What do you think?
Rate this book
Rocket's Red Glare: A WWII Era Alternate History Novel
A heart-pounding political satire that eerily parallels Washington, DC today.
Rocket’s Red Glare is an alternative history novel set in New York City, 1941. FDR is dead and the US is fascist. Charles Lindbergh is president and Joseph P. Kennedy is Treasury Secretary. Fred Trump is Mayor of New York.
Oligarchs and plutocrats have the presidential ear. German American Bundists are rioting while police look away. As WW II officially begins, the British are defeated.
FBI agent Jack Kennedy begins to suspect the Holocaust about the same time he discovers that Lindbergh has a second family in Germany.
Work on the bomb begins as a romance deepens between a mobster’s daughter and a scientist at Los Alamos. The mob and America’s top scientists form The Resistance, working under a mysterious leader whose identity is revealed in the last chapter.
Rocket’s Red Glare is an alternative history novel set in New York City, 1941. FDR is dead and the US is fascist. Charles Lindbergh is president and Joseph P. Kennedy is Treasury Secretary. Fred Trump is Mayor of New York.
Oligarchs and plutocrats have the presidential ear. German American Bundists are rioting while police look away. As WW II officially begins, the British are defeated.
FBI agent Jack Kennedy begins to suspect the Holocaust about the same time he discovers that Lindbergh has a second family in Germany.
Work on the bomb begins as a romance deepens between a mobster’s daughter and a scientist at Los Alamos. The mob and America’s top scientists form The Resistance, working under a mysterious leader whose identity is revealed in the last chapter.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
290 pages, Paperback
Published March 14, 2020
21 people are currently reading
31 people want to read
About the author
Cy Stein
10 books17 followersDr. Cy Stein is a retired oncologist, research scientist, and professor, and currently, an author,
In addition to writing novels of historical fiction and a work of alternative fiction,, Dr. Stein has authored over 230 original scientific papers, letters, chapters, reviews and editorials.
Stein hails from a notable literary family that includes cousin Harry Stein, author and journalist, and Joseph Stein, playwright of Fiddler On The Roof. Cy is a native New Yorker who now resides there with his wife. He has two children and four grandchildren, He is a graduate of Brown University, and holds a Ph.D. in chemistry from Stanford University.
In addition to writing novels of historical fiction and a work of alternative fiction,, Dr. Stein has authored over 230 original scientific papers, letters, chapters, reviews and editorials.
Stein hails from a notable literary family that includes cousin Harry Stein, author and journalist, and Joseph Stein, playwright of Fiddler On The Roof. Cy is a native New Yorker who now resides there with his wife. He has two children and four grandchildren, He is a graduate of Brown University, and holds a Ph.D. in chemistry from Stanford University.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
Read
March 14, 2020DNF. I do not rate books that I do not finish.
March 10, 2020
Rocket's Red Glare is a book with the perfect cover to convey the superb writing skills of author Cy Stein. It is a World War II Era Alternate History Novel and Political Satire book set in late 1940 into 1941. Being written as an alternate history fiction, some of its characters are fictional, and many are real people who lived during that period but did not have the positions that are in the book.
There are world leaders, including Josef Stalin, Winston Churchill, and Adolph Hilter. We are introduced to and reminded of the many of the US's prominent politicians, business people, scientists, and physics of that era. In the storyline in the 1940-1941 period, it is felt the US has become a Fascist nation with the wealthy and large corporations and companies running the country, and equity is not present for the rest of the people in the country. There are the scandals and political issues and events of that era. Many factions have joined together to oppose the fascist groups, including the communists, the mobsters, the scientists, and the physicists who form an anti-fascist group called "The Resistance."
The main characters include Sid Peskin, who is a physics graduate, and his family, who are Jewish. Their former neighbors Joey Falcone, his sister Julia, and their parents, along with their uncles who are Sicilian mobsters. Julius and his wife Ethel Rosenberg, who are members of the Young Communists League, know Sid through college. Are these three families just ordinary families, or are they far beyond that?
In this political satire, it mirrors many events and issues that are in Washington DC that loomed abundant in 1940-1941 and are sadly still occurring in 2020. Some of the main problems include the people are divided. There was and now are racial tensions, the immigrant's problems, numerous scandals, an even wider divide of wealth between the poor and the rich now exists. Is the US Constitution being applied as it should be?
