In The Accidental Nazi, a historian from 1981 West Berlin was astonished to find himself inexplicably standing on a tarmac in 1941 Berlin, watching a plane carrying Adolf Hitler plow into the pavement and completely reroll the dice on Germany’s future. He was himself, and yet not himself: Heinrich Schloss in 1941 Germany was the leader of the Nazi Party, now a member of the small fuhrercouncil responsible for leading Germany until a new fuhrer could be appointed. Schloss, though confused, was desperate to prevent both Operation Barbarossa and the Holocaust — and after months of political maneuvering, the reckless Hess finally set events into motion that saw both himself and Himmler dead. Schloss was hailed as the new king of town, master of a Germany whose future he cannot quite predict. Reactionary forces within Germany want him gone and the tenants of Nazism restored, and the world scene is utterly unpredictable. But Schloss is a man on a mission: to machen Sie Deutscherland großartig again!

This second book in the series takes us into utter terra incognita, foreign-policy wise. At this point, mild spoilers for the first book will follow, so proceed at your literary peril, meine Damen und Herren. Schloss was largely successful in meeting his goals in the first book, largely because his background as an historian makes him extremely familiar with the characters and technology of the day. He was able to exploit his knowledge of late war technical improvements, in fact, to increase his bona fides with a lot of military figures who were impressed by how much he knew about the jet-engine proposals and the next-gen u-boat concepts. Schloss is also good at manipulating people. Now, however, things are changing to such a degree that he can no longer lead his targets: he must take events as they come. And…boy, do they come, with repeated attempts on his life by one Reynard Heidrich. Because of the events of the first novel. Heidrich was busy elsewhere on the night he would have been shot by Czechs; now he is the standard-bearer for the hardline Nazis who attracts those who point out that “Hey, our whole Nazi thing is about attacking the Jews, and now we’re giving them free transport to the middle east?” Geopolitically, things are also very messy: Japan launched a much more potent Pearl Harbor assault this time, and has apparently succeeded in not only taking Hawaii but threatening Australia. Most of Australia’s troops are in Africa, fighting a losing war against the Germans who control the entirety of the med. Despite this, he refuses to bow out, even though the Germans point out that they could help his armies exit Africa with guns and men intact. Honor must be satisfied, apparently. Other events are going on: Franklin Roosevelt dies of natural causes in Warm Springs, being replaced by Henry Wallace, and explosions disable the Panama Canal.

I tend to focus on the military and political scene, but there’s also character work. When Schloss found himself in 1941 Germany, he also found himself in possession of a family — children, a sister and brother-in-law, and a red-headed girlfriend whose cunning is as remarkable as her beauty. (Heinlein lives!) There is also a curious houseskeeper who knows far more than she should — she knows without being told that Schloss comes from a world where the hammer-and-sickle of the bolshies once flew over a ruined Berlin, and that Russian boots once tread on German necks. Schloss’s bonds with these characters, particular his brother-in-law who rises to join the fuhrercouncil, seem real. While some events of the novel seem improbable — the Japanese running wild in the Pacific — and I’m still wondering WHERE IS CHINA in all this. Are the Japanese so empowered because they don’t have men tied down there? The book creates an interesting Middle East plot thread, which leads to an EXPLOSIVE twist at the end and urges me to continue in the series. I must resist until nonfiction has triumphed over novels, though.

Highlights:

“I wouldn’t hold my breath, Karl. Anoxia is an unpleasant way to die.”

“I do not consider myself to be ruthless,” he said. “It’s just that I have learned that it does no one any good when you postpone decisions. The problems simply fester. It is sometimes painful to make decisions, but if you don’t, then you have to endure the ongoing pain.”

“You know,” he said, “sometimes I wished I smoked. Then I could busy myself with pulling out a cigarette and lighting it as I studied the scenery. Then I could think of something to say. You have left me speechless.” (I use a coffee mug for the same thing.)

“How have you managed not to have someone punch you out on the Senate floor?”
“The Senate is a civilized place, Mr. President. My opponents have merely threatened to punch me out.”