What an awful thought. Hitler resp. the Nazis had won the war. I always say, the Germans didn't lose the war, that were the Nazis. The Germans effectively won the war. In this book (and in various others, like my favourite "The Children's War") we can all see why.
The story itself concentrates on one particular case. A policemen who is not a fan of the Nazis but still has to wear their uniform for his job, tries to find the secret behind a murder. And with that, he could transform the whole world.
We need people like that everywhere, people who don't just blindly follow some dicatators, even if it is an advantage for them.
I think, right now is the right time to read this book again. Right now, where the Right is on the rise in many, many countries. Too many, if you ask me. How can people forget what it was? Even if you haven't lived during the war, most of us haven't, lets be honest. My parents would have been ninety had they still lived. And they were five when the Nazis were elected, so anyone responsible for the regime must be about a hundred. Not many of them alive anymore. But we have to remember what our parents or grandparents told us and see where we are heading if we elect those idiots that tell us the foreigners are our enemies. Nope, those who want to abolish our hard-earned democracy are.
We should all be happy that the war ended the way it did, this book shows us what could have been had it been different.
From the back cover:
"April 1964.
The naked body of an old man floats in a lake on the outskirts of Berlin. In one week it will be Adolf Hitler’s 75th birthday. A terrible conspiracy is starting to unravel…
What if Hitler had won?"
This was my introduction to Robert Harris -- great author.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Stephen. I haven't read anything else by him. Which one would you recommend?
DeleteI *think* I read this when it came out in paperback - so a LONG time ago! [grin] I certainly remember it being a good read. It is indeed truly frightening to think what it would've been like if AH & his cronies had prevailed. Books like this, and others in the 'What if/alt-History' genre are really useful in showing us valuable historical lessons. Lessons, it would seem, too many people have forgotten.
ReplyDeleteIf he had lived, he might have rivaled Stalin's death count, but I doubt he'd get near ol' Maowser's.
DeleteI do like these kind of books, Kitten. I think it would be good if everyone who votes for the right wing nowadays would read one of them.
Delete@Stephen. Thank goodness we will never know.
DeleteI can definitely recommend 'Dominion' by C J Sansom which is based in a defeated England in an alternative 1952. My review is here:
Deletehttps://cyberkittenspot.blogspot.com/2021/08/just-finished-reading-dominion-by-c-j.html
It's reasonably chunky at 690pp too!! [grin]
Thanks, Kitten, I have read that, as well (see here). As you know, I love chunkies. And this one was great.
DeleteWill have a look at your post.
Just thinking about what the world would be like now if Hitler had won makes me shiver. What an interesting...and scary...premise for a book.
ReplyDeleteWe have to think about it, Lark. History repeats itself if we forget about it. As we can see daily.
DeleteThis thought scares the ever-loving shit out of me. And given the entire world's ability to quickly forget history, it's terrifying that we could repeat it.
ReplyDeleteMy sentiments exactly, Sarah. I fear for us all but especially for our children.
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