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Available
Description
"1952. Twelve years have passed since Churchill lost to the appeasers and Britain surrendered to Nazi Germany. The global economy strains against the weight of the long German war against Russia still raging in the east. The British people find themselves under increasingly authoritarian rule--the press, radio, and television tightly controlled, the British Jews facing ever greater constraints. But Churchill's Resistance soldiers on. As defiance grows, whispers circulate of a secret that could forever alter the balance of the global struggle. The keeper of that secret? Scientist Frank Muncaster, who languishes in a Birmingham mental hospital. Civil Servant David Fitzgerald, a spy for the Resistance and University friend of Frank's, is given the mission to rescue Frank and get him out of the country. Hard on his heels is Gestapo agent Gunther Hoth, a brilliant, implacable hunter of men, who soon has Frank and David's innocent wife, Sarah, directly in his sights."-- From dust jacket flap.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member YossarianXeno
With seven books published over the last decade, C.J. Sansom has established his credentials as that rare beast, an author who not only has a lovely, perceptive style of writing, but who can also tell a cracking story. The dual possession of those skills is limited to just a few modern UK authors
Dominion doesn't deviate from Sansom's norm. It is a "what if" story of Britain slowly becoming a quasi Nazi state following a peace treaty with Hitler in 1940. Sansom unerringly explores the fears, hopes and motivations of the key characters, from the British civil servant who joins the resistance, to the German detective relentlessly pursing an important secret and his British police counterpart, who gets carried away in supporting his Nazi colleague. Being Sansom, the book subtly lays bare fears about those perceived as "different" and the ease with which such emotions develop into prejudice and - if compounded by indifference - allow persecution. If this all sounds serious, it is, but Sansom's gift is to combine substantial themes with a fast moving, absorbing story. To say much more would risk spoiling the plot, but this novel is well worth reading.
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including William Boyd, Sarah Waters, Pat Barker and Julian Barnes. What further distinguishes Sansom though - along with Philip Pullman - is his consistency. Every novel he has written maintains the same high standard, whereas even the others I've mentioned have produced the odd average book. Dominion doesn't deviate from Sansom's norm. It is a "what if" story of Britain slowly becoming a quasi Nazi state following a peace treaty with Hitler in 1940. Sansom unerringly explores the fears, hopes and motivations of the key characters, from the British civil servant who joins the resistance, to the German detective relentlessly pursing an important secret and his British police counterpart, who gets carried away in supporting his Nazi colleague. Being Sansom, the book subtly lays bare fears about those perceived as "different" and the ease with which such emotions develop into prejudice and - if compounded by indifference - allow persecution. If this all sounds serious, it is, but Sansom's gift is to combine substantial themes with a fast moving, absorbing story. To say much more would risk spoiling the plot, but this novel is well worth reading.
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LibraryThing member passion4reading
It is 1952 and twelve years since Prime Minister Lord Halifax surrendered to the German army after the British Norway offensive failed. David Fitzgerald is a senior civil servant in the Dominions Office, secretly working for the Resistance and supplying them with secret material. Frank Muncaster is
This is a spy thriller of the highest order set in an alternate Britain, following the individual narrative threads of David, his wife Sarah, Frank and Gunther, the German. Sansom masterly increases the tension by setting the individual timelines slightly out of sync, thereby letting the reader move backwards and then forwards in time and allowing them to anticipate a moment when the individual strands inevitably converge. As ever, he is a master in conveying the atmosphere of a place, in this case 1950s Britain ruled by an authoritarian regime with close links to Nazi Germany. It is brimful with authentic cultural references of the period and manages to impart a sense of fear and suspicion, yet also the cold, dampness and smog-covered streets of a London autumn. It is heartbreaking and harrowing in places, making for uncomfortable reading at times as it questions the reader’s own beliefs. Despite its setting in 1952, Sansom shows us that he’s an immensely talented writer by making some of the themes covered in the novel as topical and relevant as ever: newspaper magnates dabbling in politics and influencing government policy, nationalism and fascism, the importance of standing up for one’s beliefs and not looking away when atrocities are committed on citizens by those in power. He describes how fascism can arise in any country when the circumstances are right, and in the novel (as in reality) Britain, France and Slovakia quickly followed in Germany’s footsteps in producing their own versions of it, yet he is also at pains to point out that, despite the fascists’ brash arguments, a lot of them are simply motivated by greed and self-preservation. With fifteen pages of historical notes, this feels like an intensely personal and political book, with Sansom almost going so far as to call on his readership to fight the rise of nationalism wherever it is encountered. It is a thought-provoking and important work and deserves all the critical acclaim that has been heaped on it so far.