As a masterfully crafted, fascinating, and intriguing book, I could hardly put it down. I have read this as an ARC read. I will be looking forward to many more books by this fantastic author.
There are world leaders, including Josef Stalin, Winston Churchill, and Adolph Hilter. We are introduced to and reminded of the many of the US's prominent politicians, business people, scientists, and physics of that era. In the storyline in the 1940-1941 period, it is felt the US has become a Fascist nation with the wealthy and large corporations and companies running the country, and equity is not present for the rest of the people in the country. There are the scandals and political issues and events of that era. Many factions have joined together to oppose the fascist groups, including the communists, the mobsters, the scientists, and the physicists who form an anti-fascist group called "The Resistance."
The main characters include Sid Peskin, who is a physics graduate, and his family, who are Jewish. Their former neighbors Joey Falcone, his sister Julia, and their parents, along with their uncles who are Sicilian mobsters. Julius and his wife Ethel Rosenberg, who are members of the Young Communists League, know Sid through college. Are these three families just ordinary families, or are they far beyond that?
In this political satire, it mirrors many events and issues that are in Washington DC that loomed abundant in 1940-1941 and are sadly still occurring in 2020. Some of the main problems include the people are divided. There was and now are racial tensions, the immigrant's problems, numerous scandals, an even wider divide of wealth between the poor and the rich now exists. Is the US Constitution being applied as it should be?
As a masterfully crafted, fascinating, and intriguing book, I could hardly put it down. I have read this as an ARC read. I will be looking forward to many more books by this fantastic author.
March 14, 2020
I will admit that this is the first Alternate History novel that I have read. I really didn't know what to expect, but I enjoy books about the era of the Second World War, so I wanted to give this book a chance. I'm glad that I did!
What would happen if Germany/Hitler had won the War? How different would our world be today? This book delves into this prospect in a well-written way and gives the reader a lot to think about.
A lot of the characters are real people, but their role in history is very different than what actually happened. Some of these people are Charles Lindbergh, Hitler, Churchill, J. Edgar Hoover, Oppenheimer, Fermi, and FDR. But, each of these have a much different place in this alternate timeline.
Sid Peskin is a graduate student in Physics and also a Jew. As such, he is worried about what is happening in the US under an anti-Semitic regime. The author does a great job in writing a possible history in an entertaining way that keeps the reader involved in the story. You will find a little bit of spy/thriller along with government conspiracy in this book as well.
Although the book is set in the WWII era, there are a lot of parallels to our present day problems. Freedom of speech, racial tensions, religious freedoms and immigration problems are prevalent in this book and make the reader think about what is happening in our country today.
I will definitely be looking for more books by Cy Stein and look forward to what he might have in store for his readers. I was given the chance to read an early review copy of this book by the publisher and chose to review it.
What would happen if Germany/Hitler had won the War? How different would our world be today? This book delves into this prospect in a well-written way and gives the reader a lot to think about.
A lot of the characters are real people, but their role in history is very different than what actually happened. Some of these people are Charles Lindbergh, Hitler, Churchill, J. Edgar Hoover, Oppenheimer, Fermi, and FDR. But, each of these have a much different place in this alternate timeline.
Sid Peskin is a graduate student in Physics and also a Jew. As such, he is worried about what is happening in the US under an anti-Semitic regime. The author does a great job in writing a possible history in an entertaining way that keeps the reader involved in the story. You will find a little bit of spy/thriller along with government conspiracy in this book as well.
Although the book is set in the WWII era, there are a lot of parallels to our present day problems. Freedom of speech, racial tensions, religious freedoms and immigration problems are prevalent in this book and make the reader think about what is happening in our country today.
I will definitely be looking for more books by Cy Stein and look forward to what he might have in store for his readers. I was given the chance to read an early review copy of this book by the publisher and chose to review it.
January 31, 2020
“Sid’s brain ached. As a physicist, it was easy to view daily life as a series of math problems to be solved; everything was potentially doable, wasn’t it? But sometimes, the data had holes. Big holes. Dark holes.”
I don’t normally post reviews for books that rate this poorly. I’m making an exception because I was given an advanced reader copy and asked to review it. Also because there’s the embryo of a really good alternative history story amid the wreckage that is currently Rocket’s Red Glare.
“The thrill of meeting Einstein, coupled with the wonderful half-day spent with Julia, still clung to him like the fragrance of newly blossoming flowers.”
