SS-GB

I picked this up on a whim, having heard Deighton described as a master of the understated spy thriller. This is all that, and more. Even in alt-hist Nazi occupied England, people are shot and murders have to be investigated. But this being an espionage novel, nothing is simple, and our protagonist, Douglas Archer, finds himself drawn into a deadly web of intrigue between factions in the SS, Wehrmacht, and the struggling British Resistance.

The characters and plot are nothing that stands out, but that's all part of the subtle English charm of the book. It is a very, very gray novel. Even the Nazis refuse to be cast as genocidal monsters; merely self-interested conquerors who are taking advantage of the moment to loot everything not show more nailed down. And of course, there is little honor or glory in collaboration--even collaboration which might soften the iron grip of the Third Reich.

And as for the setting, it's great alternate history. It skips the part when Operation Sea Lion works (military history consensus: lol, nope), to focus on the bitter aftermath of life under occupation, and trying to salvage some sort of dignity from the wreckage of defeat. Great book, lots of fun, if that level of grimness is your thing. show less

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I've read a number of Hitler Wins books over the years - The Separation, by Christopher Priest, Timewyrm: Exodus, by Terrance Dicks, The Man in the High Castle, by Philip K. Dick, Jo Walton's trilogy Farthing, Ha'penny and Half a Crown, Dominion, by C.J. Sansom, and most recently The Sound of his Horn, by Sarban. Jo Walton's trilogy is my favourite, and remains so after reading this 1978 novel from renowned spy novelist Len Deighton. I've read several of his other books - the Game, Set and Match trilogy and also the Hook, Line and Sinker trilogy, written after this, and though it was a long time ago, I think I enjoyed them more.

The basic scenario here is that after a successful German invasion show more in 1940, our protagonist, a Scotland Yard detective who is now being managed by an uneasy combination of Wehrmacht and SS, is asked to investigate a mysterious murder. It's all linked with the British contribution to this timeline's equivalent of the Manhattan Project. I must say I could not suspend my disbelief at several points. In such a situation I cannot imagine that investigation of a crime with such obvious security implications for the Germans would not be closely managed by them. The level of co-operation between elements of the British resistance and elements of the Wehrmacht seemed to me completely improbable. And there is a massive resistance attack in the middle of the book which I found pretty implausible. Also our protagonist gets a girlfriend who is duly fridged. Apart from that, the sense of place and characterisation were pretty good; I just didn't quite buy the execution. show less

A very nice thriller, set in a Britain occupied by the Nazis. Len Deighton is not only good at building a sharp plot -a murder investigation linked to one of the most crucial scientific discovery of the time- he also displays a great understanding of how was the Nazi system, using the rivalries between Wehrmacht, SD and SS to fit them all like magic in his very clever story. The puzzle thus being built is a thrilling achievement that, his constant play with human psychology and motivations in such a context makes even more remarkable. I am not usually keen on detective nor spy story but, such an intelligent and intricate plot truly deserves a hat off.

WARNING: This review contains spoilers!

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This book began from a conversation Deighton had around the time of his non-fiction book Fighter. A friend wondered what might have happened if the Allies had lost the Battle of Britain, and Deighton replied that actually there was a lot of information available regarding the Germans' invasion plans. So after much deliberation over how the story would look, including who to choose as a protagonist, Deighton produced SS-GB.

This is an excellent concept, and Deighton delivers on the details as usual. I also think his choice of protagonist was solid, as explained in his introduction. But for some reason I could not settle into the story. The most emotional moments were the ones of breathtakingly show more casual cruelty, such as the death of Winston Churchill and the death of King George VI. Otherwise the story was almost mind-numbing in its bleakness, and it took actual physical effort to force myself to continue. It would be interesting to compare this with Dominion, by C.J. Sansom, or other books that deal with an alternate history of WW2, in terms of protagonist and emotional appeal. show less

I love alternative histories, and this thriller is set in 1940s England, but in a world where the Germans won the war in 1941. What would life have been like? This is GB, but with POW camps, British Jewish citizens wearing stars and the SS in control of Scotland Yard.

The Yard's finest, Superintendant Archer is called in on a murder trial which has both national and political ramifications. The case is multi-layered, bringing together the resistance, the in-fighting between the SS and the army, as well as a defeated king in the Tower of London.

Archer is under a lot of pressure, seen as a collaborator by his own people, he justifies his working for the the authorities as still working for justice. This is not to say that Archer is happy show more with his lot, while he accepts his new masters, he resists sending his own son to a school with the children of his overlords.

Interesting, but the plot got overcomplicated by the end. One thing that I did like was the fact that there is no real hero, rather people coping with the new reality, much more realistic and human. show less

What happens when one's commitment to their duty conflicts with their loyalty to their country? That is the dilemma facing Detective Superintendent Douglas Archer in Len Deighton's alternate history thriller. A leading member of Scotland Yard's Murder Squad, he finds himself working for the German occupation in the aftermath of their conquest of Great Britain. This tension becomes unavoidable when Archer is called upon to investigate the murder of a man found in an apartment in Shepherd Market. Though initially unremarkable, the case quickly draws attention from the highest circles of the German government, as Archer finds himself pulled into a dangerous world of political intrigue that forces him to resolve his priorities and take a show more side - no matter what the cost.

Deighton's book is an dramatic story of intrigue in a world that might have been. He does not explain up front how Britain was defeated or what the point of divergence was, leaving details to trickle out naturally as they would in a normal conversation, without any of the clunky exposition too many writers adopt when explaining the worlds they have constructed. Instead his focus is on the plot and characters, as he constructs a grim yet plausible world in which a depressed population is still coming to terms with their defeat. The mystery itself unfolds gradually, and while some readers may figure out the particulars fairly quickly Deighton still puts together an ending that is difficult to forecast before getting there. Taken together, it makes for one of the best alternate history novels ever written, as well as a suspenseful tale that readers who are not familiar with the genre will enjoy nonetheless. show less

this book is a bit of a mind bender, and that's good. Putting the police procedural into the framework of a Nazi-occupied England was a way of demonstrating Deighton's mastery of the genre, and gave him a chance to reread some of his WWII collection. the book reads well and I recommend it.