Reviews

Himmler's War by Robert Conroy

mcj_writer96's review against another edition

2.0

Eh. This is the first time I’ve read something that could be considered a “dime store novel”. Outside of Hitler dying and Himmler in control, it doesn’t feel like an alternate history novel until the last 150 pages of this 500 page novel. The novel could have been a 100 or so page shorter with no real loss. Just rush up the alternate history actions.

Spoiler

The plot suffers some initial problems. Look, by 1944 the war was a lost cause for the Germans. Had Hitler died, there isn’t much that Himmler could have done to change the course of history. But the book ending with the Americans basically giving an F U to the Soviets was great.

Oh yeah, I shouldn't forget that there are way too many characters in this novel. We have characters introduced in the last 150 pages of this novel! It was too late to introduce a character who gets several scenes in the successive chapters.

beingshort's review

adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

birdkeeperklink's review against another edition

No rating because I invoked the 50 page rule. I just wasn't into this. The characters didn't feel like characters, they felt like cardboard cutouts. It really seemed to drag, and I realize I was only about 3 chapters in, I just don't feel like wading through 500 pages of it. It's an interesting concept, but not interesting enough with the drawback of not being invested in any of the 'characters.' The writing is very dry and stale, and I just can't do it.

jaxboiler's review against another edition

4.0

It has been awhile since I Have read an alternate history book but this one was kind of cool. A very different take on how WWII could have played out. It kept me entertained.

jeffstevens's review against another edition

4.0

My first Conroy novel, and very enjoyable. He makes an intruiging and generally well thought-out case for how Germany could have made the end of WWII much worse than it already was. A fun read.

mrbooks's review against another edition

5.0

Conroy is a master storyteller that keeps your attention! His book is both gripping and compelling. I plan on reading more of his work

wc4's review

3.0

Speculative fiction - what would have happened if Hitler was killed before the end of the war and Heinrich Himmler took over? Interesting read, focused more on just the Americans and the Germans, with a little bit of the Soviets. What I learned from this book is the timing of Hitler's death is critical in writing these kinds of books. The timeline for this one is set after the Normandy invasion, close to the tail end of the war. Of course, it's kind of simple to indulge in the coulda, shoulda, and woulda's when looking back on history.