Excellent concept: what if FDR died in the late 1930s and Charles Lindbergh was elected president in 1940? Poor execution: factual errors, poor construction, and abundant grammatical and typographical errors keep destroying the sense of the story. Some readers will love; some will hate. Few will learn about what might have happened because Stein’s characterization of people, motives, and events of the 1940s transparently reflect the author’s opinion of current American politics.
“What is happening in our country now is unfortunate, but what is going on in Eastern Europe is horrific beyond imagining.”
Examples of factual miscues: FDR dies in 1938, but Stein writes that Lindbergh was the next president. No, Vice President John Nance Garner would have succeeded. Stein has Lindbergh taking office in 1940; no, if elected in 1940 he’d take office in 1941. The Sky King radio show originated in 1946. JFK entered the Navy (as an ensign) in October 1941. (These calendar discrepancies are permissible in an alternate universe, but Stein needs to say so.) 424 E. 71st Street cannot back on 402 E. 72nd Street because 424 faces north, therefore backs toward the south, E 70th Street, and by the way is the address of historic Sokol Hall (https://www.sokolnewyork.org/).
Comic book-level writing. Rapidly changing point of view character (“head hopping”) impedes following who thinks, says, and does what. All the scenes with Adolf Hitler (as a Putin stand-in) and most of the Lindbergh and Trump sub-plots have obvious modern political motivation. And detract from the real story.
“The public be damned,” said Gerald L. K. Smith. “I like it! Oh … I hope no one will be will be muzzling me, too.” (p. 143, emphasis added)
The story is still a draft, unfit for publication. Numerous errors of detail, clumsy plot construction, and numerous typos and sloppy writing. Stein often splits paragraphs disconcertingly. Clumsy dialects confuse. Lots of little details wrong, while overloaded the story with street and setting details which distract. Too much explaining, as if he fears the reader will miss his point.
“‘My God, I hate communists, every stinkin’ one of ‘em.’ Purvis’ dislike of communists was a visceral obsession.”
That said, the Sid Peskin main plot shows enormous potential. The mob, Jack Kennedy, Rosenberg, and scientist sub-plots adequately support what is potentially an engaging alternate history. With a lot of work, this could be a best seller.
“Listen, buster. He’s Albert Einstein—the man who discovered the basic laws and principles of the known universe. I think he can handle an FBI phone tap.”
I don’t normally post reviews for books that rate this poorly. I’m making an exception because I was given an advanced reader copy and asked to review it. Also because there’s the embryo of a really good alternative history story amid the wreckage that is currently Rocket’s Red Glare.
“The thrill of meeting Einstein, coupled with the wonderful half-day spent with Julia, still clung to him like the fragrance of newly blossoming flowers.”
Excellent concept: what if FDR died in the late 1930s and Charles Lindbergh was elected president in 1940? Poor execution: factual errors, poor construction, and abundant grammatical and typographical errors keep destroying the sense of the story. Some readers will love; some will hate. Few will learn about what might have happened because Stein’s characterization of people, motives, and events of the 1940s transparently reflect the author’s opinion of current American politics.
“What is happening in our country now is unfortunate, but what is going on in Eastern Europe is horrific beyond imagining.”
Examples of factual miscues: FDR dies in 1938, but Stein writes that Lindbergh was the next president. No, Vice President John Nance Garner would have succeeded. Stein has Lindbergh taking office in 1940; no, if elected in 1940 he’d take office in 1941. The Sky King radio show originated in 1946. JFK entered the Navy (as an ensign) in October 1941. (These calendar discrepancies are permissible in an alternate universe, but Stein needs to say so.) 424 E. 71st Street cannot back on 402 E. 72nd Street because 424 faces north, therefore backs toward the south, E 70th Street, and by the way is the address of historic Sokol Hall (https://www.sokolnewyork.org/).
Comic book-level writing. Rapidly changing point of view character (“head hopping”) impedes following who thinks, says, and does what. All the scenes with Adolf Hitler (as a Putin stand-in) and most of the Lindbergh and Trump sub-plots have obvious modern political motivation. And detract from the real story.
“The public be damned,” said Gerald L. K. Smith. “I like it! Oh … I hope no one will be will be muzzling me, too.” (p. 143, emphasis added)
The story is still a draft, unfit for publication. Numerous errors of detail, clumsy plot construction, and numerous typos and sloppy writing. Stein often splits paragraphs disconcertingly. Clumsy dialects confuse. Lots of little details wrong, while overloaded the story with street and setting details which distract. Too much explaining, as if he fears the reader will miss his point.
