'Deighton's best book ... an absorbingly exciting spy story that is also a fascinating exercise in might-have-been speculation' The New York Times Book Review It is 1941 and Germany has won the war. Britain is occupied, Churchill executed and the King imprisoned in the Tower of London. At Scotland Yard, Detective Inspector Archer tries to do his job and keep his head down. But when a body is found in a Mayfair flat, what at first appears to be a routine murder investigation sends him into a world of espionage, deceit and ...
Read More
'Deighton's best book ... an absorbingly exciting spy story that is also a fascinating exercise in might-have-been speculation' The New York Times Book Review It is 1941 and Germany has won the war. Britain is occupied, Churchill executed and the King imprisoned in the Tower of London. At Scotland Yard, Detective Inspector Archer tries to do his job and keep his head down. But when a body is found in a Mayfair flat, what at first appears to be a routine murder investigation sends him into a world of espionage, deceit and betrayal. 'Len Deighton is the Flaubert of contemporary thriller writers ... this is much the way things would have turned out if the Germans had won' The Times Literary Supplement
Read Less
Add this copy of Ss-Gb (Penguin Modern Classics) to cart. $2.98, good condition, Sold by Seattle Goodwill rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Seattle, WA, UNITED STATES, published 2021 by Penguin Classics.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
May have some shelf-wear due to normal use. Your purchase funds free job training and education in the greater Seattle area. Thank you for supporting Goodwill's nonprofit mission!
Add this copy of Ss-Gb (Penguin Modern Classics) to cart. $4.00, very good condition, Sold by Half Price Books Inc rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2021 by Penguin Classics.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of Ss-Gb (Penguin Modern Classics) to cart. $7.99, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Movies rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2021 by Penguin Classics.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of Ss-Gb to cart. $17.30, new condition, Sold by Media Smart rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Hawthorne, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2021 by Penguin Classics.
Add this copy of Ss-Gb to cart. $18.12, new condition, Sold by Ria Christie Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Uxbridge, MIDDLESEX, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2021 by Penguin Classics.
Add this copy of SS-GB to cart. $18.20, new condition, Sold by Ria Christie Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Uxbridge, MIDDLESEX, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2021 by Penguin Classics.
Add this copy of SS-GB to cart. $22.21, new condition, Sold by Booksplease rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Southport, MERSEYSIDE, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2021 by Penguin Classics.
Add this copy of Ss-Gb to cart. $22.39, new condition, Sold by Kennys.ie rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Galway, IRELAND, published 2021 by Penguin Classics.
was all I could think as I read through the book. An alternate ending to the Second World War, written by one of its premier historians. I thought the book fantastic.
AgnosticTheist
Aug 16, 2007
Great alternate history
SS-GB is really a detective story, but it takes place in an alternate history universe, where Hitler has conquered Britain in 1941, while making peace with Russia. The book is very well written, and the detective story aspect is exciting, although I haven't read a lot of those, so others may be less impressed. *spoiler warning* There is a slight let-down in the end where the Germans abandon the the nuclear bomb project, which I find highly unlikely to happen in the given circumstances. Also, the placing of a key research lab near the english coast is rather ridiculous, even if this fact is commented on by one of the characters. The Germans were ahead in the race to develop nuclear power and bombs, and had they conquered Britain, they would perhaps have been able to produce a bomb before anyone else. They would certainly not have had to rely on British scientist to accomplish this." *spoiler warning end* However, most of the alternate-history aspects are very interesting and seem plausible, like the rivalry between the German army and SS, and the societal effects of German occupation, the mood of the population etc. There is no explanation given of how Hitler was able to conquer Britain, which perhaps should have been attempted, considering how difficult it would have been for the Germans to invade Britain. Still, the thrust of the book is the moral dilemma faced by a very competent and professional Scotland Yard policeman, of law and order versus patriotism and freedom. I think this dilemma, and the inner thought life of the main character, are very well described in a captivating manner. Anyone with even slight interest in alternate history should seriously consider reading this book. It is not hard or expensive to get second hand.
