Harry Turtledove is certainly the best-known writer of alternative history. He takes a single event and by changing it creates a fictional world. So, for example, he wrote a fine book based on a North America where George Washington made peace with King George and the American revolution didn't happen.
Turtledove's books are interesting and easy to read and, until now, not political. After all, what politics comes from Britain being at peace with America?
But his new book, The Man With the Iron Heart is different. Here Obergruppenfuhrer Reinhard Heydrich was not killed in 1942 but rather survived to lead a resistance to occupying forces after 1945. And how do they resist? With IEDs and suicide bombers. And how do the Allies react? By brutal overkill while looking to cut and run.
Sound familiar?
But wait, if this is like Afghanistan and Iraq then the Taliban and friends are really Nazi? Or just as bad?
Well maybe that's reading too much into an otherwise (well written and clever) escapist read but maybe not... .
James Morton
1100 - 5255 Yonge Street
Toronto, Ontario
M2N 6P4
2 comments:
Interesting. I've read some of his counterfactual accounts based on the Civil War and greatly enjoyed them. I'm sure this will be a great read too. Thanks for the post!
Red Tory, I con't put it down!
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