Customer Reviews

SS-GB: Nazi-Occupied Britain 1941

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SS-GB deals with life in Nazi-occupied Great Britain, about one year after the German Army successfully overruns the British Isles. I found it to be utterly believable, completely convincing. Churchill has been secretly executed by a German firing squad, and the King is imprisoned in the Tower of London under special SS guard. America considers the war to be over. And therein lies the tale. The end will rock you and sock you.

The book deals with one Detective Archer, a detective with Scotland Yard, which is itself under the command of a German police General. There is a murder to be solved, and as one might guess, there is more to the murder than meets the eye. Archer must solve the murder and deal with the political rivalries that affect his German masters.

Deighton's novel captures the sense of defeat--the dark, moody time (which in real life was only just barely averted) after the all hope is lost and the British have suffered utter defeat. But life goes on, and this is what SS-GB is really about. There is a story here, about seemingly real people, and Deighton tells it. This is a book that I have made a permanent part of my library, and I re-read it every couple of years. It is that kind of book.

It's November 1941 in Nazi-occupied Britain, and Detective Inspector Archer of Scotland Yard finds himself reporting to SS Gruppenfuehrer Fritz Kellermann. The King is a prisoner in the Tower of London; Churchill has been shot after a brief trial in Berlin; Germany and the USSR are still the best of friends; and the USA is reluctant to intervene. Austerity holds Britain in its icy grip, with luxuries more or less limited to the German occupying forces and those who succeed in ingratiating themselves.

The successful invasion left swathes of ruin and destruction that have not yet been repaired. The blackened shell of a Panzer IV tank still sits halfway up Wimbledon high street. Anyone violating curfew, or breaking regulations, is likely to be shot or sent to a concentration camp. Yet there is no point in rebellion - that would just get more people killed. Apparently, the only way forward is to cooperate with the Germans. Kellermann hints to Archer that his young son might possibly attend the good German school in Highgate... On the other hand, perhaps he should be sent to a training school for young Nazis in Germany.

While developing one of his usual opaque plots, Deighton cleverly shows the dilemma facing Archer and others in positions of responsibility. We see the British resistance as more like the present-day Iraqi insurgency (depicted as terrorists, criminals and diehards) than in the heroic light that has retrospectively fallen on those who persisted in fighting the Nazis after their governments had surrendered.

As usual in a Deighton story, it is no use trying to work out which side anyone is on. Mostly, each of the leading players is on his (or her) own side. The question is: who can profit most by cooperating with whom? The answers turn out to be surprising indeed. Tension starts to build with the abrupt arrival of SS Standartenfuehrer Huth from Berlin - a man who stands for no nonsense, works for Himmler, and has dauntingly direct methods. Can the Resistance exploit tensions between the German Army and the SS to rescue the King? What is the secret of the scientist who is found shot dead, apparently suffering from an extreme case of sunburn? Add a beautiful American journalist, a sinister British secret service officer, a US military expedition, sundry criminals, black-marketeers and collaborators, stir vigorously... and get ready for some stunning entertainment.

"SS GB" is a thoroughly fascinating, absorbing, terrific novel--a first-rate murder mystery wrapped in a huge, wartime conspiracy, with a detailed, completely believable backdrop of Britain defeated and occupied by the Nazis. It is literally impossible to put this book down once you've started. The characters are unforgettable: cool but overwhelmed Detective Superintendent "Archer of the Yard," the sleek, frighteningly menacing SS Standartenfuhrer Huth, the double-edged General Kellermann, loyal Harry Woods, vivacious Barbara Barga--all come to life in a crackerjack spy plot executed on a global basis. Do not miss this book!

This was a great book for many reasons. First of all, it was thrilling and moved very quickly. But it also had depth and intelligence. The picture he paints of German occupied England is very beleivable. Most of all, the plot was thick and there were some good turns and twists, especially at the end.

What if Germany occupied England during WWII, that is the premise of this novel by Len Deighton. SS GB" is a thoroughly fascinating, absorbing, terrific novel--a first-rate murder mystery wrapped in a huge, wartime conspiracy, with a detailed, completely believable backdrop of Britain defeated and occupied by the Nazis. A real page turner sure to please not just Deighton fans but anyone who loves history.

