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Himmler's War
Only days after Normandy, Hitler is taken out of the equation and Heinrich Himmler, brutal head of the SS, assumes control of the Reich. On the Allied side, there is confusion. Should attempts be made to negotiate with the new government or should unconditional surrender still be the only option? With the specter of a German super-weapon moving closer to completion and the German generals finally allowed to fight the kind of war at which they are masters, the allies are pushed toward a course of accommodation or even defeat. Will the soldiers of the Grand Alliance find the courage and conviction to fight on in the face of such daunting odds? And can alliance leaders put into place a new plan in time to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat by the German war machine? A new and terrible battle for a free world is on.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published December 6, 2011
29 people are currently reading
473 people want to read
About the author
Robert Conroy
26 books196 followersRobert Conroy was a best selling author of alternate history novels. His 1942, which is set within a Japanese conquest of Hawaii, won the prestigious Sidewise Award for alternate histories.
After taking early retirement from automotive management, Conroy decided to combine his loves of history and writing. After discovering that Kaiser Wilhelm had plans to invade the U.S., he wrote his first alternate history, 1901 in which the invasion took place. He found alternate history fascinating and the possibilities never-ending. He also wrote for Military History Magazine.
Conroy had a MBA, was a US Army Veteran and was a retired instructor at Macomb Community College. He had a married daughter and two grandsons. He lived in southeastern Michigan with his wife of forty-plus years. He passed away in December 2014 from Cancer.
After taking early retirement from automotive management, Conroy decided to combine his loves of history and writing. After discovering that Kaiser Wilhelm had plans to invade the U.S., he wrote his first alternate history, 1901 in which the invasion took place. He found alternate history fascinating and the possibilities never-ending. He also wrote for Military History Magazine.
Conroy had a MBA, was a US Army Veteran and was a retired instructor at Macomb Community College. He had a married daughter and two grandsons. He lived in southeastern Michigan with his wife of forty-plus years. He passed away in December 2014 from Cancer.
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January 28, 2016No rating because I invoked the 50 page rule. I just wasn't into this. The characters didn't feel like characters, they felt like cardboard cutouts. It really seemed to drag, and I realize I was only about 3 chapters in, I just don't feel like wading through 500 pages of it. It's an interesting concept, but not interesting enough with the drawback of not being invested in any of the 'characters.' The writing is very dry and stale, and I just can't do it.
August 12, 2016
A major point in Alternate History is knowing the subject matter. Apparently Robert Conroy knew nothing about Operation Bagration a huge Russian offensive which resulted in the destruction of Army Group Center, a greater loss than Stalingrad. Long planned it exploded into the Germans on June 22, 1944. It wouldn't have been called off even if Rommel took over instead of Himmler. This is not a small detail. The author either chose to ignore it because it would ruin his plot, or he was ridiculously uninformed. I won't even touch on the other problem with this book. This omission discredits the book
June 6, 2020
Brillanter Start, danach zu viel Personal und zu wenig Ideen bzw. erzählerisches Geschick.
Die Idee, dass eine verirrte Flying Fortress einfach irgendwo die Ladung löscht, um noch genügend Sprit für den Heimflug zu haben und dabei zufällig die Wolfsschanze ausradiert ist gut umgesetzt.
Stauffenberg geht bei dieser Gelegenheit ebenso hops wie Hitler. Auch der Gedanke, dass mitdem Führer seine wenig methodische Kriegsführung stirbt, verspricht viel Potenzial für überraschende Wendungen. Die Alliierten sind zwar gelandet, doch Harakiri-Aktionen, die z.B. zum Kessel von Falaise geführt haben, finden nicht mehr statt. Auch das Halten um jeden Preis ist Geschichte.
Die deutschen Generale unter der Leitung von Rundstedt erarbeiten eine sinnvolle Defensivstrategie für den Westen, der reaktivierte von Papen vereinbart mit Molotow eine Verteilung des Ostens, erfüllt den Russen sämtliche feuchten Träume aus der Zarenzeit (Dardanellen ) und überliefert Wlassow im Gegenzug für 2000 T 34, zur Auffüllung der Lücken bei einer Entscheidungsschlacht im Westen. Den von anderen Rezensenten beklagten Wegfall der Revanche für Barbarossa (Bagration) halte ich unter diesen Umständen für ein vertretbares Opfer von historischen Fakten.