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a university friend of David’s with a brother in America working on top-secret weapons research. Uninhibited by drink, Frank’s brother boasts to him about his work, prompting Frank to lose control, resulting in the brother falling through the window and breaking his arm, and Frank to rave about the end of the world while smashing up his flat. David is ordered by the Resistance to reacquaint himself with Frank, who has been sectioned and is now confined to a mental hospital, and give them an assessment of his mental state. Unbeknownst to them, the Germans have also got wind of the situation and sent one of their best Gestapo officers to England to track down Frank and find out what he knows. Now it is a race against time for David and his Resistance friends to get Frank out of the country before the Germans find and extract the secret from him.This is a spy thriller of the highest order set in an alternate Britain, following the individual narrative threads of David, his wife Sarah, Frank and Gunther, the German. Sansom masterly increases the tension by setting the individual timelines slightly out of sync, thereby letting the reader move backwards and then forwards in time and allowing them to anticipate a moment when the individual strands inevitably converge. As ever, he is a master in conveying the atmosphere of a place, in this case 1950s Britain ruled by an authoritarian regime with close links to Nazi Germany. It is brimful with authentic cultural references of the period and manages to impart a sense of fear and suspicion, yet also the cold, dampness and smog-covered streets of a London autumn. It is heartbreaking and harrowing in places, making for uncomfortable reading at times as it questions the reader’s own beliefs. Despite its setting in 1952, Sansom shows us that he’s an immensely talented writer by making some of the themes covered in the novel as topical and relevant as ever: newspaper magnates dabbling in politics and influencing government policy, nationalism and fascism, the importance of standing up for one’s beliefs and not looking away when atrocities are committed on citizens by those in power. He describes how fascism can arise in any country when the circumstances are right, and in the novel (as in reality) Britain, France and Slovakia quickly followed in Germany’s footsteps in producing their own versions of it, yet he is also at pains to point out that, despite the fascists’ brash arguments, a lot of them are simply motivated by greed and self-preservation. With fifteen pages of historical notes, this feels like an intensely personal and political book, with Sansom almost going so far as to call on his readership to fight the rise of nationalism wherever it is encountered. It is a thought-provoking and important work and deserves all the critical acclaim that has been heaped on it so far.
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LibraryThing member charl08
I think this is supposed to be a thriller. So far, would recommend Fatherland by Robert Harris instead.
LibraryThing member Eyejaybee
I am still trying to work out why I bothered! After all, I have struggled to plough my way through each of Sansom's previous novels so I don't know why I imagined that this would be significantly different. For the record, it wasn't.
Perhaps I am being rather harsh. The plot premise was certainly
However, Sansom seems to have an incurable tendency towards turgidity and he still seems incapable of creating a character who can evoke any empathy at all.
Perhaps I am being rather harsh. The plot premise was certainly
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very promising. Winston Churchill became Prime Minister on 9 May 1940 following a meeting with his immediate predecessor, Neville Chamberlain, and fellow Tory grandee Lord Halifax. In this novel, that meeting concludes differently, with Halifax becoming Prime Minister, signing a peace treaty and ceding suzerainty of Britain to Nazi Germany. The action then moves on to 1952 where Churchill has gone underground leading a British Resistance movement against the collaborationist regime. Yes, we're in Fatherland territory!However, Sansom seems to have an incurable tendency towards turgidity and he still seems incapable of creating a character who can evoke any empathy at all.
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LibraryThing member adpaton
What if Churchill did not become Prime Minister in 1940, what if Britain brokered peace with Nazi Germany, what if the UK became a Nazi satellite under the leadership of pro-German newspaper tycoon Lord Beaverbrook?
Such is the premise of CJ Sansom’s latest book: having mastered the art of
Civil servant David Fitzgerald has a deadly secret – his mother was Jewish and English Jews are being sent to camps: David, as a member of the Resistance led by Churchill, has to get out of the country.
