The Man with the Iron Heart

Author Harry Turtledove takes history into his own hands in this thrilling novel, which imagines a world in which the Nazis create an uprising that prolongs WWII long after the actual end of battle. Centered on the real-life character of Reinhard Heydrich, an SS officer assassinated and eulogized by Hitler himself, the story departs from history in saving Heydrich's life, much to the dismay of the Allied Forces. Narrator William Dufris gives a moderately enjoyable reading, though his global accents are poorly delivered and work to undo the believability of the story. Dufris is strong in his delivery and manages to create some tension throughout, but he never loses himself in the performance, ultimately causing it to fall flat. L.B. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine

June 30, 2008
In this disturbing novel, Turtledove examines the possible responses of the U.S. Army, Congress and ordinary Americans if they had been confronted with asymmetrical warfare after the official surrender of Nazi Germany. In our time line, number two SS leader Reinhard Heydrich was killed in 1942. In this novel we see what might have happened had Heydrich survived and lived to lead a grassroots resistance movement. Borrowing ideas from their late Japanese allies, the fanatics of the German Freedom Front launch a campaign of suicide bombings, kidnappings and assassinations. The Russians respond with calculated brutality, while the mother of a slain American soldier pressures President Truman to bring the boys home. The parallels to the current situation in Iraq are obvious but cleverly drawn, leaving readers on both sides of the war debate with much to think about.