot of a moment in history from the war years, focusing mainly on the European Theater and the creation and detonation of the atomic bomb. Many chapters heavily laden with historical figures, weaponry, and technical jargon, which I found weighed down the actual plotline. I admit to skimming some details to get to the meat of the story. I especially enjoyed the chapters that focused on the individuals rather than on a particular battle. I thought the death of Wolfgang and Manfred’s grandparents in a concentration camp particularly touching.

In Gunn’s alternative history, the Normandy invasion is a disaster for the Allies, losing hundreds of thousands of men. This loss set the German brothers on a collision course with Allen Maxwell, the Texan pilot who had risen through the ranks and is tasked with a heartbreaking solution to the bombing of London.

I enjoyed the book, and being familiar with the real historical details, was intrigued to see where Gunn would take his readers in his ‘what if’ story of the war. I think readers who enjoy military history and alternative military history would really love this book.

I give this book 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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