Leider folgt auf den verheißungsvollen Start ein ziemlich schwungloses Klein-Klein mit viel zu viel belanglosem Personal und dessen Liebeshändeln. Ein psychopathischer Fremdarbeiter, der den guten Deutschen auflauert sowie kriminelle Versorgungsoffiziere erweitern das Panorama. So treibt der Autor seinen Volkssturm an viel zu viel Personal in kurzen Abschnitten durch die paar Seiten. Gute Einzelideen verpuffen immer wieder, bevor etwas aus ihnen werden konnte. Die Schurken bekommen trotzdem ihr Fett weg,
Fazit: Conroy stellt in seiner Alternative History nicht alles auf den Kopf bestraft die Bösen, lässt aber auch den Guten zu wenig Luft zum Atmen, um einen überzeugenden Roman auf den Weg zu bringen. Wie etliche andere amerikanische Autoren (z.B. Robert Littells Roter Winter)versucht er zu viele Geschichten auf 500 Seiten zu erzählen und verplempert mit seiner unfokussierten Flickschusterei damit das Potenzial der Geschichte bzw. herausragender Bedrohungs-)Situationen, die auf ein paar Seiten mehr für nachhaltigere Eindrücke gesorgt hätten.
Conroy verkleckert das Potenzial seiner Geschichte ebenso dilettantisch wie Hitler seine Divisionen im Osten. War selbst überrascht wie viel ich in gut einem Jahr davon vergessen hatte.
Die Idee, dass eine verirrte Flying Fortress einfach irgendwo die Ladung löscht, um noch genügend Sprit für den Heimflug zu haben und dabei zufällig die Wolfsschanze ausradiert ist gut umgesetzt.
Stauffenberg geht bei dieser Gelegenheit ebenso hops wie Hitler. Auch der Gedanke, dass mitdem Führer seine wenig methodische Kriegsführung stirbt, verspricht viel Potenzial für überraschende Wendungen. Die Alliierten sind zwar gelandet, doch Harakiri-Aktionen, die z.B. zum Kessel von Falaise geführt haben, finden nicht mehr statt. Auch das Halten um jeden Preis ist Geschichte.
Die deutschen Generale unter der Leitung von Rundstedt erarbeiten eine sinnvolle Defensivstrategie für den Westen, der reaktivierte von Papen vereinbart mit Molotow eine Verteilung des Ostens, erfüllt den Russen sämtliche feuchten Träume aus der Zarenzeit (Dardanellen ) und überliefert Wlassow im Gegenzug für 2000 T 34, zur Auffüllung der Lücken bei einer Entscheidungsschlacht im Westen. Den von anderen Rezensenten beklagten Wegfall der Revanche für Barbarossa (Bagration) halte ich unter diesen Umständen für ein vertretbares Opfer von historischen Fakten.
Leider folgt auf den verheißungsvollen Start ein ziemlich schwungloses Klein-Klein mit viel zu viel belanglosem Personal und dessen Liebeshändeln. Ein psychopathischer Fremdarbeiter, der den guten Deutschen auflauert sowie kriminelle Versorgungsoffiziere erweitern das Panorama. So treibt der Autor seinen Volkssturm an viel zu viel Personal in kurzen Abschnitten durch die paar Seiten. Gute Einzelideen verpuffen immer wieder, bevor etwas aus ihnen werden konnte. Die Schurken bekommen trotzdem ihr Fett weg,
Fazit: Conroy stellt in seiner Alternative History nicht alles auf den Kopf bestraft die Bösen, lässt aber auch den Guten zu wenig Luft zum Atmen, um einen überzeugenden Roman auf den Weg zu bringen. Wie etliche andere amerikanische Autoren (z.B. Robert Littells Roter Winter)versucht er zu viele Geschichten auf 500 Seiten zu erzählen und verplempert mit seiner unfokussierten Flickschusterei damit das Potenzial der Geschichte bzw. herausragender Bedrohungs-)Situationen, die auf ein paar Seiten mehr für nachhaltigere Eindrücke gesorgt hätten.
