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After #4
Five Years After
From William R. Forstchen, the New York Times bestselling author of the One Second After series, comes Five Years After , a near-future thriller where John Matherson must contend with new threats to the fragile civilization that he helped rebuild.
Five years after The Final Day , the Republic of New America has all but collapsed into regional powers and the world at large is struggling to remain stable as regional conflicts ravage the post EMP landscape. After several years attempting to lead a quiet life, John Matherson receives the news that the President is dying from a possible assassination attempt, and is asked to step in to negotiate with what appears to be a new military power hidden in the wreckage of the world.
Pulled back into the fray, John struggles to hold the tottering Republic together. Facing threats on multiple fronts, he races against time to stop another EMP attack on the former United States and China, putting years of progress at risk. With so much of his work under threat, John must find the strength within to start over, so that he can save the country and the people that he holds dear from even greater calamity.
Five years after The Final Day , the Republic of New America has all but collapsed into regional powers and the world at large is struggling to remain stable as regional conflicts ravage the post EMP landscape. After several years attempting to lead a quiet life, John Matherson receives the news that the President is dying from a possible assassination attempt, and is asked to step in to negotiate with what appears to be a new military power hidden in the wreckage of the world.
Pulled back into the fray, John struggles to hold the tottering Republic together. Facing threats on multiple fronts, he races against time to stop another EMP attack on the former United States and China, putting years of progress at risk. With so much of his work under threat, John must find the strength within to start over, so that he can save the country and the people that he holds dear from even greater calamity.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published August 22, 2023
441 people are currently reading
8555 people want to read
About the author
William R. Forstchen
116 books1,701 followersWilliam R. Forstchen (born 1950) is an American author who began publishing in 1983 with the novel Ice Prophet. He is a Professor of History and Faculty Fellow at Montreat College, in Montreat, North Carolina. He received his doctorate from Purdue University with specializations in Military History, the American Civil War and the History of Technology.
Forstchen is the author of more than forty books, including the award winning We Look Like Men of War, a young adult novel about an African-American regiment that fought at the Battle of the Crater, which is based upon his doctoral dissertation, The 28th USCTs: Indiana’s African-Americans go to War, 1863-1865 and the "Lost Regiment" series which has been optioned by both Tom Cruise and M. Night Shyamalan.
Forstchen’s writing efforts have, in recent years, shifted towards historical fiction and non fiction. In 2002 he started the “Gettysburg” trilogy with Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich; the trilogy consists of Gettysburg: A Novel of the Civil War, Grant Comes East, and Never Call Retreat: Lee and Grant - The Final Victory. More recently, they have have published two works on the events leading up to Pearl Harbor and immediately after that attack Pearl Harbor, and Days of Infamy.
In March 2009, Forstchen’s latest work, One Second After, (Forge/St. Martin’s books) was released. Based upon several years of intensive research and interviews, it examines what might happen in a “typical” American town in the wake of an attack on the United States with “electro-magnetic pulse” (EMP) weapons. Similar in plotting to books such as On the Beach and Alas Babylon, One Second After, is set in a small college town in western North Carolina and is a cautionary tale of the collapse of social order in the wake of an EMP strike. The book has been optioned by Warner Bros. and currently is in development as a feature film. The book was cited on the floor of Congress and before the House Armed Services Committee by Congressman Roscoe Bartlett (R.-MD), chair of the House Committee tasked to evaluate EMP weapons, as a realistical portrayal of the potential damage rendered by an EMP attack on the continental United States.
Forstchen resides near Asheville, North Carolina with his daughter Meghan. His other interests include archaeology, and he has participated in several expeditions to Mongolia and Russia. He is a pilot and co owns an original 1943 Aeronca L-3B recon plane used in World War II.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/willia...
Forstchen is the author of more than forty books, including the award winning We Look Like Men of War, a young adult novel about an African-American regiment that fought at the Battle of the Crater, which is based upon his doctoral dissertation, The 28th USCTs: Indiana’s African-Americans go to War, 1863-1865 and the "Lost Regiment" series which has been optioned by both Tom Cruise and M. Night Shyamalan.