“‘My God, I hate communists, every stinkin’ one of ‘em.’ Purvis’ dislike of communists was a visceral obsession.”
That said, the Sid Peskin main plot shows enormous potential. The mob, Jack Kennedy, Rosenberg, and scientist sub-plots adequately support what is potentially an engaging alternate history. With a lot of work, this could be a best seller.
“Listen, buster. He’s Albert Einstein—the man who discovered the basic laws and principles of the known universe. I think he can handle an FBI phone tap.”
January 9, 2020
New York City, Washington D.C., Germany - 1940/1941
Imagine, if you can, a different outcome to World War II where Germany has taken over Europe, including Great Britain, Winston Churchill has had to move his government to Canada, Franklin Roosevelt has died, and pro-Hitler Charles Lindbergh is the new President of the United States.
Twenty-two year-old Sid Peskin, a graduate student in Physics at City College, worries about what is happening to his country. As a Jew, he is more than aware of the new President's alignment with Nazi Germany, knows of the far right group that has been targeting Blacks and Jews on the New York City streets, and that the NYPD has done nothing to protect them. The mayor of the city, Fred Trump, is a staunch supporter of Lindbergh, so Sid is certain that things will only get worse. Sid is studying hard and utilizing the help of his mentor, Professor Strauss, and keeping his head down. Living with his doting parents and younger brother, Sid is also good friends with their former Italian neighbors, and it's Joey Falcone who gives him ominous warnings. Later, when Sid finds his mentor, Professor Strauss shot to death, he begins to realize that being a physicist these days could be dangerous.
Meanwhile, Hitler, who thinks Lindbergh is an idiot, but needs his loyalty, is making plans to use Lindbergh and other anti-Semite industrialists to bring the United States into his empire. Hitler demands that Lindbergh shut down the mostly Jewish-owned media, especially the New York Times. Unable to accomplish that legally, Lindbergh declares martial law, and Fred Trump's police move in to shut down any liberal newspapers or radio stations. Lindbergh has closeted himself with the FBI Director, J. Edgar Hoover, who is hardly someone who can be trusted by minorities.
Sid begins hearing startling reports that top physicists in the U.S. are disappearing. Enrico Fermi, J. Robert Oppenheimer, and others are nowhere to be found. Trying to understand where he stands, Sid finagles a meeting with one scientist who has not disappeared. That man is well aware of his phone being wire-tapped, and probably his home, too, so he speaks to Sid away from his house, and the warnings are chilling.
ROCKET'S RED GLARE may be fiction, but the comparisons to the present day are fairly clear. Freedom of speech, religious freedom, and a growing threat from outsiders who want to bring down America are frightening parallels. Sid is the observer in this novel, bringing insight to readers. This novel will open a few eyes! Excellent writing, and great research. I highly recommend ROCKET'S RED GLARE.
Jani Brooks
Imagine, if you can, a different outcome to World War II where Germany has taken over Europe, including Great Britain, Winston Churchill has had to move his government to Canada, Franklin Roosevelt has died, and pro-Hitler Charles Lindbergh is the new President of the United States.
Twenty-two year-old Sid Peskin, a graduate student in Physics at City College, worries about what is happening to his country. As a Jew, he is more than aware of the new President's alignment with Nazi Germany, knows of the far right group that has been targeting Blacks and Jews on the New York City streets, and that the NYPD has done nothing to protect them. The mayor of the city, Fred Trump, is a staunch supporter of Lindbergh, so Sid is certain that things will only get worse. Sid is studying hard and utilizing the help of his mentor, Professor Strauss, and keeping his head down. Living with his doting parents and younger brother, Sid is also good friends with their former Italian neighbors, and it's Joey Falcone who gives him ominous warnings. Later, when Sid finds his mentor, Professor Strauss shot to death, he begins to realize that being a physicist these days could be dangerous.
Meanwhile, Hitler, who thinks Lindbergh is an idiot, but needs his loyalty, is making plans to use Lindbergh and other anti-Semite industrialists to bring the United States into his empire. Hitler demands that Lindbergh shut down the mostly Jewish-owned media, especially the New York Times. Unable to accomplish that legally, Lindbergh declares martial law, and Fred Trump's police move in to shut down any liberal newspapers or radio stations. Lindbergh has closeted himself with the FBI Director, J. Edgar Hoover, who is hardly someone who can be trusted by minorities.