Spies are everywhere and a choking fog hampers movement of Gestapo and freedom fighter alike in this evocative and convincing story of what might have been.
Such is the premise of CJ Sansom’s latest book: having mastered the art of
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historical fiction, he now turns his skills to alternate history in a speculative feast set in 1952. Civil servant David Fitzgerald has a deadly secret – his mother was Jewish and English Jews are being sent to camps: David, as a member of the Resistance led by Churchill, has to get out of the country.
Spies are everywhere and a choking fog hampers movement of Gestapo and freedom fighter alike in this evocative and convincing story of what might have been.
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LibraryThing member Ant.Harrison
Dominion by CJ Sansom was a bit of a mixed bag; on one hand I quite enjoyed it and got caught up with the story of David Fitzgerald and Frank Muncaster trying to evade capture by Nazis in 1950s Britain. But on the other hand, I became incredibly frustrated at the variable narrative pace and quite a
Sansom’s got a lot to say about the concept of the political narrative being driven by narrow nationalist agendas, which sweep people along on a seductive tide of rhetoric, but which are ultimately at best vacuous, and at worst dangerous in providing a fertile breeding ground for fascist, brutalising and xenophobic behaviour and attitudes. I read his essay on this in contemporary British politics with interest.
It’s a very different type of book from his excellent Shardlake series, and I admired his bravery in tackling the constraints of a re-imagined Britain with a still fanatical Nazi Germany ruling Europe. Sansom clearly did loads of research (which he gives us lots of details about at the end of the book), and there was an authentic feel to the depressed and depressing London backdrop. But as I was reading, I kept wishing for it to be just a bit better than it was...some sharper editing, fewer page-wasting back stories, and a bit less clunky dialogue would have made this an oh-so-much-better reading experience. I am sure it would lend itself to a TV mini-series/film adaptation, which may actually work better on screen than on the page, but as a novel there was just too much missing for me to rate it any higher than three stars.
© Koplowitz 2013
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bit at the recurring Enid Blyton-style dialogue and plot exposition. Sansom’s got a lot to say about the concept of the political narrative being driven by narrow nationalist agendas, which sweep people along on a seductive tide of rhetoric, but which are ultimately at best vacuous, and at worst dangerous in providing a fertile breeding ground for fascist, brutalising and xenophobic behaviour and attitudes. I read his essay on this in contemporary British politics with interest.
It’s a very different type of book from his excellent Shardlake series, and I admired his bravery in tackling the constraints of a re-imagined Britain with a still fanatical Nazi Germany ruling Europe. Sansom clearly did loads of research (which he gives us lots of details about at the end of the book), and there was an authentic feel to the depressed and depressing London backdrop. But as I was reading, I kept wishing for it to be just a bit better than it was...some sharper editing, fewer page-wasting back stories, and a bit less clunky dialogue would have made this an oh-so-much-better reading experience. I am sure it would lend itself to a TV mini-series/film adaptation, which may actually work better on screen than on the page, but as a novel there was just too much missing for me to rate it any higher than three stars.
© Koplowitz 2013
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LibraryThing member erinster
This is an interesting, though depressing, spy novel set in an alternate history where Britain had surrendered to Germany during WWII and by 1952, when the book takes place, became a satellite state of Greater Germany. The world building here is excellent and I appreciate that the author carried
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out the natural conclusion to Hitler's ideas, but it did lack a lot of feeling, and the end felt a little rushed. Show Less
LibraryThing member polarbear123
Loved the Shardlake books so I thought I would give this a try. Okay you already know the premise- Britain quite in 1940 and made a treaty with Hitler leading to a different Britain in 1952. I'm not going to go into any more detail about the plot.
Quite often in the Shardlake books Sansom uses a
Which brings me on to my second point. Obviously a lot has happened since the signing of the treaty with Germany in 1940 and here we are in Berlin. How do you fill the reader in? Well you get characters to have discussions about their feelings on the events of the last 10 years or so. Fine , no problem apart from the fact that these tend to happen at quite inappropriate times so that you have situations where people are running away from gunmen or having to escape from somewhere and they decide during their flight to have a discussion about the past elections of British PMs. Not sure I would be doing that while being chased by the SS.