Forstchen’s writing efforts have, in recent years, shifted towards historical fiction and non fiction. In 2002 he started the “Gettysburg” trilogy with Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich; the trilogy consists of Gettysburg: A Novel of the Civil War, Grant Comes East, and Never Call Retreat: Lee and Grant - The Final Victory. More recently, they have have published two works on the events leading up to Pearl Harbor and immediately after that attack Pearl Harbor, and Days of Infamy.
In March 2009, Forstchen’s latest work, One Second After, (Forge/St. Martin’s books) was released. Based upon several years of intensive research and interviews, it examines what might happen in a “typical” American town in the wake of an attack on the United States with “electro-magnetic pulse” (EMP) weapons. Similar in plotting to books such as On the Beach and Alas Babylon, One Second After, is set in a small college town in western North Carolina and is a cautionary tale of the collapse of social order in the wake of an EMP strike. The book has been optioned by Warner Bros. and currently is in development as a feature film. The book was cited on the floor of Congress and before the House Armed Services Committee by Congressman Roscoe Bartlett (R.-MD), chair of the House Committee tasked to evaluate EMP weapons, as a realistical portrayal of the potential damage rendered by an EMP attack on the continental United States.
Forstchen resides near Asheville, North Carolina with his daughter Meghan. His other interests include archaeology, and he has participated in several expeditions to Mongolia and Russia. He is a pilot and co owns an original 1943 Aeronca L-3B recon plane used in World War II.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/willia...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 332 reviews
December 13, 2023
The only reason I finished this yawn inducing story was because I felt I owed it to Matherson to see how he fared. Loved the first trilogy. Not sure if Forstchen felt the need to do something about his frustrations with the current administration (he admits such sentiments in the acknowledgments) but idk why this book was written. It just felt really lackluster overall.
He spent 90% of the book building up to an encounter with a would be shadow government. After all that boring rubbish, he then decides the only course of action is to give his protagonist the bright idea to launch the nukes on American Soil? If you can’t beat-’em, may as well nuke ‘em. Ridiculous. I don’t understand.
The only consolation in finishing this is knowing I can move onto the next read. 2/5 stars for pity’s sake.
He spent 90% of the book building up to an encounter with a would be shadow government. After all that boring rubbish, he then decides the only course of action is to give his protagonist the bright idea to launch the nukes on American Soil? If you can’t beat-’em, may as well nuke ‘em. Ridiculous. I don’t understand.
The only consolation in finishing this is knowing I can move onto the next read. 2/5 stars for pity’s sake.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 4, 2024
Fourth book in the One Second Later series about an apocalyptic world. The Chinese are the leading world power and some people in power in a broken US gov’t want to take them down. And they create a mess. A wild and crazy but plausible surprise ending. I wouldn’t be surprised if he continues the series. There’s a lot of possibilities left to the story.
March 8, 2024
A terrific novel in the One Day After series. Well written and gripping right up until the last page. If you like the other books in this series, you'll love this one.
September 26, 2023
3.75. Good conclusion to this series. Really enjoyed it.
September 1, 2023
Like the other books in the After series, I really enjoyed it for the most part. It's interesting to see where the Black Mountain community is five years after "The Day", to see who is still alive, who has been added, and what meager technological advancements they've made. And the philosophical and political questions raised and discussions had are fascinating. I have really enjoyed the moral conundrums Forstchen present to us in each of these books.
The biggest problem I had with book four is it's a little too similar to book three, in that we have yet another, larger shadow government who, like the last one, has been living in secret with even larger stockpiles of supplies, and is just now coming out to assert their dominance in an even larger and more evil way than the last one. It's book three recycled on steroids. And, once again, once the enemy is vanquished, John returns to his little community to live in obscurity and we still don't get to see if/how the United States government actually returns or rebuilds. Just like at the end of book three, we're left with no answers about whether the country as a whole will survive.
I really enjoyed the small town focus of the first few books, how the concern was not the world, the country, or even the state, but simply how this little community would survive. But after four books now, with hints and vague explanations of how the rest of the world is doing, I'd really like to see the story take on a grander scale, and start answering the broader questions of how humanity survives, not just the Black Mountain community. Instead, book four only leaves us with more questions.
I don't know if Forstchen is planning a book five, but I sincerely hope so. There are many questions I'd like answers to.
