And The Walls Came Tumbling Down

By W.M. Gunn

Alternative History / Historical Fiction / Family Saga

Publisher: Atmosphere Press

Publication Date: September 15, 2026

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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Review

The first book in this trilogy starts off with a bang!

What if the allies didn’t breach Normandy during WWII? What if things happened differently? Where would we be today? This novel gives us one perspective as to how things might have gone if information was leaked, victories didn’t happen as we know it, and if Hitler came closer to winning the war.

The novel starts in 1914 during The Great War, or WWI. There is a lot happening, but we have the birth of twins (Wolfgang and Manfred) that will turn out to be as different as night and day, and they will play a larger role a little later in the book. Then in chapter 7, the story jumps back in time to 1273 BCE, or the time of Moses. I’ll admit, these few chapters didn’t make a lot of sense as to why they were there. But I rolled with it knowing that the author must have a plan. The novel continues chronologically after this from 1930 through 1945, and we meet Allen Maxwell grow up before our eyes. He is a Texas boy with a love for flying thanks to his dad who was a pilot in WWI. He becomes a pivotal character during WWII, and despite his youth, he is smart and not afraid to take chances. The twins are German, but also raised by Jewish grandparents. So you can imagine how well that went over when Jewish citizens were sent to concentration camps.

The novel has quite a few characters to try and keep straight, and it is told from multiple points of view. However, the story does flow well, and as I got further into the book, I was drawn into the various storylines. I had forgotten that this book was an alternative history story, so when things went a different direction, it took me a moment to realize that these were different outcomes.

The novel is heavy on descriptions, especially of planes, submarines, and other modes of transportation that the military used. If you are a WWII enthusiast, most of this will be familiar to you. This isn’t necessarily my forte, but it the author did his research and provided quite a few details, so I didn’t feel lost while reading the various battle scenes.

Those earlier chapters that didn’t seem to fit? They came full circle by the end of the book. You will have to read the book to find out more.

Overall, a very sound book filled with deception, family, traitors, and more. What could the next book possibly bring? We get a tiny hint in the epilogue. Now I’m intrigued.

We give this book a solid 4 paws up.

About the Author

WM Gunn is a native Texan who spent many years in the pharmaceutical industry in sales, sales management, and training and development. 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 written hundreds of short stories, three novellas, and two novels. Holmes, Moriarty, and the Monkeys and Chasing the Sun are two novellas released earlier in 2024. His debut full-length novel, The Two Terrors of Tulelake, was released in October 2024 as an e-book and as a paperback. The Calendar is his newest novel, available in April 2025 as an e-book and in paperback.

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