Sid begins hearing startling reports that top physicists in the U.S. are disappearing. Enrico Fermi, J. Robert Oppenheimer, and others are nowhere to be found. Trying to understand where he stands, Sid finagles a meeting with one scientist who has not disappeared. That man is well aware of his phone being wire-tapped, and probably his home, too, so he speaks to Sid away from his house, and the warnings are chilling.
ROCKET'S RED GLARE may be fiction, but the comparisons to the present day are fairly clear. Freedom of speech, religious freedom, and a growing threat from outsiders who want to bring down America are frightening parallels. Sid is the observer in this novel, bringing insight to readers. This novel will open a few eyes! Excellent writing, and great research. I highly recommend ROCKET'S RED GLARE.
Jani Brooks
January 30, 2020
Thank you to Stephanie Barko for this ARC. This was my first alternate history novel, and I wasn't sure what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised. The characters were so detailed I was able to suspend belief and become immersed in this story of what could have been. It was interesting to read about historical figures in a completely new light. I thoroughly enjoyed the story line, the intrigue, twists and turns and the big reveal. This is definitely worth the read. If you enjoy spy novels with some government conspiracy, you will enjoy this book.
April 3, 2020
Rocket's Red Glare is a sobering reminder of how we in the US aren't fundamentally different from the peoples of the rest of the world -- how we're not immune to the potential for governmental tyranny, even though our system was designed to prevent it. With the wrong leadership, Dr. Stein points out how we could fall into the grips of communism or fascism with frightening ease, and how the elements contributing to that potential have been ever present throughout our history. It's an intricate story of unlikely allies, some good and some evil, banding together to prevent a much larger evil befalling our civilization, told through the vehicle of an alternate history during World War II. It's also a peek into the lives of some brilliant scientific minds, and I found it hard to put the book down before finding out what would happen to the main characters and how the overarching plot would turn out. Well worth the time of any reader who considers him/herself a student of history and human nature.
November 12, 2019
This is an intriguing look at an America that might have been. Lindbergh is the rpresident, Fred Trump the mayor of New York. Facism has conquered Europe, Bundhist are rioting, and democracy is in peril.
I recommend this book for a view of what could have been, and what may yet be.
I recommend this book for a view of what could have been, and what may yet be.
March 14, 2020
Magnificent read!
Stein pens a remarkable story in Rocket's Red Glare: A WW II Era Alternate History Novel. I haven't read anything from this author before, and I really enjoyed this story. The characters were interesting and very intriguing. I liked the "rewrite" of history if Germany won WWII. It's a unique perspective, and obviously an alternate version of history. What makes it so intriguing is that the author shows what could've happened, if the events in history was different. The author's writing style is free flowing and very strong. This author brings the story to life. The story brings in the believable, even if almost impossible. This book deserves a second read! (and maybe more). This author is not just a writer but a great storyteller. The thrills and intrigue is written clearly and the characterizations are engrossing. Love this story. Stein has gained a new fan in me. I look forward to reading more by this author. This book is a definitely a high recommendation by Amy's Bookshelf Reviews.
Stein pens a remarkable story in Rocket's Red Glare: A WW II Era Alternate History Novel. I haven't read anything from this author before, and I really enjoyed this story. The characters were interesting and very intriguing. I liked the "rewrite" of history if Germany won WWII. It's a unique perspective, and obviously an alternate version of history. What makes it so intriguing is that the author shows what could've happened, if the events in history was different. The author's writing style is free flowing and very strong. This author brings the story to life. The story brings in the believable, even if almost impossible. This book deserves a second read! (and maybe more). This author is not just a writer but a great storyteller. The thrills and intrigue is written clearly and the characterizations are engrossing. Love this story. Stein has gained a new fan in me. I look forward to reading more by this author. This book is a definitely a high recommendation by Amy's Bookshelf Reviews.
March 13, 2020
I’ve never read an alternate history book before so I was not sure what I was going to read when I picked up Rocket’s Red Glare. WWII is an era that I am extremely familiar with. The books set during that era are a must-read for me and I love getting new perspectives. Rocket’s Red Glare is a what-if story. What if the US didn’t fight against Hitler? What if Hitler grew strong and wasn’t defeated? I liked that there was some history, most of it was twisted up or not quite how I expected.
I enjoyed the storyline, the characters, and twists and turns. I was lost on some of the political talk but enjoyed seeing how the world could have been different if Lindberg was president and Hitler didn’t get defeated.
