This Is the Way the World Ends: An Oral History of the Zombie War

Don't listen to the losers online that say anything bad about this book. It's very good and very well written and even has a sense of humour to it that works well. It's not as good as World War Z, but it's pretty close. I really enjoyed it and wish there were more like it out there. Day by Day Armageddon should be next on your list if you're still craving more zombie stories. There are four in that series so should keep you going. Enjoy I was really into this book.

I was a little skeptical when this was recommended on Kindle, really glad I actually read it and gave it a chance. I've been looking for something that had the same feel as World War Z, and hadn't found anything that was super close, plenty of really good zombie books in the free section of Kindle if you have a membership, but none of them had come close to what I wanted.. this almost reads like Max Brooks wrote it! I wish that this author wrote more books in this style, he has written a pretty good amount of books so maybe there are and I just haven't found it yet, but he is a good author and I am totally going to give this other books a read. I know that a lot of people are getting zombie fatigue, I never get that way because I just love zombies, but I do get tired of mediocre zombie books, this was not mediocre.Each chapter was from a different person's perspective, telling the narrator of the book their story, same way it was in WWZ, even had the parts from the narrator's perspective in bold font, with a description of the person he was interviewing, and/or the place they were meeting, the title of each chapter was the place in the world they were at, along with the name of the person being interviewed just like in WWZ. I know some people might be thinking it's a total ripoff of WWZ, and maybe it is, but it feels more like a love letter to that book, or a continuation of that type of storytelling. Also, the stories were very different then the ones in WWZ, he did not re-do the same stories, also the plot for how the zombie virus happened and how it was solved are completely different in my opinion. Some of the ideas come up with for that were super interesting and unique, I've never seen some of the solutions the characters thought of used in another zombie book or movie. It's also got more modern issues that would come along with a zombie apocalypse at this time in the world, including people trying to take advantage of the situation by creating apps for smartphones, (I won't spoil anything by explaining it), and how all the technology we have now affects the story is really interesting.. technology isn't a huge part of it, but definitely plays a part. I think I've rambled on for too long now. LOL I just really enjoyed the bookTldr; if you like World War Z you will like this book.

There are no spoilers here but there are details.If you read the forward, you’ll see that the book is dedicated to Brooks. That is totally appropriate as it echoes the format of WWZ. The epistolary style, really historical entries with interview notes, is completely in line with WWZ. There are differences in the content, though. You can argue that these differences make the book better or worse. That’s up to the eye of the reader. I liked them enough to make me enjoy this book exactly as much as WWZ. Here are some sims and diffs.1. While this is historical, it is set only 12 or so years post infection. The interviewer is a zombie fiction writer making amends for his part in desensitizing the public. Because this is someone who lived through it, the tenor is a little different. WWZ was set decades in the future and the interviewer treated it as a history writer. The tone is different.2. Current (for 2017) politics plays a role in some of the interviews. The author does a good job of showing both sides through interviews. It does not push a liberal or conservative agenda. Also, as I am writing this review in the midst of Covid, I’m going to say that the fictional reactions of the politicians and public opinion at the beginning of the Zombie outbreak was almost prescient to the actions/reactions of those same people at the outbreak of Covid.3. Which brings me to the next point. This book treats the outbreak as a reaction to the zombie pandemic, whereas Brooks’ narrator was giving the history of the war.4. Both writers used this amazing international landscape, but Taylor clearly knows his current international politics because he weaved it through.5. In WWZ, there is almost no definitive beginning or cause of the Zombie outbreak. He didn’t need it. Taylor gives us one that is grounded in the plausible. I really liked that.I think that’s the main differences. I can’t imagine anyone who enjoyed WWZ not enjoying this. It really is very similar (but different enough not to be a re-read of WWZ.) If you get offended by some of the interviewees being critical of either side of the political spectrum or of the administration in power at the time of the writing, you might bristle here or there. Remember, Taylor will have interviewees on BOTH sides.I gave this a 5 star because I liked it just as much (if not a little more due to its currency). It may not stand the test of time as well because of the cultural references. Only time will tell.

Not quite as good as Max Brooks but a fine follow up and really followed up so New concepts well. I enjoyed it!

Not as exciting as I had expected, but a logical and different take on a Zombie apocalypse. Similar to World War Z the novel.

If you liked 'World war Z' (book, not movie), you will like this book as it has a similar feel. The book is a compilation of several POV's from around the world during the outbreak.

No idea if there were any harsh words spoken or lawyers hired, but the similarity between this and Brooks' work is definitely there. Still, Taylor puts his own spin on history-of-zompoc, and does a readable, reasonable job.

The author is trying to mimic Max Brook's style, but falls short.For one thing, the actual quality of his writing is just not that good. Far too many run-off sentences, poor word choices, and awkward turns of phrase.But I might have overlooked it if he'd come up with some truly intriguing survivor stories. He didn't.A third of the way through the book, every story has been mediocre, at best. And worse, he's injected a lot of politics into it.Many characters take more time to complain about present day politicians and political parties than actually talk about their zombie experiences.Max Brooks managed to not only make his stories compelling, but tie them together into a greater narrative that showcased the conflict from every point of view.This author doesn't hold a candle to that effort.