The biggest problem I had with book four is it's a little too similar to book three, in that we have yet another, larger shadow government who, like the last one, has been living in secret with even larger stockpiles of supplies, and is just now coming out to assert their dominance in an even larger and more evil way than the last one. It's book three recycled on steroids. And, once again, once the enemy is vanquished, John returns to his little community to live in obscurity and we still don't get to see if/how the United States government actually returns or rebuilds. Just like at the end of book three, we're left with no answers about whether the country as a whole will survive.
I really enjoyed the small town focus of the first few books, how the concern was not the world, the country, or even the state, but simply how this little community would survive. But after four books now, with hints and vague explanations of how the rest of the world is doing, I'd really like to see the story take on a grander scale, and start answering the broader questions of how humanity survives, not just the Black Mountain community. Instead, book four only leaves us with more questions.
I don't know if Forstchen is planning a book five, but I sincerely hope so. There are many questions I'd like answers to.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 9, 2023
I liked the first book in this series was very good but they have steadily gone down hill since then. I told myself after the last one I was done with this author. But sadly I decided to give it one more shot. The concept is interesting but the dialogue is so very bad. To be fair I listened to the audio book and perhaps it was the readers inflection and accents that made the book less than enjoyable.
March 10, 2024
The story has a tacked on feeling by inserting a pandemic into this series. This book needed a last edit to catch the typo with what looks like manual correction on page 299.
June 10, 2024
Okay, so...
Clearly the author thinks Covid restrictions and vaccination requirements were too over the top, and also seems to believe China released Covid on purpose.
And yet, when the bubonic plague comes to town, the author (oh, WHOOPS, I mean the main character who just so happens to share a job and life story similar to the author) institutes draconian measures including...shooting a toddler. And that's applauded as "just what needed to happen."
And then, he gets someone to nuke the deep state, who in this case are literally the deep state i.e. they are living in tunnels and bunkers under D.C. Might I add that the fallout also devastatingly impacts local innocent communities. Because this one guy, who loves democracy supposedly, gets to make that decision without consulting anyone but the admiral in charge of the nukes.
Did I read all four books in this series? Yes, I did. Did I consider dragging my unsuspecting kid on a side quest while we were in the Smokies this year just so I could go see the college campus that the author (OH, AND THE MAIN CHARACTER! WOW!) works at? Yes.
Do I think that the author is a self-aggrandizing maniac who IRL would probably not last thirty seconds in a post-apocalyptic world? Also yes. (To be fair, I'm not out here winning the post-apocalypse but also I didn't write myself into a book in which I suddenly become some kind of vigilante hero turned Vice President of a fake republic).
Will I read a fifth book if he writes one?
...also yes.
Clearly the author thinks Covid restrictions and vaccination requirements were too over the top, and also seems to believe China released Covid on purpose.
And yet, when the bubonic plague comes to town, the author (oh, WHOOPS, I mean the main character who just so happens to share a job and life story similar to the author) institutes draconian measures including...shooting a toddler. And that's applauded as "just what needed to happen."
And then, he gets someone to nuke the deep state, who in this case are literally the deep state i.e. they are living in tunnels and bunkers under D.C. Might I add that the fallout also devastatingly impacts local innocent communities. Because this one guy, who loves democracy supposedly, gets to make that decision without consulting anyone but the admiral in charge of the nukes.
Did I read all four books in this series? Yes, I did. Did I consider dragging my unsuspecting kid on a side quest while we were in the Smokies this year just so I could go see the college campus that the author (OH, AND THE MAIN CHARACTER! WOW!) works at? Yes.
Do I think that the author is a self-aggrandizing maniac who IRL would probably not last thirty seconds in a post-apocalyptic world? Also yes. (To be fair, I'm not out here winning the post-apocalypse but also I didn't write myself into a book in which I suddenly become some kind of vigilante hero turned Vice President of a fake republic).
Will I read a fifth book if he writes one?
...also yes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 29, 2023
Holly crap...some serious deep state thoughtS to embrace.
This book was worth the wait, but it can't be the end. There is more to this story. What's next???
This book was worth the wait, but it can't be the end. There is more to this story. What's next???
