What if the Germans had won WWII? I love the literary idea, and I had once read a disastrous novel about it; the author didn’t know the German character and it spoiled everything. I knew this would not be a problem with Len Deighton, as he is an authority on the subject, and an author I love and respect. My only regret is that I did not know about SS-GB when it was first released.

Britain has surrendered to the Nazis, who have won the war and occupy Britain, led by a puppet government. The King is imprisoned in the Tower of London, Churchill has been executed; the Nazis are everywhere, but the various factions are in a silent war against each other. Detective Superintendant Douglas Archer of Scotland Yard tries to do his job, while it was going rather well with General Kellerman, a newcomer SS-Standartenführer Dr Oskar Huth is making things complicated. Archer is trying to investigate a murder, which turns out to be far more complicated than it first appeared.

As Mr Deighton mentions, the idea of a murder investigation is the ideal premise for this type of story. Watching the various characters deal with the situation was captivating: some Englishmen are trying to navigate the hated new system peacefully, others have a hard time keeping it together; who is in the resistance? All Germans appear to follow the rules, but do they really? Some Germans who are as strict as expected, but is there another purpose to their madness? Is anyone to be trusted?

Notwithstanding Mr Deighton’s considerable knowledge, one must not forget that he is a consummate writer; his prose conveys efficiently and elegantly every nuance, every doubt, every physical detail with such clarity, it barely feels like fiction, and it is truly frightening. The story flows effortlessly, while the feeling that something momentous and possibly ominous is about to happen. The Jewish question was barely mentioned, and I would wish for the author – or any author approved by Mr Deighton – to write that book.

I knew SS-GB would be interesting, but it is utterly riveting, and so much better than I hoped. The characters are extraordinary, the story is exceedingly complex, and twists and turns abound; I don’t think I have ever been so stunned by so many turns of events in any book, ever. If you think for one moment you know what to expect with SS-GB, think again. Len Deighton wrote the book I wanted to read with his customary flair, and I am thrilled with the results!

In the literature of alternate history, Nazi Germany often wins World War II. Philip K. Dick’s The Man in the High Castle, Fatherland by Robert Harris, and Jo Walton’s Farthing Trilogy (Farthing, Ha’penny, and Half a Crown, all reviewed here) are prominent examples. There are many others, of which the one I’ve read most recently is SS-GB by the British thriller writer Len Deighton.

A favorite theme in alternate history

It’s November 1941. World War II ended in Europe on February 19 when Great Britain surrendered to Nazi Germany. A puppet Prime Minister has replaced Winston Churchill, who is imprisoned in Germany. King George VI is being held in the Tower of London. Jews have been rounded up and sent “to the notorious concentration camp at Wenlock Edge.” A curfew is in effect in London. Rationing is severe throughout the occupied zone. Thousands of British soldiers are being held in POW camps or in forced labor camps on the Continent. Everywhere, there are “signs of battle damage unrepaired from the street fighting of the previous winter. Shell craters, and heaped rubble, were marked only by yellow tapes, soiled and drooping between roughly made stakes.”

At Scotland Yard, Detective Superintendent Douglas Archer reports to SS General Fritz Kellerman, “whose police powers extended over the whole country.” The Superintendent is “Archer of the Yard,” “the Sherlock Holmes of the 1940s.” He’s the country’s most famous detective because of his success in closing several high-profile murder cases. Archer and “the other half of the murder team,” Sergeant Harry Woods, are investigating a mysterious murder when they receive word that an SS Colonel is coming from Germany under express orders from Reichsfürer Heinrich Himmler to take over the case. Archer will now report to the new man, Dr. Oskar Huth. Huth lives up to the reputation of the SS for arrogance and ruthlessness. As the story advances, the murder case becomes fraught with connections to high-level intrigue. Archer, Huth, and Kellerman warily circle around each other in a high-stakes game that puts all their careers—and their lives—at risk.

Resistance is widespread

Meanwhile, Resistance to the German occupation is growing. As one woman remarks to Archer, “‘In the towns it’s just bombs and murdering German soldiers. In the country districts there are bigger groups, who ambush German motorized patrols . . . ‘” But Resistance is underway at a much higher level: senior British officials in the puppet government are plotting to release the King from the Tower and spirit him off to the United States, where he can lead an eventual effort to bring the Nazis to account. Archer discovers that his seemingly straightforward murder investigation is closely related to this plot—and he becomes deeply involved in the dangerous action that follows.

Not only did Deighton live through World War II as a teenager—he was born in 1929—he thoroughly researched this topic. SS-GB is alternate history of the first rank.

About the author

Len Deighton is often ranked with John le Carre and Ian Fleming in the pantheon of spy novelists. His most familiar books include The Ipcress File, Funeral in Berlin, and the Samson series (Berlin Game, Mexico Set, London Match, and subsequent novels). At this writing, he is 88 years old.

I must admit, I am an incorrigible aficionado of crime and spy novels, especially those written between the 1930s-60s. Hammett, Deighton, Fleming... these are names that will strike a sympathetic chord with enthusiasts of the genre. But for me, the Holy Trinity is Cheyney, Cory and Chandler - of which my favorite novel is Dead Man Falling.
First published in 1978, the story is set in the year 1941, nearly a year after the German invasion of Britain and it’s surrender. In this alternative history, Detective Superintendent Douglas Archer, of the CID (Criminal Investigation Department) is called in to investigate a murder of a man in Shepherd Mallet, an area of London.
Novels on alternative history fascinate me. Since the 1950s, this type of fiction has, to a large extent, merged with science fiction involving time travel between alternate histories. It's so good to see a different take on it, perhaps only bettered by Robert Harris’s Fatherland.
The new TV adaptation of SS-GB will no doubt bring much attention to this book, but its the whole golden age of British crime and spy novels that should be praised. Each of the novelists I have mentioned should be read and enjoyed by the many.