These two points aside, the novel does have a decent if slightly overblown plot. Oh and Sansom definitely does not like the SNP so if you are all for Scottish independence you may want to give this book a bit of a miss.
Quite often in the Shardlake books Sansom uses a
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device whereby a character is travelling and has time to reflect on recent events. This is used to explain background character, jumps in plot etc. This same device is used in this book. A lot. So much so that it becomes slightly annoying, and at times strange.Which brings me on to my second point. Obviously a lot has happened since the signing of the treaty with Germany in 1940 and here we are in Berlin. How do you fill the reader in? Well you get characters to have discussions about their feelings on the events of the last 10 years or so. Fine , no problem apart from the fact that these tend to happen at quite inappropriate times so that you have situations where people are running away from gunmen or having to escape from somewhere and they decide during their flight to have a discussion about the past elections of British PMs. Not sure I would be doing that while being chased by the SS.
These two points aside, the novel does have a decent if slightly overblown plot. Oh and Sansom definitely does not like the SNP so if you are all for Scottish independence you may want to give this book a bit of a miss.
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LibraryThing member dpappas
This is one of those books that I am so glad I snagged it from NetGalley. This book is right up my alley and I'm not sure I would have seen it or read it if it had not been for NetGalley. This is an alternate history book showing what might have happened if Britain had surrendered to Germany during
This book follows a couple different characters, most of them British (but there is also a German character and one from Slovakia). Usually I don't really like when a book switches point-of-view between more than two or three characters but this time I feel like it really enhanced the story. The switching of point-of-view really allowed readers to see how all the characters were connected.
The way that Sansom portrays England if they had surrendered to Germany was horrifying yet fascinating. I really enjoyed that he took some time in the back of the book to really explain his reasoning for it.
This book is more than 600 pages but it didn't seem like it at all. I was so focused in on this book that time and the pages just flew by. I really enjoyed all the suspense and twists and turns in this book. I was on the edge of my seat while reading the ending of this book. I didn't want it to end yet I loved the way that Sansom ended it.
I would highly recommend this book to people who like WWII historical fiction, even if you aren't too sure about the whole alternate history thing, this book won't let you down.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me the chance to read this book.
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WWII. I love historical fiction that takes place during WWII but haven't read much alternate history yet so this book was a mix of something that I love and something new.This book follows a couple different characters, most of them British (but there is also a German character and one from Slovakia). Usually I don't really like when a book switches point-of-view between more than two or three characters but this time I feel like it really enhanced the story. The switching of point-of-view really allowed readers to see how all the characters were connected.
The way that Sansom portrays England if they had surrendered to Germany was horrifying yet fascinating. I really enjoyed that he took some time in the back of the book to really explain his reasoning for it.
This book is more than 600 pages but it didn't seem like it at all. I was so focused in on this book that time and the pages just flew by. I really enjoyed all the suspense and twists and turns in this book. I was on the edge of my seat while reading the ending of this book. I didn't want it to end yet I loved the way that Sansom ended it.
I would highly recommend this book to people who like WWII historical fiction, even if you aren't too sure about the whole alternate history thing, this book won't let you down.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me the chance to read this book.
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LibraryThing member pierthinker
Alternate histories attract us because they show what might have been, paths we could perhaps easily have taken. Dpminion is a powerful historical thriller. At first it appears to show what would have happened if the appeasers in British politics had won out against Hitler's Nazis and never
This is a sombre story, sombrely told, using the historic London smogs as a metaphor for the propagandist ways that governments and authorities can use hatred of others to keep a population starved of knowledge, of being able to see the whole picture and to make judgements of their own.
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declared war. It shows a 1950's austerity Britain firmly under the political domination of the Nazis. The story concerns the resistance movement smuggling a scientist out of the country to prevent his knowledge falling into Nazi hands. Dig deeper though, and it becomes clear this is a novel showing the destructive force of nationalism and the way it drives people to despise the other - Jews, blacks, Americans - and ultimately to despise their closest friends and family and ultimately themselves. This is a sombre story, sombrely told, using the historic London smogs as a metaphor for the propagandist ways that governments and authorities can use hatred of others to keep a population starved of knowledge, of being able to see the whole picture and to make judgements of their own.
