Farthing

Farthing is the first in Jo Walton's acclaimed World War Two alternative history Small Change trilogy. It was first published in 2006.

The main action in Farthing occurs in 1949, eight years after a group of upper crust Englishmen (known as the Farthing Set) have overthrown Winston Churchill and negotiated peace with Nazi Germany.

With Hitler in control of the European continent, the somewhat fascist members of the Farthing Set attend a weekend retreat at the country house of Lord and Lady Eversley. There Sir James Thirkie, the main architect of the “Farthing Peace” and Prime Ministerial prospect, is murdered with a yellow Star of David pinned prominently across his chest.

The murderer is immediately suspected to be David Kahn, the Jewish husband of the Eversley's estranged daughter Lucy. Both had unexpectedly been invited to the weekend get-together.

Inspector Carmichael of Scotland Yard is assigned to the case and quickly realises that Kahn may have been set up by this deeply anti-Semitic crowd.

This well-written and -researched novel revolves around the Inspector's investigations and Walton delves deeply into themes of homosexuality, fascism, class and anti-Semitism.

As the first book of the Small Change trilogy, the plot twists in Farthing set up the context of the following two novels admirably.

Walton, Jo. Farthing, London: Corsair, 2014.


Small Change trilogy

• Farthing (2006)
• Ha'penny (2007)
• Half a crown (2008)

References:
 
Books in Print Professional Reviews
Jo Walton's Website
Goodreads Reader Reviews

Himmler's War

Robert Conroy explores a fascinating “what if” in Himmler's war. What if Hitler had been accidentally killed during the latter stages of World War 2 and Himmler, the brutal head of the SS had assumed control of the Nazi war machine? How would the rest of the war – and indeed the 20^th Century – have panned out?

In Himmler's war, the new Führer, Heinrich Himmler, expands Germany's search for a super weapon. The Allies consider their options. Fight to the bitter end or negotiate peace with the new, more rational, NAZI leader? (Himmler actually listens to his generals, unlike his predecessor).

This is a very readable book, however Conroy sometimes stretches the bounds of possibility. Chris Nuttall, writing in the CGN book reviews blogspot, states that “[h]istorically, the German nuclear program was unable to produce a bomb. The idea that they can jump to building a working device – and then slipping it to Moscow to blow up Stalin – is implausible, to say the least”.

Conroy, Robert. Himmler’s war, Riverdale, NY: Baen Books, 2011.

References:

Robert Conroy's Website 

Books in Print Professional Reviews 

Goodreads Reader Reviews