Fatherland   by Robert Harris Arrow (orginally published by Hutchinson), 2002 (1992), 383 pages, ISBN 0 09 926381 5

How easy was it to get stuck into this book?
This book is non-stop action and excitement, combining historical fact with believable fiction added by the author. The story is set in the eyes of March Exavier and is based in 1963, and the Germans did not lose the war...

Who are the main characters?
The main character in the book is called Exavier March (known as March throughout). He is in his mid-40's and an Investigator Homicide investigator in the Kriminalpolizei (Kripo) and his official title is SS Strumbannfuhrer, equivalent to a major. He started the war serving in the Kreigsmarine aboard U-boats but then turned to the Police. He is divorced and has one son, Phili, 10, who lives with his ex-wife. He only gets to see his son every first Sunday of the month and they are drifting further and further apart, this is a source of pain for March. March is beginning to question National Socialism for their treatment of the Jews, word of this gets out and March is slowly seen as a traitor of Germany. Another main character is Charlie Maguire, she is in her mid-twenties and Amercian by birth, but now lives in Germany. She is a self-employed reporter and seems to do anything for a good story. She pairs up with March in order for them both to uncover the secrets of the Holocaust and they become lovers. As well as these characters there are also several more Kripo men, several men from the Orpo (next one up from Kripo, e.g FBI/CIA), A man who works for the US embassy known as nightingale, Hitler and Kennedy (never seen but important), Heinrich Himler and fourteen people who were very high up in the National Socialist party - most of whom have now died under suspicious circumstances.

What's the storyline?
The story starts with the body of an old man being found floating in a river in Central Berlin. This body is later found to belong to a man named Josef Buhler, former state secretary of the German Government. His death is investigated by March who links it to a number of other former party members, all of whom attended a meeting with Himler, which is later found out to have been to do with the final solution to the Jewish Problem. All but one of the people who attended this meeting is dead. The only one left is Martin Luther, who March tries to track down to find out what the meeting was all about. This is important because all of the murders came in light of President Kennedy's visit to Berlin for 'talks'. It is hoped that finding evidence of the Holocaust may stop the USA from joining the mass murdering nation and mean the downfall for Nazi Germany.

How's it written?
This is, wihout a doubt, the best book I have ever read. ALthough I do not read much, whilst reading this book I was inspired to read more, in hope that other books would be as good but now, having finished it, I never want to read another book, in fear that it won't be as good! A truly fantastic, book, especially suited to my age upwards, and keen historians like myself.

Other books by the same author that James Barnfield knows about?
Fiction - Enigma Non Fiction - Good and Faithful Servant, Selling Hitler, The MAking of Neil Kinnock, Gotcha!, A Higher Form of Killing

The overall verdict is
A cool-read

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