Conroy verkleckert das Potenzial seiner Geschichte ebenso dilettantisch wie Hitler seine Divisionen im Osten. War selbst überrascht wie viel ich in gut einem Jahr davon vergessen hatte.
August 7, 2013
I have enjoyed many of Conroy's works and was looking forward to this one, but for those who read his last one - 1945 Red Inferno with the Western Allies going to war with Stalin's Soviet Union, you will find this one similar with the Americans holding centre stage and the British and French relegated to limited supporting roles in the war. I dont remember the others - Poles, Canadians, Dutch, Belgians, Czechs, New Zealanders, Indians, South Africans, etc being mentioned at all sadly.
SPOILER ALERT -
A great concept overall, that Hitler is killed in June 1944 and Himmler takes control and in this story makes more rational decisions about the deployment of the Army letting the actual Generals fight the war- for example abandoning Norway, Italy and the Courland peninsula so as to straighten and strengthen the main defence lines. A truce with USSR seemed feasible in this story.
However what is annoying is many mistakes like saying the British 1st Airborne dropped in to Normandy when it was the 6th, many typos but worst of all I felt was showing how the British were clamouring for peace and an end to the war just because Hitler was dead, and with the French divided again (in this story and in the last one) between De Gaulle supporters and Communists the Americans are the main backbone and advocate to continue the war against Nazi Germany! I found this very hard to accept since historically the Americans only joined the war in 1941 after they were attacked by the Japanese and then Hitlers declaration of war on them yet now they and not the British who had been fighting since 1939 want to fight on, and as I said above seem to do all the work.
The inclusion of a German Nuclear weapon team was interesting and key to the plot for a while but not based on reality. History tells us that the Germans were decades behind the Western Allies especially as they had forced/scared off many key German Jewish scientists.
I felt too that could have been more actual battle scenes and fighting. We do get some and glimpses of others but its mainly conversations and some unusual sex scenes thrown in.
Better than many of Turtledove's efforts however but not as good as the great S M Stirling.
I would recommend two great similar stories which were much better - The Red Gambit series by Colin Gee and "Seelowe Nord" by Andy Johnson. The Germans invade England in 1940 but on the Yorkshire coast flanking the main defences in the south east. Both very interesting and entertaining.
So, a good idea with some good moments but a missed chance again from a writer who constantly returns to the theme that the Americans won World War 2 by themselves in the alternative worlds, and probably in history too. A bit disappointing overall.
SPOILER ALERT -
A great concept overall, that Hitler is killed in June 1944 and Himmler takes control and in this story makes more rational decisions about the deployment of the Army letting the actual Generals fight the war- for example abandoning Norway, Italy and the Courland peninsula so as to straighten and strengthen the main defence lines. A truce with USSR seemed feasible in this story.
However what is annoying is many mistakes like saying the British 1st Airborne dropped in to Normandy when it was the 6th, many typos but worst of all I felt was showing how the British were clamouring for peace and an end to the war just because Hitler was dead, and with the French divided again (in this story and in the last one) between De Gaulle supporters and Communists the Americans are the main backbone and advocate to continue the war against Nazi Germany! I found this very hard to accept since historically the Americans only joined the war in 1941 after they were attacked by the Japanese and then Hitlers declaration of war on them yet now they and not the British who had been fighting since 1939 want to fight on, and as I said above seem to do all the work.
The inclusion of a German Nuclear weapon team was interesting and key to the plot for a while but not based on reality. History tells us that the Germans were decades behind the Western Allies especially as they had forced/scared off many key German Jewish scientists.
I felt too that could have been more actual battle scenes and fighting. We do get some and glimpses of others but its mainly conversations and some unusual sex scenes thrown in.
Better than many of Turtledove's efforts however but not as good as the great S M Stirling.