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LibraryThing member johnny_merc
WOW!
This is why I love Library Thing - I was thinking about books that I have loved, and remembered reading Fatherland by Robert Harris whilst at university and wondered if there was anymore good alternative history books out there.
2 minutes on LT, a member recommended this and it did not
I took it to pass the time during a long weekend away. I've never been so happy to have a holiday ruined by constant rain. I was engrossed from start to finish. The author has done his research and also let his imagination take flight.
If you are interested in WWII history then this is a must!
This is why I love Library Thing - I was thinking about books that I have loved, and remembered reading Fatherland by Robert Harris whilst at university and wondered if there was anymore good alternative history books out there.
2 minutes on LT, a member recommended this and it did not
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disappoint.I took it to pass the time during a long weekend away. I've never been so happy to have a holiday ruined by constant rain. I was engrossed from start to finish. The author has done his research and also let his imagination take flight.
If you are interested in WWII history then this is a must!
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LibraryThing member Alirob
Dreadful; and it seemed so promising when I started it. There is a big flaw about a third of the way in. One of the main characters is in two places at once - he spends all morning in a meeting, getting home at lunchtime while also spending the same morning working in the garden!
LibraryThing member BrianHostad
Interesting alternative history on what might have happened had Britain settled with Hitler in 1940. CJ Sansom sets up a very plausable scenario and is excellent in creating the atmosphere of a weary society slowly slowly following the path dictated by Nazi Germany.
The plot is well paced and
Not quite as good as the Shardlake series, but still recommended.
The plot is well paced and
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although the central premise that Muncaster can have such a vital nuclear secret based on a few minutes of conversation with his drunken brother doesn't hold water for me, the reader is never left with time to dwell on this and it doesn't detract from the book.Not quite as good as the Shardlake series, but still recommended.
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LibraryThing member aadyer
A very good alternate history with an excellent, informative historical set of notes in the back. An interesting take on the "Nazis win the war" scenario, which was intriguing. The characterisations were good with heavy influences from the 1950s fashions and social trends. Would I read this again?
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Yes maybe. Would I recommend it? I think that a mid third could do with editing & does have some pacing issues but the quality of the overall premise & the believability of the alternate universe, have a lot to recommend it. It does need some time to get into, and is only really rewarding if one has the time to get into it. Show Less
LibraryThing member mcrmilhist
Very atmospheric alternative history novel. Found it difficult to put down.
LibraryThing member john257hopper
This novel, from the pen of the creator of the Tudor sleuth Matthew Shardlake, is very different from that series, being an alternative historical fiction novel set in an England of 1952 where the Nazis won the war. This alternate history scenario has been done to death in numerous books and is by
The heroes of the story are an unlikely set of people: David, a middle ranking civil servant who has become disillusioned with government policy and who is secretly Jewish (even his wife Sarah is unaware); Frank, a reclusive scientist committed to a mental hospital; Ben, his attendant at the hospital and a militant Glaswegian communist; and Natalia, an enigmatic Slovak émigrée. The plot revolves around some "secret" military knowledge of which Frank has inadvertently been made aware and which is sought by the Germans among others. The plot is mostly gripping and contains numerous twists and turns as our heroes attempt to flee Britain. I thought it was a little overlong, but definitely packed with interesting incidents reflecting the nature of what such an alternate Britain might have been like, and how it might have affected the lives and attitudes of its inhabitants. There are some shocking incidents and scenes along the way and some tragic and unexpected deaths. The German characters and their British collaborators are also well drawn and believable. All in all, a great read. The author finishes with a historical note in which he sets out how he thinks his scenario could have arisen, and the dangers of nationalism and blaming of the "other" for all that is wrong in society that is frequently nationalism's concomitant. 4.5/5