The Battle of Britain was the turning point of World War II in the West. The period between 1933 and 1940 was an example the domino theory. The first domino to fall to the Nazis, strictly speaking, was Germany itself. Then Austria, Czechoslovakia, Poland, France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Denmark, and Norway. Half of Western Europe was under German domination. By 1940, there was serious doubt that Britain would survive. The Battle of Britain was won by Britain because of the RAF.

However, it could have been different. Here is a book that explores life in Great Britain if the Nazi's had won. We follow a Scotland Yard Detective whose wife died in the bombing and whose son is growing up a captive. The King is imprisioned in the Tower and Churchill is dead. But life goes on. . .

A disturbing and dark look at what might have been.

What would England have been like if the Germans had invaded England in 1940 and won? Well the King is in the Tower of London, the Queen and the Princesses are in New Zealand, and Churchill has been executed by firing squad. Only the southern part of England is under occupation, but the Nazis are heading up most government bureaus including Scotland Yard. In addition, there are the internecine battles between the Nazi Party, the Gestapo, the SS and the collaborating puppet government. Throw in a British Resistance a la "Le Maquise" and you've got a great story.

Someone has been found dead and it's up to Detective Superintendent Douglas Archer to solve it. He's assisted by his sergeant who was his mentor and brings with him an older, less genteel approach to police work. His work is being followed by a superior who - despite his bucolic and jovial, almost avuncular demeanor - always seems to be planning his third and fourth moves on the chess board of law enforcement. His latest opponent comes in from another organization and uses "b ull-in-the-china shop" methods take control of the investigation. All the while, Archer must also deal with local politicos who seem to desire the entire situation be swept under a carpet. Sounds like your standard murder mystery. Well, it is, until you consider the location. It's London in March, 1941, and the capital of Great Britain which has been occupied since the previous year when a successful invasion was carried out by Germany.

Beyond the premise, it's typical Deighton. No one really knows who is on what side and betrayal is the order of the day. It's also pepped with the usual mix of upper class arrogance and disdain endemic to the author's work. The story moves along as Archer moves closer and closer to the killer but, in doing so, also finds this is not a simple or single murder case. It is, instead, the opening moves of a competition the end game of which is the future of the world.

The storyline is good and the ending a surprise. But, the truly intriguing part of this book is the portrayal of occupied England. It's not a place where Churchill's admonition `We will never surrender!" took place. The scenario looks much more like how France fell and then functioned after the surrender. Life goes on for most of the population of London. There is a government to administer day-to-day activities but it is clear that all major functionalities are controlled by Germans. The wealth of the nation is being transferred to Germany. There are detention camps for senior military personnel; this implies similar facilities for those politicos not executed. Of the Jews and other undesirables, there is no mention. While this may be a shock, it does conform to the notion that no one really cares what is happening to other people as long as it doesn't happen to them.

There is a resistance movement that - at least in London, because we receive little or no information about anywhere else - seems less effective than the FFI/Maquis were in reality France. The few mentions of them made me think not so much of the Iraqi insurrection mentioned by another reviewer as something more akin to the Khmer Rouge or Taliban prior to seizing power. The disconcerting thing is that this is probably closer to the truth than one cares to believe. After all, the French resistance - in fact, all the resistance movements on the Continent - had either the Brit SOE or Soviet departments supplying them. Without such support, it's easy to see the underground attacking those perceived as collaboraors - soft targets, if you will - rather than the German military.

In the end, however, it is an oustide intervention that drives the climax and denouement. Archer is present foe this conclusion and, for him, things will remain status quo. But, that's not necessarily a good thing.

I enjoy WW2 history and alternative history novels so this was enjoyable. The premise being that Germany conquered England in WW2. Most of it was believable, a few parts made me pause and suspend disbelief a little. But no alt history book is really perfect.

I have had the opportunity to read this book many years ago and I enjoyed the book then. I was looking for another book when I saw this title, I ordered the book again to re-read the bok and enjoyed the book all over again. For the WWII buff, this is a great read!