Fatherland by Robert Harris

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This is my review of the book Fatherland by Robert Harris, which I have recently read. I was inspired to read this as it was cited in the book Dominion by C J Sansom. Though I have read the book before, it was a number of years ago, so could not properly remember it.

Like Dominion, the central theme of the book, is that Nazi Germany was not defeated in 1945, but carried on. Here Hitler is coming up to his 75th Birthday. Berlin is the capital city and has been rebuilt to include a massive Great Hall, that is 1000 feet high and can hold 150,000 people.

The story is of a policeman March trying to investigate the mystery of a naked body of an old man that has been found in the outskirts of Berlin.

During the course of this investigation March uncovers a much deeper mystery, that goes right back to the start of the 1940's. He finds that this leads right to the centre of power.

The world that Robert has created for this story is totally believable, and sadly very horrific once the respectable skin has been peeled away. Made even more so when at the end of the book one finds out that the majority of historical documents that are cited, do actually exist and do record decisions that were actually made at the time.

With the merging together of Europe, this is a history that many would like us to if not forget, certainly not spend too much time investigating. I find it had to imagine how one human could treat another in such away. I am sure we treat our cattle better than what went on in the 1940's.

An interesting book, starts off very enjoyable, and gradually becomes more and more challenging as fiction merges with horrific fact, but I am pleased I read it again. This was book 4 week 2 – fiction 4 (0 on audio) non fiction 0