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far the most frequent one in this genre, though it is treated much more deeply and analytically here than in many other cases. The divergent point here is that, on Chamberlain's resignation after the Norway debate in May 1940, Lord Halifax succeeds him as Prime Minister, instead of Churchill. Britain makes peace with Germany after the retreat from Dunkirk and so the war ends within a few months. Fast forward to 1952 and Lord Beaverbrook has succeeded Lloyd George as Prime Minister, and the Opposition to the Government, led by Churchill and with the participation of the bulk of the Labour Party, has had to become an underground resistance movement after being banned following what is implied as having been a fixed general election in 1950.The heroes of the story are an unlikely set of people: David, a middle ranking civil servant who has become disillusioned with government policy and who is secretly Jewish (even his wife Sarah is unaware); Frank, a reclusive scientist committed to a mental hospital; Ben, his attendant at the hospital and a militant Glaswegian communist; and Natalia, an enigmatic Slovak émigrée. The plot revolves around some "secret" military knowledge of which Frank has inadvertently been made aware and which is sought by the Germans among others. The plot is mostly gripping and contains numerous twists and turns as our heroes attempt to flee Britain. I thought it was a little overlong, but definitely packed with interesting incidents reflecting the nature of what such an alternate Britain might have been like, and how it might have affected the lives and attitudes of its inhabitants. There are some shocking incidents and scenes along the way and some tragic and unexpected deaths. The German characters and their British collaborators are also well drawn and believable. All in all, a great read. The author finishes with a historical note in which he sets out how he thinks his scenario could have arisen, and the dangers of nationalism and blaming of the "other" for all that is wrong in society that is frequently nationalism's concomitant. 4.5/5
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LibraryThing member Craiglea
I’ve just finished reading CJ Sansom’s alternate history novel Dominion set in a 1950s Britain that is effectively under Nazi rule. The novel imagines a parallel universe where Lord Halifax became British Prime Minister in 1940 instead of Winston Churchill. It’s a similar premise to the book
The book is set twelve years after Churchill lost to the appeasers and Britain negotiated a peace treaty with Nazi Germany after Dunkirk. As the German war against Russia continues in the east, the British people are under the authoritarian rule of a government that is subservient to Berlin. The resistance, led by Churchill and Attlee, are increasingly active and have spies in the civil service. A scientist imprisoned in a mental hospital may hold a secret that could change the balance of power for ever.
What made this book stand out for me was the attention to detail and the evident research that must have been needed to get the period details right. The end result is that he brings all the separate threads within the story together convincingly and the alternate 1950s feels all too plausible for comfort. Sometimes the attention to detail works well (such as Lyons Corner Houses becoming British Corner Houses) but at times early in the book are a little too jarring and interrupt the narrative. I imagine it’s a difficult balance to get right but overall it works well. In my view it is undoubtably a story that would work well as a film or television drama.
Notes:
1. Although not part of the novel, I also enjoyed the chapter of historical notes and the author’s rant against the current nationalism of the SNP in Scotland. His bias against the SNP does come across throughout the book but his views on the way independence is being promoted at the moment are quite similar to my own.
2. Sansom’s portrayal of the politician Enoch Powell is particularly unflattering, portraying him as the most pro-Nazi of the imagined British government. Perhaps because he is one of the few characters in the book we may still remember, this seems to have caused some controversy. It’s worth highlighting that in the ‘real world’ he did enlist in the army as early as October 1939, before the events set out in this book.
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Fatherland by Robert Harris but stemming from a different, and earlier, point in history. The great thing about such books is the range of possibilities and how they reflect the views and background of individual authors — in this case, what comes across is Sansom’s dislike of nationalism.The book is set twelve years after Churchill lost to the appeasers and Britain negotiated a peace treaty with Nazi Germany after Dunkirk. As the German war against Russia continues in the east, the British people are under the authoritarian rule of a government that is subservient to Berlin. The resistance, led by Churchill and Attlee, are increasingly active and have spies in the civil service. A scientist imprisoned in a mental hospital may hold a secret that could change the balance of power for ever.
What made this book stand out for me was the attention to detail and the evident research that must have been needed to get the period details right. The end result is that he brings all the separate threads within the story together convincingly and the alternate 1950s feels all too plausible for comfort. Sometimes the attention to detail works well (such as Lyons Corner Houses becoming British Corner Houses) but at times early in the book are a little too jarring and interrupt the narrative. I imagine it’s a difficult balance to get right but overall it works well. In my view it is undoubtably a story that would work well as a film or television drama.
Notes:
1. Although not part of the novel, I also enjoyed the chapter of historical notes and the author’s rant against the current nationalism of the SNP in Scotland. His bias against the SNP does come across throughout the book but his views on the way independence is being promoted at the moment are quite similar to my own.
2. Sansom’s portrayal of the politician Enoch Powell is particularly unflattering, portraying him as the most pro-Nazi of the imagined British government. Perhaps because he is one of the few characters in the book we may still remember, this seems to have caused some controversy. It’s worth highlighting that in the ‘real world’ he did enlist in the army as early as October 1939, before the events set out in this book.
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LibraryThing member mancmilhist
Very atmospheric alternative history novel. Found it difficult to put down.
LibraryThing member Glorybe1
I am sorry but I couldn't get on with this story at all! It was just such a struggle to find anything engaging in it. I am not a fan of books full of political intrigue at the best of times and this really justifies my stance.
I don't know if I was expecting too much of the author, as I loved the
The Characters were boring and predictable, the story just didn't grab my interest at all, the whole thing was just not for me!
I don't know if I was expecting too much of the author, as I loved the
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Shardlake series and this was just so far away from that!The Characters were boring and predictable, the story just didn't grab my interest at all, the whole thing was just not for me!
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LibraryThing member devenish
This is one of those books which are usually describes as 'Alternative Histories'. In this case the events that take place in 1952,in which Britain surrendered to Germany and became a 'Dominion' of Hitler's Reich. An interesting and clever proposal,which however seems curiously shallow and hollow
I love his historical novels but this one leaves me rather underwhelmed. A struggle to finish in fact. (but I did) I have to say in fairness that my wife loved it.
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in Sansom's story.I love his historical novels but this one leaves me rather underwhelmed. A struggle to finish in fact. (but I did) I have to say in fairness that my wife loved it.
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LibraryThing member fothpaul
A long book in need of a good editing. I would have given 2.75 if that was an option. I enjoyed the general setting, and the main plot had potential. The getting to the end of the plot was a little ham fisted in my opinion. It's a shame as the general premise of the book should mean that I love
Some of the characters felt a little unreal, and the dialogue was also a bit wooden and felt contrived. I appreciate the setting was historical, but I don't believe that people spoke like clichés back then either. One character in particular which I found ill conceived was Sarah Fitzgerald, she read a little bit like a cut out and keep character from a book of stereotypical women. In general I just didn't really care what happened to the majority of the characters.
The world was well imagined and the smog part of the final half was an interesting element to the story. I don't think I would be looking at any more books from this author.
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this sort of novel, unfortunately it just wasn't particularly well executed. It did read reasonably quick though, despite the 700 pages. It really did not need to be this long.Some of the characters felt a little unreal, and the dialogue was also a bit wooden and felt contrived. I appreciate the setting was historical, but I don't believe that people spoke like clichés back then either. One character in particular which I found ill conceived was Sarah Fitzgerald, she read a little bit like a cut out and keep character from a book of stereotypical women. In general I just didn't really care what happened to the majority of the characters.
The world was well imagined and the smog part of the final half was an interesting element to the story. I don't think I would be looking at any more books from this author.
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LibraryThing member LARA335
As I have come to expect from C.J. Sansom this novel demonstrates his excellent imagination and in-depth research. Set in a dreary 1950s Britain, run by Nazis. I liked the detail, but didn't care for any of the characters who seemed to take their colouring from the grey, smoggy atmosphere. Perhaps
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unfairly, I longed for the colour, warmth, and historical detail of a Shardlake novel. Show Less
LibraryThing member sensitivemuse
It’s been a while since I’ve read a real good alternate history book. This one really got me turning the pages and got me wanting to stay up late to finish it (despite it being about the size of a tome).
So the book is mostly told in three different character narratives. David, Frank, or Sarah.
David would be my least favorite character - but a step above Syme and Natalia (oh goodness, yes I put Syme and Natalia in the same boat here). He was okay until this thing with Natalia come up and he suddenly became a likeable very helpful and loyal character to a lovesick poor twit who behaved like a dumb cow. Get over it buddy. You have much more IMPORTANT things to do but noooooooo you got the one track mind going on here (the scene with saying goodbye on the boat just about had me wanting to push David off of it. Seriously!?! your wife is looking at you and while she’s surviving on her own without any help from you, you’re too busy looking for Natalia arrghhh!!! You don’t deserve Sarah!!!!!!)
The plot overall was excellent and well written. It gives a good alternate history of a ‘what if’ scenario and does it well. It nice both sides (German and Resistance) are portrayed here. I sort of felt sorry for Gunther, but on the other hand I didn’t because he was your typical Nazi with those silly political views which induces eye rolling throughout certain parts of the book but you can also feel a sort of weariness in him as if he’s really tired of it all.
The author’s note in the back provides good insight and information that deserves a walk through. Overall I was very pleased and happy with the book and am glad I had the opportunity to read and review it. Greatly recommended and I’m definitely going to check out C J Sansom’s other works.
So the book is mostly told in three different character narratives. David, Frank, or Sarah.
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The three characters have issues of their own, (David and Sarah sharing a personal tragedy) each of them having their own way of developing their character throughout the story. Suffice to say, all three of them are stronger than how they started off in the book. Frank, I would have to say, ends up being the strongest one of them all. Of the three I’d have to say it’s a close tie between Sarah and Frank as my favorite. Frank especially, after all that he goes through and with a superb background story. I liked Sarah a lot because although she was going through so many marital issues with David, she got it all together in the end and was able to face the danger and she managed to save face and stand head to head to Natalia (whom I found rather odious and extremely unlikable). Good for Sarah, on top of that instead of breaking down like a poor sod with her marriage issues she met them straight on and told David exactly how she felt. Sarah darling, I’m holding a torch for you.David would be my least favorite character - but a step above Syme and Natalia (oh goodness, yes I put Syme and Natalia in the same boat here). He was okay until this thing with Natalia come up and he suddenly became a likeable very helpful and loyal character to a lovesick poor twit who behaved like a dumb cow. Get over it buddy. You have much more IMPORTANT things to do but noooooooo you got the one track mind going on here (the scene with saying goodbye on the boat just about had me wanting to push David off of it. Seriously!?! your wife is looking at you and while she’s surviving on her own without any help from you, you’re too busy looking for Natalia arrghhh!!! You don’t deserve Sarah!!!!!!)
The plot overall was excellent and well written. It gives a good alternate history of a ‘what if’ scenario and does it well. It nice both sides (German and Resistance) are portrayed here. I sort of felt sorry for Gunther, but on the other hand I didn’t because he was your typical Nazi with those silly political views which induces eye rolling throughout certain parts of the book but you can also feel a sort of weariness in him as if he’s really tired of it all.
The author’s note in the back provides good insight and information that deserves a walk through. Overall I was very pleased and happy with the book and am glad I had the opportunity to read and review it. Greatly recommended and I’m definitely going to check out C J Sansom’s other works.
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LibraryThing member AntT
I love a "what if the course of history were changed" books, and this one was interesting and, at times, pretty gripping.
LibraryThing member Paul_Samael
An enjoyable counterfactual thriller - reminded me in parts of Philip Roth's "The Plot Against America", particularly in its depiction of how fascism and anti-semitism could've taken hold outside Nazi Germany given the right conditions. It's not without its flaws - for example, I felt that the
It seems some reviewers have got a bit exercised over historical "accuracy" - and it may well be that if you have in-depth knowledge of the period, certain aspects of the book are bound to rankle (so perhaps a certain level of ignorance is bliss - I'm sure it was in my case!). But it's important to remember we're dealing with a counterfactual here - so who's to say how certain historical figures would've behaved given different circumstances/pressures.
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characters sometimes spent too much time telling each other things about themselves, which occasionally made the narrative a bit clunky. On the other hand, the depiction of day-to-day life in a depressed, grey London under the thumb of an increasingly authoritarian police state is convincing and atmospheric - and it is a genuine page-turner.It seems some reviewers have got a bit exercised over historical "accuracy" - and it may well be that if you have in-depth knowledge of the period, certain aspects of the book are bound to rankle (so perhaps a certain level of ignorance is bliss - I'm sure it was in my case!). But it's important to remember we're dealing with a counterfactual here - so who's to say how certain historical figures would've behaved given different circumstances/pressures.
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Awards
Dublin Literary Award (Longlist — 2014)
Sidewise Award (Winner — 2012)
Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year (Popular Fiction — 2014)