The setting is March 14, 2003, where US armed forces are poised to invade Iraq. In an instant, there is a major and catastrophic change. A mysterious wave of energy appears with no warning, standing miles high and encompassing much of Canada, Mexico, half of Cuba and almost the entire United States. All life caught within the standing wave vanishes, leaving vast areas unattended, and instantly impenetrable except by unmanned drones. The only Americans left alive are those overseas when the wave struck, the military outposts in Pearl Harbour and Guantanamo Bay, plus the city of Seattle which stands just outside of the wave.

Rather than getting bogged down with the science-fiction physics of the premise, the author wisely concentrates on the effects in the world outside of what was America. Early on, we discover that cars within the affected area, aircraft and ships passing through the wave, some en-route when it hit, continued along their path without passengers or crew until they crashed. Inside the now lifeless America, unattended electric devices in thousands of homes start fires, and power plants begin to melt down. Before too long, entire cities are engulfed in fire-storms, which the survivors beyond the wave are powerless to stop.

Meanwhile, in the Middle-East, those opposed to America and her allies see the event as the will of Allah, and rejoice that the 'Great Satan' has been struck down. Unfortunately for them, what is left is infinitely more dangerous, as the rules have changed. Now, there is no United Nations to appease, and no civilian chain of command and control to reign in the world's most powerful military force. Worse still, there is no one capable of exerting a calming influence on the fear and fanaticism of Israel, whose leaders state they will not hesitate to use nuclear weapons against any and all whom they perceive as a threat to their existence. Concurrent with the big picture that Birmingham paints, are several smaller but no less interesting stories featuring individual level experiences. We ride with a party of ocean roving smugglers, who through sheer good fortune find themselves in possession of Greg Norman's super yacht, which emerges from behind the wave minus the Great White Shark and crew. We see the effect of US society on the brink through the eyes of James Kipper, Chief Engineer of Seattle, who struggles to restore normality among his terrified countrymen, and curb the excesses of a military without civilian command. Meanwhile, Brett Melton, a veteran reporter, is out in Iraq, and then France, covering life on the front line. We also look over the shoulder of Caitlin Monroe, an American agent on a deep cover Echelon anti-terrorist mission in France, who finds that she is suffering from a brain tumour, as the country descends into civil war. These, and other smaller stories, combine with the overall themes to paint vivid, often riveting scenes of life after the fall of America.

Birmingham's publisher describes this work as a 'fast, furious story of survival, violence and a new reality.' I would add that it also provides an ingenious insight into what might actually happen, if American military, political and economic influence were suddenly and drastically diminished. The fact that the author is an Australian helps in a number of ways, the most import of which are his outsider's perspective, and greasy realism; noxious clouds from burning American cities, currency collapse, mass panic, survival of the fittest, and the triumph of the human spirit all help to make Without Warning an absolutely cracking read.