March 10, 2025
This is a really great series with very well done characters. Excellent read. Very recommended.
June 21, 2024
The series up to this point was mediocre, but interesting enough to justify finishing. If there was a 5th book, I wouldn't read it. I HATED this book. From beginning to end. I hate the direction the story took, I hate the characters, I hate the faux intellectualism, the conflict, and I hate the ending. Terrible book from cover to cover
1/5
1/5
January 31, 2024
Author Forstchen set. the bar very high with his two earlier novels surrounding the aftermath of an EMT attack and this one- Five Years After- doesn't reach the bar. Still, for those John Matherson fans this is a must read.
March 8, 2024
This is the final installment in a series that highlights the existential danger of an EMP attack on the West by Iran and North Korea. The electronic infrastructure of the world has be neutralized, and civilization itself has collapsed and been reduced to subsistence level homesteading by small groups across the world.
The hero, John Matherson, leads one such community based in a college campus around the DC metro area. He is called one day by the "President" of the devastated and disjointed remnant US government to Black Rock, the hiding place for surviving federal officials deep under the earth near Gettysburg PA.
Once there, he discovers a much larger underground city build secretly by the military and the CIA, in which Generals are hatching a plan to rescue the world from the devastation that it has endured. The plan involves mass death through man-made plague of a struggling population, and nuclear exchange with China, who is our last ral threat and current occupier of the West Coast of North America.
John is hesitant and suspicious as he ponders the problem of killing so many to possibly save even more...the trolley problem in Philosophy 101. (seeing volumes of Nietzsche on the lead General's bookshelf does not help the situation.)
Anyhow, there is a Admiral who still commands a couple of subs that have been trolling the world the past 5 years with their nuclear payloads. He is also suspicious of the General and the CIA, and decides upon John's urging to do the unthinkable to solve the philosophical & political conundrum in which the find themselves.
The author wants us to take seriously the ramification of an EMP attack, and that we are not prepared mentally or strategically for such an event. I don't know about that, but I do know that this an highly interesting topic for a string of novels, which are, in fact, well written and totally engaging. They challenge the most basic elements of our lifestyle and present us with a scenario that poses deep ethical questions (that I never want to face).
The hero, John Matherson, leads one such community based in a college campus around the DC metro area. He is called one day by the "President" of the devastated and disjointed remnant US government to Black Rock, the hiding place for surviving federal officials deep under the earth near Gettysburg PA.
Once there, he discovers a much larger underground city build secretly by the military and the CIA, in which Generals are hatching a plan to rescue the world from the devastation that it has endured. The plan involves mass death through man-made plague of a struggling population, and nuclear exchange with China, who is our last ral threat and current occupier of the West Coast of North America.
John is hesitant and suspicious as he ponders the problem of killing so many to possibly save even more...the trolley problem in Philosophy 101. (seeing volumes of Nietzsche on the lead General's bookshelf does not help the situation.)
Anyhow, there is a Admiral who still commands a couple of subs that have been trolling the world the past 5 years with their nuclear payloads. He is also suspicious of the General and the CIA, and decides upon John's urging to do the unthinkable to solve the philosophical & political conundrum in which the find themselves.
The author wants us to take seriously the ramification of an EMP attack, and that we are not prepared mentally or strategically for such an event. I don't know about that, but I do know that this an highly interesting topic for a string of novels, which are, in fact, well written and totally engaging. They challenge the most basic elements of our lifestyle and present us with a scenario that poses deep ethical questions (that I never want to face).
September 19, 2023
One Second After was written in 2009, the fact Tiktok was name dropped kinda threw me off. Went in thinking it was going to be exciting as the other books but it never gets past mildly boring. Reviews said this was dark. Not in the slightest compared to the other books in the series. Only dilemma faced is dropping a nuke on Washington to stop a coup and how to deal with a pandemic.
Should have stopped the series with the third book.
Should have stopped the series with the third book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 31, 2025
Personally I really enjoyed the entire series. Very plausible plot. China is now the world power in a destroyed United States. Secret underground bunkers where Washington's elite have survived the initial EMP strike while the rest of the country has been destroyed. Must give a big thanks to Summit County Library for purchasing book four to complete this series.Would enjoy a book 5. Get writing Wiiiam
April 7, 2025
ah man, I enjoyed the first three books in this series so much and was disappointed that the fourth one fell short imo. the first half of the book, literally over 100 pages, were of protagonist and antagonist talking about past wars and smoking and exploring the underground tunnels of camp david. it was so far removed from the action and survivalist plot that I enjoyed in the other books. I was hoping to have more engineering and technology innovations throughout the story like the first three books and was bored by the constant setting being anywhere other than black mountain and the town john and the other characters reside. another thing I noticed was some drop off from characters from one book to the next. whatever happened to elizabeth, john’s oldest daughter. we never hear of her in this last book and her character diminishes. the whole plague plot leading towards the nukes being dropped on the US govt on purpose also felt too rushed and the story ended so abruptly. the reader has no sense of reality of what happened to the overall govt in the US and big picture consequences or path forward globally. feeling like this final book didn’t need to be written, I would’ve been so content with the third book being the last lol
September 24, 2023
I enjoyed the original three books and was really excited for this one. And it had a “The Last Ship” vibe with a virus plaguing the communities that had survived “The Day”. And the exposure to the deep-state world and planning was interesting as a concept. But…
1: There’s no way such a deep state organized entity would wait 5 years. No shot.
2: Half of this book was just yelling and crying. And I mean that literally. It felt like every other line was John yelling at someone or himself. Stupid.
3: The other half was backstory, context, or epilogue.
In the end, they blow it all up?! That’s the solution?
Look, it was a good series and the author is a good writer, but this one was missing a lot. Disappointed.
1: There’s no way such a deep state organized entity would wait 5 years. No shot.
2: Half of this book was just yelling and crying. And I mean that literally. It felt like every other line was John yelling at someone or himself. Stupid.
3: The other half was backstory, context, or epilogue.
In the end, they blow it all up?! That’s the solution?
Look, it was a good series and the author is a good writer, but this one was missing a lot. Disappointed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 1, 2023
Lazy, jumpy writing. Seems to more of an unfinished draft than a fully developed plot. The ending was rushed and the Covid commentary was forced and dumb. This series started as a well devised and decently well researched. It’s ended in a poorly executed and unsatisfying way.
There was no real explanation of the gap between this one and the previous title. Not really missing anything by skipping it.
There was no real explanation of the gap between this one and the previous title. Not really missing anything by skipping it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 23, 2024
Enjoyed the general premise of book, but how much do we really need to know about all of the scotch, bourbon and cigarettes? It seems like every other page had a reference to what they were drinking or smoking.
Take out all references to alcohol, smoking and coffee and the book is only half as long.
Take out all references to alcohol, smoking and coffee and the book is only half as long.
December 19, 2023
I was very disappointed with this latest book. The realism of this book was not at the level of prior books in the series. I thought the story wrapped really well with the third book and probably should have been left alone.
June 15, 2024
This felt like a different book than the others in the series. I yet again felt like the ending was very rushed. Not sure if I anticipate another book to be written after this one or not.
January 15, 2025
I was nervous this book would begin to get too political being book 4 of the series, but Forstchen definitely kept my attention and talked politics without being too much! Perfect balance of twists and turns with John Matherson and his crew continuing to survive! Makayla kicks ass to ensure her community make it out alive. Couldn’t put the *audio* book down since around the 6 hour mark.
Hoping it doesn’t keep the title as final in the series!
Hoping it doesn’t keep the title as final in the series!
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October 3, 2023First time reading this author. Enjoyed this book. A real page turner.
July 12, 2024
Question??? What would you do? And could you live with the decision you made either way?
July 30, 2024
Another great novel by Forstchen. Action packed and an easy page turner, as expected. Great sequel to the After series. The ending did leave a bit to be desired, but I won’t spoil it for you. Highly recommend this, as well as the whole series! Really makes you think just how much you take electronics (& civilization) for granted!
November 19, 2024
Such a great ending to the series! Great moral deliberation!
July 26, 2025
The series has kept my intetest, so I finished the book. Not as engaging as the first two books of the series.
November 2, 2023
Excellent conclusion to the series. If you're a fan of dystopian books, give this series a chance!
September 30, 2023
Great Story about after the big one.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 332 reviews