I enjoyed the storyline, the characters, and twists and turns. I was lost on some of the political talk but enjoyed seeing how the world could have been different if Lindberg was president and Hitler didn’t get defeated.
March 14, 2020
A Jewish family in the urban American Northeast lives under the threat of a fascistic order when Charles Lindbergh is elected President of the United States in 1940 on the promise of keeping America out of the Second World War. If that sounds like the storyline of Philip Roth's alternate history novel 'The Plot Against America,' you'd be right. But if you think that sounds like a storyline for a fast-paced action novel, you'd still be right. Cy Stein has given the idea of a Lindbergh Presidency a new twist with 'Rocket's Red Glare,' a pulsating story of a young Jewish physics student caught in a web of intrigue and danger.
In 'Rocket's Red Glare,' Sid Peskin lives with his family in the Bronx, pursuing his studies in physics at City College while President Lindbergh consolidates his power and tries to silence his detractors. In this alternate history, Great Britain is occupied by Nazi Germany and Winston Churchill and his Cabinet have been forced into exile in Canada with the Royal Family. Donald Trump's father Fred, not Fiorello LaGuardia, is mayor of New York City, and he allows the German-American Bundist groups to terrorize Jews and blacks while conspiring with the White House to shut down the New York Times. Hitler gives tacit support to Lindbergh's administration, using the young President as a pawn in his quest for world domination, and Fred Trump beseeches the Nazis to help him in his real estate endeavors.
Sid's intelligence and his ability to figure out mathematical problems quickly capture the attention of a well-known scientist named Leo, as well as a Brooklyn mobster. Both gentlemen appear to be in a secret anti-Lindbergh group, and they take an interest in Sid's mathematical abilities. When a physics professor of Sid's at City College is murdered, Sid realizes that physicists are in danger - especially when many of them begin disappearing without a trace. Sid takes a romantic interest in Julia, the mobster's niece, and finds solace in his relationship with her, but his paranoia increases as his suspicions regarding Julia's uncle and Leo grow deep. What do they want with him? Are they really part of some anti-Lindbergh group - and if so, who is their leader?
The parallels between this suspenseful story and the present are obvious. Lindbergh appears to be a stand-in for Donald Trump, and his relationship with Hitler suggests Trump's relationship with Vladimir Putin. Other historical figures appear in this tale in surprising roles; John F. Kennedy is a young naval officer working for the FBI under J. Edgar Hoover, and he may or may not be helping Hoover and Lindbergh quash opposition to the administration. Lindbergh has made Kennedy's father Secretary of the Treasury in a pathetic attempt to make his Cabinet look bipartisan. Former President Herbert Hoover is in Lindbergh's Cabinet as Secretary of Commerce until he resigns to protest Lindbergh's declaration of martial law. And some of the greatest scientists of the world - Einstein, Fermi, Oppenheimer - make appearances, as do Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, who look to start a crusade for communism and overthrow the Nazi sympathizers in Washington.
'Rocket's Red Glare' isn't as sober-minded as Roth's novel. It's an adventure story, pure and simple, as Stein seeks to entertain with a diverting tale of good guys battling the forces of evil. But beneath that comic book, graphic novel veneer lies a disturbing look at racial and ethnic prejudice, as well as a frightening tie between the past and the present. Consider 'Rocket's Red Glare' a warning of what may yet be as well as a tale of what could have been.
In 'Rocket's Red Glare,' Sid Peskin lives with his family in the Bronx, pursuing his studies in physics at City College while President Lindbergh consolidates his power and tries to silence his detractors. In this alternate history, Great Britain is occupied by Nazi Germany and Winston Churchill and his Cabinet have been forced into exile in Canada with the Royal Family. Donald Trump's father Fred, not Fiorello LaGuardia, is mayor of New York City, and he allows the German-American Bundist groups to terrorize Jews and blacks while conspiring with the White House to shut down the New York Times. Hitler gives tacit support to Lindbergh's administration, using the young President as a pawn in his quest for world domination, and Fred Trump beseeches the Nazis to help him in his real estate endeavors.
