A pretty good thriller based on a clever premise. In this case, something unspecified went slightly differently in 1942, and as a result an undefeated Nazi Germany reigns over much of Europe in 1964. France and Britain are mere puppet governments, guerilla war still rages in the former USSR, and the United States is just beginning to make friendly overtures to Berlin. March is not exactly a dissident, but he is dubious about his leaders and irreverent about Nazi ideology. This is already getting him in a bit of trouble even before he starts pushing his investigation further than his superiors would like.
Fatherland is a fast-paced and effective thriller, but there are some problems here.
In particular, Harris seems compelled to give us implausible echoes of our own time. These ties to our own world are jarring at best. And although most of the book suspended my disbelief reasonably well, the last 50 pages or so lost me on the road to an ending I could foresee. If you find the premise of the book intriguing, though, it would be hard for Fatherland to completely disappoint you. Top 5 most similar books 1.