I would recommend two great similar stories which were much better - The Red Gambit series by Colin Gee and "Seelowe Nord" by Andy Johnson. The Germans invade England in 1940 but on the Yorkshire coast flanking the main defences in the south east. Both very interesting and entertaining.
So, a good idea with some good moments but a missed chance again from a writer who constantly returns to the theme that the Americans won World War 2 by themselves in the alternative worlds, and probably in history too. A bit disappointing overall.
December 12, 2013
Whats the point of writing alternative history if your just gonna go completely Tom Clancy and always let the US win?
This book combines several interesting plot components like the premature death of Hitler, and the nuking of a major city. But it does it very poorly, and more or less wastes them. There is little logic, just events unfolding as Conroy wants them to.
This book combines several interesting plot components like the premature death of Hitler, and the nuking of a major city. But it does it very poorly, and more or less wastes them. There is little logic, just events unfolding as Conroy wants them to.
March 24, 2015
Excellent. Harry Turtledove may be the father of the alternate history genre; but, I like Robert Conroy's works much better.
August 23, 2014
I wasn't sure if I would like this book or not and bought it on a whim [that, and it only cost me 50 cents for the hard cover edition - who could pass up a deal like that?]. I actually liked it quite a bit.
It is an alternate history novel where Hitler is accidentally killed when a bomber crew trying to return home drops their bombload on some buildings they hope are military in nature because they need to lighten their load due to fuel loss and damage to the aircraft. Himmler grabs the reigns in Germany and radical changes are made to how the war is won. However, despite the changes made [signing a new pact with Russia 'guaranteeing' one year of peace, pulling completely out of France, trying to shorten up the lines necessary for defenses, and making trades for Russian tanks] the outcome of the war still ends with an American victory. However, there are new changes in the aftermath of the war's end, such as American forces keeping the Russians out of Germany, Moscow being destroyed by Germany's one and only atomic bomb, and Russia thrown into turmoil due to heads of state disappearing in a a nuclear explosion.
I liked how he focused on 'the big stuff' in terms of strategy and how the forces were being moved around. I also liked how he focused on individuals, some of the 'minor' characters in the story. I rooted for the safety of a German officer's family to the same degree I rooted for the safety of a British airman trapped behind the lines in Germany as well as a new officer for one of the American tank regiments. So it was nice to see how Conroy developed his characters throughout the book. I also liked how he did not have such a large cast of characters that it was easy to loose track of who was who and who did what and where people were stationed and why they were where they were. I liked Turtledove's 'in the balance' series, but it had such a large cast of characters that I often lost track of who was doing what and where they were. That was not the case with Conroy's story.
I liked the plot twists. As I had no idea what to expect, I did not see them coming. I liked how Himmler listened to the Generals, deferring to their experience and expertise while gritting his teeth in frustration/anger at how they treated [and spoke] to him. It was also interesting how he created and then handled a constitutional crisis that arose over President Roosevelt's declining health. In a way, it reminded me of what Tom Clancy did in 'Executive Orders' but Conroy was much more efficient in how he handled the situation [and still kept it believable and entertaining]. It also reminded me of 'Fox on the Rhine' [where Rommel is not killed but instead leads the
German military forces during their defense/attack during the Battle of the Bulge until the end of the War].
Overall, I really enjoyed the book. It was the first one that I read by Robert Conroy and I will definitely be watching for more of his books [I saw an advertisement for his next book coming out involving the Japanese winning at Midway - that looked like it should be good as well].
I do not think I could rate this book as a five-star, but I would rate it very close [maybe 4.75 or 4.8].
It is an alternate history novel where Hitler is accidentally killed when a bomber crew trying to return home drops their bombload on some buildings they hope are military in nature because they need to lighten their load due to fuel loss and damage to the aircraft. Himmler grabs the reigns in Germany and radical changes are made to how the war is won. However, despite the changes made [signing a new pact with Russia 'guaranteeing' one year of peace, pulling completely out of France, trying to shorten up the lines necessary for defenses, and making trades for Russian tanks] the outcome of the war still ends with an American victory. However, there are new changes in the aftermath of the war's end, such as American forces keeping the Russians out of Germany, Moscow being destroyed by Germany's one and only atomic bomb, and Russia thrown into turmoil due to heads of state disappearing in a a nuclear explosion.
I liked how he focused on 'the big stuff' in terms of strategy and how the forces were being moved around. I also liked how he focused on individuals, some of the 'minor' characters in the story. I rooted for the safety of a German officer's family to the same degree I rooted for the safety of a British airman trapped behind the lines in Germany as well as a new officer for one of the American tank regiments. So it was nice to see how Conroy developed his characters throughout the book. I also liked how he did not have such a large cast of characters that it was easy to loose track of who was who and who did what and where people were stationed and why they were where they were. I liked Turtledove's 'in the balance' series, but it had such a large cast of characters that I often lost track of who was doing what and where they were. That was not the case with Conroy's story.
I liked the plot twists. As I had no idea what to expect, I did not see them coming. I liked how Himmler listened to the Generals, deferring to their experience and expertise while gritting his teeth in frustration/anger at how they treated [and spoke] to him. It was also interesting how he created and then handled a constitutional crisis that arose over President Roosevelt's declining health. In a way, it reminded me of what Tom Clancy did in 'Executive Orders' but Conroy was much more efficient in how he handled the situation [and still kept it believable and entertaining]. It also reminded me of 'Fox on the Rhine' [where Rommel is not killed but instead leads the
German military forces during their defense/attack during the Battle of the Bulge until the end of the War].
Overall, I really enjoyed the book. It was the first one that I read by Robert Conroy and I will definitely be watching for more of his books [I saw an advertisement for his next book coming out involving the Japanese winning at Midway - that looked like it should be good as well].
I do not think I could rate this book as a five-star, but I would rate it very close [maybe 4.75 or 4.8].
April 6, 2013
An interesting read. Conroy's point of departure is in 1944, when a small American bomber breaks formation when attacked by the Germans and inadvertently drops its payload on Hitler's head.
The plot proceeds fairly logically until the end, when, as one of my friends noted, Conroy "drives off a cliff." In all of his books that I have read thus far, Conroy starts a major, decisive battle on page 340/360, takes fifteen pages to describe that battle from various perspectives, and then hastily wraps up numerous loose ends in the last five pages. It leaves the reader feeling incomplete, asking, "Is that it?"
Conroy seems to care only about the military aspect of his battles, the enduring political legacy be damned.
The plot proceeds fairly logically until the end, when, as one of my friends noted, Conroy "drives off a cliff." In all of his books that I have read thus far, Conroy starts a major, decisive battle on page 340/360, takes fifteen pages to describe that battle from various perspectives, and then hastily wraps up numerous loose ends in the last five pages. It leaves the reader feeling incomplete, asking, "Is that it?"
Conroy seems to care only about the military aspect of his battles, the enduring political legacy be damned.
January 28, 2015
This book is part of a smaller branch of historical fiction known as alternative history where the author, (and the reader) supposedly ask, 'What if?' This book does an incredible job capturing the violence, strategy, and overall grim reality of war. The book is accurate in capturing the attitudes of the characters, i.e. American soldiers, Nazi official, German citizens, and even the Commander of the Armed Forces, FDR. The book is balanced in that it is straightforward when telling of certain events, but also effectively captures the character's thoughts. I advise caution as this book does have strong language, graphic imagery, and gory scenes.
October 24, 2018
Just trash but fun trash!
August 12, 2020
Terrible. The characters were so bland I didn't care what happened to any of them. The Brits supposedly wanted peace the second Hitler was dead, which is just ridiculous. I don't think there is any possible scenario that would have resulted in the British calling it all off and going home. The entire atomic bomb storyline was too farfetched to believe even in a fiction novel. I don't buy the Soviet line either. There was no chance of the Soviet Union deciding to back off a few months before the war ended. They already had massive amounts of men, tanks, planes and everything else heading for Berlin by the point they 'negotiated' in this wretched book. tHe Soviets were not short on fuel. They had more than enough of their own, and FDR sent them loads of it too while the Soviet oil production got back up to speed. Himmler breezily gave up Romania, which was not believable. THere was actually a reason Hitler refused to give up Romania. It was Germany's only source of oil. If it had to be given up, it wouldn't be a few minutes of conversation with Himmler acting like it didn't matter at all. Nothing about this book made sense and it was boring on top of being nonsensical.
May 6, 2024
Robert Conroy, to me, was the true master of alternate history. If you don't agree, we can compromise and call him the master of pulp alternate history: short, fun, fast-paced novels.
Himmler's War is a perfect example of this. It shares similar plot beats to Fox on the Rhine and Fox at the Front, by Douglas Niles and Michael Niles and Michael Dobson: Hitler dies in early 1944 and Himmler takes over, leading to a brief German comeback as they can fight smartly again.
In Himmler's War, Conroy covers these events in a single novel, with a rather small cast of characters that gives us every kind of viewpoint you want in a war novel - the higherups on both sides making decisions, the soldiers carrying them out, the civilians - without it feeling bloated or it becoming a doorstopper.
Disclaimer: the Fox novels aren't bloated or doorstoppers. The point I'm trying to make is that Conroy covers the same or similar events in a single book what Fox did in two.
So if you want to read a short, fun, and action-packed novel about late WWII, I can't recommend Conroy's book enough
Himmler's War is a perfect example of this. It shares similar plot beats to Fox on the Rhine and Fox at the Front, by Douglas Niles and Michael Niles and Michael Dobson: Hitler dies in early 1944 and Himmler takes over, leading to a brief German comeback as they can fight smartly again.
In Himmler's War, Conroy covers these events in a single novel, with a rather small cast of characters that gives us every kind of viewpoint you want in a war novel - the higherups on both sides making decisions, the soldiers carrying them out, the civilians - without it feeling bloated or it becoming a doorstopper.
Disclaimer: the Fox novels aren't bloated or doorstoppers. The point I'm trying to make is that Conroy covers the same or similar events in a single book what Fox did in two.
So if you want to read a short, fun, and action-packed novel about late WWII, I can't recommend Conroy's book enough
July 2, 2020
No one gives a war better than Conroy.
The premise is the first one encountered by anyone who reads alternate history - What happens if you killed Hitler? In this case (as opposed to thousands of others) he's killed by a random bombing from a wayward B-17. It's a satisfying death for its random nature.
Now, with the mad dictator and his misguided military machinations gone, the Third Reich manages to pull together its defenses into a single front to face off against the allies in one last battle for the fate of the world.
There's intrigue with the Russians and back-channel deals that swing between ill-advised and predictable. I liked the constitutional crisis around the inauguration of FDR's 4th term, but it could have been played out a bit more. Overall, 20 more pages of resolution would have been satisfying, if not completely necessary.
If you wanted to play out Hitler's death (and who hasn't?) this is a good choice.
The premise is the first one encountered by anyone who reads alternate history - What happens if you killed Hitler? In this case (as opposed to thousands of others) he's killed by a random bombing from a wayward B-17. It's a satisfying death for its random nature.
Now, with the mad dictator and his misguided military machinations gone, the Third Reich manages to pull together its defenses into a single front to face off against the allies in one last battle for the fate of the world.
There's intrigue with the Russians and back-channel deals that swing between ill-advised and predictable. I liked the constitutional crisis around the inauguration of FDR's 4th term, but it could have been played out a bit more. Overall, 20 more pages of resolution would have been satisfying, if not completely necessary.
If you wanted to play out Hitler's death (and who hasn't?) this is a good choice.
July 12, 2021
Anyone who has read much Robert Conroy will know what to expect as Himmler's War is very much his usual fare. He takes an actual historical conflict and throws in a big "What if this happened instead?" and follows things through to see how things work out. This time it's what if Hitler had been killed accidentally and Himmler took over? The story is told by numerous characters from all sides and all levels, leaving little room for any character depth, which isn't too much of an issue in this type of story. Conroy's writing style is fairly basic, but again it's not a big deal. For those readers who can't accept that historical fiction takes liberties with history, it's probably best to stick with the encyclopaedia. Historical fiction and alternate history fans who like an undemanding romp may find it more digestible.
October 25, 2016
Alternate history books can be wildly fanciful to the point of stupidity, or as accurate as one can be when diverging from reality after an event takes place.
Thankfully Himmer's War falls into the latter category where after a errant B17 bomber accidentally kills Adolf Hitler, his henchman Himmler, the little chicken farmer, takes over the Third Reich and the war effort.
I found it interesting both from a thought experiment perspective and from an entertainment perspective. I was pleased the novel also flowed logically with facts as they were known, not fancifully inventing things but merely reordering some events and developments in a manner they potentially could have occurred after the first divergence event.
Overall - an enjoyable alt history read.
Thankfully Himmer's War falls into the latter category where after a errant B17 bomber accidentally kills Adolf Hitler, his henchman Himmler, the little chicken farmer, takes over the Third Reich and the war effort.
I found it interesting both from a thought experiment perspective and from an entertainment perspective. I was pleased the novel also flowed logically with facts as they were known, not fancifully inventing things but merely reordering some events and developments in a manner they potentially could have occurred after the first divergence event.
Overall - an enjoyable alt history read.
January 3, 2019
Interesting alternate history premise and story, up to the ending, which seems rushed and truncated, with some loose ends. As with many of these genre publications from smaller houses, the editing lacks rigour. There are missing words in phrases, "then" instead of "than", and a few jarring directional flubs especially confusing west and east (in adjoining paragraphs in one instance). It is an OK diverting read, though, if one is not looking for literary fare. Conroy had decent "what if" ideas, not great writing talent.
February 9, 2024
Fairytale, “Science Fiction” or downright alternate ending can all describe this book and how it invariably selects a different path on the direction of World War II. Robert Conroy does make the book interesting with different plots and supporting history to this fiction piece. I took it for what it was as a different road that may have happen and the consequences with this chosen path. It was well written and did hold my interest all the way to the end.
February 5, 2019
This is a sci-fi novel, yet is so historically accurate, that I had to remind myself that some parts of the book were not real. This novel offers an alternative ending to World War II. Hitler is killed in an accidental bombing and Himmler takes over. The Nazis develop a single atomic bomb and detonates it in Moscow, killing Stalin and crippling Russia. FDR dies and Truman takes over.
May 21, 2019
Interesting plausible end to WWII if Hitler had died. A more interesting version would have been following the Nazis trying to gain power, but that was not the emphasis of this novel.
Much of WWII weapons and tactics being a tad re-purposed into a final assault, so the accuracy beyond the assumptions is high. However, really not enough compelling action for a truly good story.
Much of WWII weapons and tactics being a tad re-purposed into a final assault, so the accuracy beyond the assumptions is high. However, really not enough compelling action for a truly good story.
June 7, 2017
Conway always weaves a good alt-history story, but I think he has entertained me with the same formulaic story line too many times. Maybe I've read too many variations on a demised Hitler but I just could not get into this one.
November 16, 2017
Interesting what if book. Takes some of the known things and couples it with a "if this happened what if the Nazi's quit doing the most vile things they did - holocaust - and did something else." Was rushed to cover everything at times.
June 11, 2020
Clever, entertaining, narrative reads similar to W.E.B. Griffin. A little too much literacy license with historical facts: some dialogue uses phrases, knowledge, and organizations which would not have been known by common people at that time.
April 24, 2018
Alternate WWII novel where Hitler dies and Himmler takes over for the rest of the war.
November 6, 2018
A lot unbelievable, so not the best alternate history.
February 23, 2019
Fairly entertaining. Typical alternative history from Robert Conroy. Of course the Allies still win, but Moscow gets nuked. A lot of improbabilities yet I liked it.
March 28, 2019
A very good read
Robert Conroy was a fine writer of alternate history. His characters including real people are well developed and his scenarios realistic.
Robert Conroy was a fine writer of alternate history. His characters including real people are well developed and his scenarios realistic.
August 12, 2020
Conroy is a master storyteller that keeps your attention! His book is both gripping and compelling. I plan on reading more of his work
August 8, 2022
Another great novel from Conroy
July 18, 2023
I like that it preserved the inevitability of a German defeat. But the book went too fast from a Nazi-Germany-has-a-chance stance under Himmler to an absolute crumbling.
February 13, 2016
So I like to read alternative history novels from time to time, because if they are well written and the history is well researched; it makes for a fun game of "what if" to be played out in my mind.
The gimmick here is that Hitler is killed by an errant stick of bombs from a B-17. The "what-if" question is that how would the war in Europe have progressed if Hitler wasn't making poor decisions about army movements and how the army should fight, let alone what weapons the German's should produce.
The book starts only a few weeks after D-Day and follows two main characters, one is a USAAF pilot who is afraid to fly and the other is a senior German military officer who works on the OKB (the German equivalent of the Joint Chiefs of Staff). When Hitler is killed, Heinrich Himmler takes over as leader of Nazi Germany. He gives some concessions to the OKB about military troops, receives peace with Stalin and give the German Army free reign to make the war in France harder to win compared to the actual rout it was by the end of 1944. There are some historical inaccuracies, such as the use of a nuclear weapon early on by Germans against one of the allied nations. However, for the most part the story seems to roll well based on what most historians studying the battle for the liberation of France expected if the Germans fought competently. The biggest difficulty for me in reading this book though was the number of minor characters that fleshed out some of the events that were to occur off stage from what the main characters were experiencing. It was difficult without a character bill to keep everyone straight. Additionally, there seemed to me more sex scenes in this book than I expected. Nothing pornographic, but some serious purple prose was inserted when one or the other main characters ran across his love interest in some of the most unusual times. Having read a few of Conroy's other books, I half expected this but this time it almost seemed as if instead of a ton of action with a little bit of romance, the formula was reversed and there was a little bit of action with a ton of romance. I half expected to see one of the minor or even major characters engage in a purple prose filled sex scene right in the middle of one of the major set piece battles during this book. That was a major distraction to the flow of the story.
Realistically, most of Conroy's books could be taken apart by a serious historical student. But for a trashy read on an airplane or on the beach or at lunch while at work and you don't want something thick. Well then this is decent, not four or five stars; but 3 stars and even at points that is reaching for it by that moment you finish the book and think it over in your mind.
The gimmick here is that Hitler is killed by an errant stick of bombs from a B-17. The "what-if" question is that how would the war in Europe have progressed if Hitler wasn't making poor decisions about army movements and how the army should fight, let alone what weapons the German's should produce.
The book starts only a few weeks after D-Day and follows two main characters, one is a USAAF pilot who is afraid to fly and the other is a senior German military officer who works on the OKB (the German equivalent of the Joint Chiefs of Staff). When Hitler is killed, Heinrich Himmler takes over as leader of Nazi Germany. He gives some concessions to the OKB about military troops, receives peace with Stalin and give the German Army free reign to make the war in France harder to win compared to the actual rout it was by the end of 1944. There are some historical inaccuracies, such as the use of a nuclear weapon early on by Germans against one of the allied nations. However, for the most part the story seems to roll well based on what most historians studying the battle for the liberation of France expected if the Germans fought competently. The biggest difficulty for me in reading this book though was the number of minor characters that fleshed out some of the events that were to occur off stage from what the main characters were experiencing. It was difficult without a character bill to keep everyone straight. Additionally, there seemed to me more sex scenes in this book than I expected. Nothing pornographic, but some serious purple prose was inserted when one or the other main characters ran across his love interest in some of the most unusual times. Having read a few of Conroy's other books, I half expected this but this time it almost seemed as if instead of a ton of action with a little bit of romance, the formula was reversed and there was a little bit of action with a ton of romance. I half expected to see one of the minor or even major characters engage in a purple prose filled sex scene right in the middle of one of the major set piece battles during this book. That was a major distraction to the flow of the story.
Realistically, most of Conroy's books could be taken apart by a serious historical student. But for a trashy read on an airplane or on the beach or at lunch while at work and you don't want something thick. Well then this is decent, not four or five stars; but 3 stars and even at points that is reaching for it by that moment you finish the book and think it over in your mind.
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