Red Inferno

January 18, 2010
WWII alternate historian Conroy (1945
) sets this tale largely in Berlin as it prepares for division among the four Allied powers in accordance with the Yalta agreements. President Truman doesn't trust Stalin and makes the controversial decision to move his troops across the Elbe River toward Berlin in an attempt to lessen Stalin's growing influence in Europe. The move ignites smoldering tensions between Russia and the States, and Stalin's enormous Red Army attacks its former allies, extending the war and threatening the world. An ensemble cast of fictional characters (an American soldier, a German refugee, a professor of Russian history turned secret agent, etc.) and historical figures powers the meticulously researched story line with diverse accounts of the horrors of war, making this an appealing read for fans of history and alternate history alike.

Starred review from February 1, 2010
Conroys latest novel is substantially his best. It supposes that in 1945, President Truman decided to send American troops across the Elbe to claim the American share of Berlin. That catches Stalin in a paranoiac mood, and the Red Army attacks the force headed to Berlin. Despite a Soviet leak, the Americans are surprised and destroyed, except for a small force besieged in Potsdam on the outskirts of Berlin. Matters go from bad to worse as Stalin decides to take the opportunity to cross the Elbe and head west. The Western Allies are forced into a separate peace and later an alliance with a semi-rehabilitated Germany but eventually escalate the conflict by striking at Russias strained fuel resources. Add the prospective disintegration of the Western Alliance over the prolongation of the war (Britain has a strong and violent peace movement, De Gaulle plays hardball) and J. Edgar Hoover displaying a paranoia that rivals Stalins, and every aspect of the scenario becomes engrossing and grimly plausible. Even the books two well-realized romances add interest to the proceedings, and the suspense holds up literally to the last page. If Conroys enthusiasm for alternate history leads to a sequel to this one, it will continue a story comparable to the best by the subgenres masters.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)