Sid's intelligence and his ability to figure out mathematical problems quickly capture the attention of a well-known scientist named Leo, as well as a Brooklyn mobster. Both gentlemen appear to be in a secret anti-Lindbergh group, and they take an interest in Sid's mathematical abilities. When a physics professor of Sid's at City College is murdered, Sid realizes that physicists are in danger - especially when many of them begin disappearing without a trace. Sid takes a romantic interest in Julia, the mobster's niece, and finds solace in his relationship with her, but his paranoia increases as his suspicions regarding Julia's uncle and Leo grow deep. What do they want with him? Are they really part of some anti-Lindbergh group - and if so, who is their leader?
The parallels between this suspenseful story and the present are obvious. Lindbergh appears to be a stand-in for Donald Trump, and his relationship with Hitler suggests Trump's relationship with Vladimir Putin. Other historical figures appear in this tale in surprising roles; John F. Kennedy is a young naval officer working for the FBI under J. Edgar Hoover, and he may or may not be helping Hoover and Lindbergh quash opposition to the administration. Lindbergh has made Kennedy's father Secretary of the Treasury in a pathetic attempt to make his Cabinet look bipartisan. Former President Herbert Hoover is in Lindbergh's Cabinet as Secretary of Commerce until he resigns to protest Lindbergh's declaration of martial law. And some of the greatest scientists of the world - Einstein, Fermi, Oppenheimer - make appearances, as do Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, who look to start a crusade for communism and overthrow the Nazi sympathizers in Washington.
'Rocket's Red Glare' isn't as sober-minded as Roth's novel. It's an adventure story, pure and simple, as Stein seeks to entertain with a diverting tale of good guys battling the forces of evil. But beneath that comic book, graphic novel veneer lies a disturbing look at racial and ethnic prejudice, as well as a frightening tie between the past and the present. Consider 'Rocket's Red Glare' a warning of what may yet be as well as a tale of what could have been.
August 5, 2020
Rocket's Red Glare is a gripping thriller in which Cy Stein writes an alternative history of World War II. Franklin Roosevelt has died and the anti-Semite Charles Lindbergh has become US President. An anti-Semitic mood is spreading in the USA, which has its counterpart in episodes from Nazi Germany. The novel has several parallel narrative strands. The physics student Sid Peskin draws serious conclusions from the discovery of nuclear fission. Together with his lover Julia, the daughter of a mafia family, he meets leading physicists of the time from Oppenheimer to Einstein. Together they want to prevent the findings from falling into the wrong hands. The novel is captivating from the first to the last page. And the topicality of Lindbergh's "America First" campaign is hard to ignore...
October 29, 2020
I'm a fan of alternative history and I liked the plot. I liked the use of many era-correct personalities and they were obviously well researched. However, the writing, while never ungrammatical, had too many flourishes that reminded me of things I've seen as examples of students trying to impress their teacher with flowery writing. In addition, some (most?) of the characters are overly-stereotypical and the writing of their dialog borders on offensive. Finally, there were a number of plot inconsistencies that were so distracting I had to stop reading and take a deep breath before I could continue: for example, one paragraph started with the characters outdoors and in the next sentence they were indoors. However, for all its flaws, I still finished the book - thus two stars instead of one.
Rating Note: just because I like a book doesn't mean it gets 5 stars. 5 stars = Pulitzer Prize nominee; 3 stars = acceptable writing, plot, etc. I liked the book; 1 star = unreadable due to poor grammar, plot holes, etc
Rating Note: just because I like a book doesn't mean it gets 5 stars. 5 stars = Pulitzer Prize nominee; 3 stars = acceptable writing, plot, etc. I liked the book; 1 star = unreadable due to poor grammar, plot holes, etc
February 12, 2021
Well written, exciting, suspenseful !
A very good read, and a welcome twist on alternate history. Good characters, nicely defined and mostly believable. Lots of period detail, and enough mystery- including a surprise ending - for anyone.
My only criticism is that the pace is a bit slow. I admit to thinking ‘So get on with the plot!’ several times, mostly in the first third of the book.
But that’s a quibble. I’ll read more of this author soon. Try it, you’ll like it too.
A very good read, and a welcome twist on alternate history. Good characters, nicely defined and mostly believable. Lots of period detail, and enough mystery- including a surprise ending - for anyone.
My only criticism is that the pace is a bit slow. I admit to thinking ‘So get on with the plot!’ several times, mostly in the first third of the book.
But that’s a quibble. I’ll read more of this author soon. Try it, you’ll like it too.
November 23, 2020
Not so hot
The characters are weak, and the story stops in the middle of what should have been a very active time.
The characters are weak, and the story stops in the middle of what should have been a very active time.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews