All Our Tomorrows

by Ted Allbeury

All Our Tomorrows Allbeury, Ted

Genres: Fiction, Espionage, Thriller

352 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1982

About the author

1917 - 2005. Also wrote under the pseudonyms Richard Butler and Patrick Kelly.

Ted Allbeury was a lieutenant-colonel in the Intelligence Corps during World War II, and later a successful executive in the fields of marketing, advertising and radio. He began his writing career in the early 1970s and became well known for his espionage novels, but also published one highly-praised general novel, THE CHOICE, and a short story collection, OTHER KINDS OF TREASON. His novels have been published in twenty-three languages, including Russian. He died on 4th December 2005.


See also: http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/2006/j...
and
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/a/t...

Reviews

[Matthew Kresal · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Cold War gave rise to many pieces of fiction looking at the decade's long conflict between East and West. Few writers though seemed to have taken the time to have imagined what it might be like if the East came forth to occupy one of the major Western powers. One who did was prolific thriller writer Ted Allbeury who created a vision of a Britain under Soviet occupation with his 1982 novel All Our Tomorrows.

Looking at the novel from some thirty-five years after it was first published is interesting as it often reads like an alternative history (dialogue sets the novel as happening in the later part of the 1980s). That is a version of history where Thatcher fell from power much sooner than she did in real life and Gorbachev didn't come to power in the Soviet Union. That is especially true with the first half of the novel which details a Britain on the brink of collapse that finds itself separated from Europe politically and economically, opening the door for the Soviets to force the British Prime Minister to come to Moscow and enter the country into a “Treaty of Neutrality and Cooperation”. Before long, Soviet troops are marching into Whitehall and the island nation finds itself firmly behind the Iron Curtain.

This first half was the strongest part of the novel. The events are depicted in a realistic fashion, something all the more effectively rendered when one remembers the period in which the novel was being written. Indeed, parts of it felt oddly reminiscent of today given the current situation with Brexit and Russia being on the move again as a world power. Allbeury's introduces a large cast of characters which sometimes leaves it feeling a little unfocused but it gives a comprehensive portrait of the nation and the world that could conceivably allow this to happen. More over, this portion felt like a dramatic counterpoint to Chris Mullin's 1982 political thriller A Very British Coup (which in turn depicts a left-wing British government coming to power and finding itself under siege politically including the US government). It certainly promises an interesting time ahead.

Unfortunately, the second half of the novel wasn't able to deliver on the premise. Having set up an armed resistance movement in the UK, All Our Tomorrows begins to shift its focus away from the nation under occupation and onto superpower machinations in Washington and Moscow. There are glimpses of action but the novel gets drug down by cliches of Cold War era diplomacy which builds up eventually to an ending that, given how the end of the Cold War played out in real life within a decade of the novel's publication, seems downright laughable. Even under different circumstances, it might not have been possible to bring the novel to a completely satisfactory conclusion given that Allbeury introduced too many characters with too many threads in the first half, to begin with. The second half suffers as well from a tendency to tell rather than show events play out.

Yet despite the issues with the back half of the novel, All Our Tomorrows is a perfectly readable novel from the Cold War era. Allbeury, despite his tendency to tell rather than show, creates a believable version of events for Britain to find itself under Soviet occupation and the first half is a fine piece of (however unplanned) alternate history. If nothing else, it presents a vision of what could have happened in a different world. Or, given the aforementioned Brexit and Russia's recent posturing, might happen still.

[Nik Morton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ted Allbeury’s 1982 novel All Our Tomorrows is another addition to the long list of alternate future histories. This one is about a take-over of Britain by the USSR in the latter part of the 1980s. It’s a time when the EU was the more benign EEC and Woolworths were still on the high streets. And of course the all-pervasive Internet and social media had not yet taken hold.

It’s not his usual spy story, but rather an angry assessment of the state of the nation at that time, beginning with a quotation from Lenin: ‘British Communism should... learn to support the Labour Party leaders by their votes “as the rope supports the hanged man”.’ (p6)

Britain is talking about pulling out of the EEC (the debilitating tentacles of the EU had not been foreseen then). The situation in the country was dire: ‘We let things drift. We let criminals get away with it... Rioting, looting, hooliganism, were excused as being caused by racialism... We are scared of being labelled Fascists or reactionaries. It’s nice to be soft. And liked. And in the end it could get you votes’ (p18).

‘It was obvious, even to the public, that the law of the land could no longer be enforced’ (p96). The country was becoming ungovernable. A State of Emergency was declared, ostensibly due to mounting inflation and high unemployment. Strikes were illegal. Freedoms were constrained – and this was accepted...

French President Becque sees the situation and approaches Soviet President Orlov, suggesting that without Britain as an ally and a base, the US could never supply NATO in a war. If the British government asked the Soviet Union for help and in return became neutral territory... The Russian advisers could bring Britain full employment and law and order would be restored... Cooper, the British PM is faced with a dilemma, posed by the Soviets: ‘A choice to avoid a war you can’t win. You haven’t got the arms, the men or the planes. And you haven’t got the will to fight’ (p93).

So, aware that his country’s problems seem insurmountable; the PM signs a treaty of neutrality, inviting the Soviet Union to assist in bringing law and order to Britain – ‘bring back stability’ (p97).

Stability meant the country would be subject to Soviet law.

Change. ‘Let me tell you of some of those changes... Politicians have not served this country well. They have been divisive not constructive, seeking privileges for themselves and their sponsors. Therefore there will be no political parties in this country for the next five years’ (p109).

Before the take-over, the royal family was spirited away to Canada. The Queen made a broadcast which could only offer hope despite ‘men of evil intent exploited our traditional tolerance and freedom for their own ends... Old friends deserted us, some went so far as to hasten our downfall...’ (p139) [She didn’t mention the French!] The text of her speech reads as if it actually had been her speaking.

It seems that as the Soviet yolk pressed down upon the people, they became accepting of the new conditions: ‘We daren’t say what we think; nobody can criticise the system and survive’ (p198).

However, there was resistance. SAS Colonel Harry Andrews and his men Joe Langley and Jamie Boyle have built up a veritable army of spies, activists, saboteurs and fighters throughout the country. Harry’s plea to the populace, subject to harsh and brutal reprisals from the occupying troops, was clear: ‘Be strong. Not just for today but tomorrow and all our tomorrows’ (p267).

And, as it happens, the US hasn’t given up on occupied Britain. President Wheeler has the ear of Colonel Andrews also. The struggle can bear fruit... though perhaps nothing would ever be the same again.

A thought-provoking book with surprising relevance to the situation today.

[Philip Higgins · Rating 5 out of 5]

A superb speculative thriller written in 1982 that imagines a Britain taken over by the Soviet Union. Many of this author's works feature Soviet infiltration and agitation, aided by left-wing apologists in the UK's media, industries and politicians. This book realises the threat with the nightmare scenario of Russian tanks on the streets.

It's all chillingly convincing and a scathing attack on Britain's seventies industrial decline, political infighting and public apathy: "We let things drift...scared of being labelled Fascists and reactionaries. It's nice to be soft. And liked. And in the end it could get you votes."

The geopolitical scene is intercut with the story of the resistance - a handful of SAS veterans who sabotage the Russian war machine. It does get a bit polemical at times with characters monologuing at each other. That said, there's a wealth of interesting historical facts (the Stalinist purges, German funding of the Bolsheviks etc). The prediction of Soviet collapse by the end of the eighties proved remarkably prescient.

I found the ending highly satisfactory, hopeful yet tinged with realpolitik. If anybody understood the threat of fascism it was this author, a veteran of both WW2 & Cold War intelligence. My favourite book so far from this under-rated writer. Give me Allbeury over Le Carre any day of the week.

[Harrison Large ラージ • ハリソン · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very pertinent book about the socioeconomic collapse of Britian after years of isolation from Europe. The USSR steps in to "restore the peace" and an underground resistance forms in response.

The book was written in 1982 but change a few names here and there and you'd think it was a current affairs novel.

That said, I liked the premise more than the actual execution. I found it was trying to do too much at once and found a lot of good scenes were just bogged down in needless detail. Plus there's quite a lot to juggle in terms of characters and by the second half I was getting a bit fatiged keeping track of everything. Wouldn't recommend this to anyone who doesn't enjoy these sorts of books.

[Jane 'Espinasse · Rating 4 out of 5]

most apposite

So interesting ! Hard to imagine enough money to pay for it. Ted Allbeury and I like steady tone. Reccommend.

[Simon Cowan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I normally love Ted Allbeury's stuff, but it felt like he tried to do too much in this book. i found myself flitting all over the place, and by the time I was brought back to a place after having gone somewhere else, I'd forgotten what that particular character's part in the story was. That could just be my shocking memory, but that's my experience of this book, sadly. After having read The Girl from Addis as well, and loved it, my experience of reading this one won't stop me reading more Allbeury, however.

[Gen · Rating 5 out of 5]

True speculative fiction. Likely as terrifying now as it was when first published in 1982, given the prevailing world political climate.
Immersive, with well-written characters and plausible events.
Marginally dissatisfying ending that merely hints at the reality of grand political treaties, though this aligns with reality in a stark, uncompromising fashion.
A book I am glad, but disquieted, to have read.