Rating: 
Summary: Also A Love Story
Review: This is a brilliant work that is not for every reader. Most of the reviews focus on the alternate history context, with its themes of brutality and oppression.What is overlooked is the author's deft presentation of personal relationships within the opposing societies, both in German and Polish households. Issues equally as probing are raised in the context of the relationship between the protagonist, Peter, and the Polish resistance leader, Zosia. This book is far more than an alternate history but a philosophical work, fortunately with a compelling narrative force.
Rating:
Summary: a profound novel
Review: This is a magnificient book. Although the size of the book seems daunting before starting to read, one gets immediately taken in by the plot and the pace of the book never drops. The characters are masterfully developped and followed with their good sides, their bad sides and their contradictions. In fact, among many of its accomplishments, this book makes us understand how perfectly "ordinary" people can justify supporting or at least acquiescing to political regimes as despicable as the 3rd reich. Nazi Germany could have happened anywhere, and indeed has albeit in different forms and under different names. This is both a great read and certainly one of the most profound novels I've read in years.
Rating: 
Summary: Unanswered questions
Review: This is a very, very depressing book. It shows the world under the heel of a victorious Nazi Germany. More depressing,the other half of the Eastern Hemisphere is ruled by a Russian tyranny. Perhaps the worst thought is that one realizes that all the hate and bullying and utter disregard for humanity presented here is replicated in scores of countries today - constant fear, secret police, informers, torture chambers, relentless efforts by the State to force agreement even when all know it's a lie.... What was most convincing was not the cruelty or slavery or even the total thought control but the utter greyness, drabness and shabbiness. That kind of rundown degredation seemed so awful yet so real. I would've liked a 4 1/2 star rating. The missing half point was for two reasons: (1) The geopolitical aspects were scant. What about Japan, the USSR, India, etc? (2)The idea that despite their victory, every German would behave like a guard at a concentration camp is unrealistic - especially in light of widespread disattisfaction with living conditions. Few parents would let their children witness them degrading, beating and torturing someone, even in Naziland. Germany, like all such regimes, knew that kind of behaviour was uncivilized and sought desperately to hide it from the world. The best part was the tale of the underground, a daring and very realistic group of (mainly) Polish restistance fighters. How the two separate plots - the British slave and the underground - merge is a wonderful piece of plotting. The good guys are not squeaky clean; they are determined and realistic. The sci-fi aspect introduced at the end seemed almost perfect. This is a great read for a cold winter night
Rating: 
Summary: Remorseless, Overpowering
Review: This is a very, very depressing book. It shows the world under the heel of a victorious Nazi Germany. More depressing,the other half of the Eastern Hemisphere is ruled by a Russian tyranny. Perhaps the worst thought is that one realizes that all the hate and bullying and utter disregard for humanity presented here is replicated in scores of countries today - constant fear, secret police, informers, torture chambers, relentless efforts by the State to force agreement even when all know it's a lie.... What was most convincing was not the cruelty or slavery or even the total thought control but the utter greyness, drabness and shabbiness. That kind of rundown degredation seemed so awful yet so real. I would've liked a 4 1/2 star rating. The missing half point was for two reasons: (1) The geopolitical aspects were scant. What about Japan, the USSR, India, etc? (2)The idea that despite their victory, every German would behave like a guard at a concentration camp is unrealistic - especially in light of widespread disattisfaction with living conditions. Few parents would let their children witness them degrading, beating and torturing someone, even in Naziland. Germany, like all such regimes, knew that kind of behaviour was uncivilized and sought desperately to hide it from the world. The best part was the tale of the underground, a daring and very realistic group of (mainly) Polish restistance fighters. How the two separate plots - the British slave and the underground - merge is a wonderful piece of plotting. The good guys are not squeaky clean; they are determined and realistic. The sci-fi aspect introduced at the end seemed almost perfect. This is a great read for a cold winter night
Rating:
Summary: great first book, but she needs an editor
Review: this is another installment in the series of books about what if hitler had won the second world war (deighton's ss-gb, robert harris' fatherland, for example). the battle continues, and is fought by the children of the original resistance fighters. the novel concept is well explored, the characters are intricately developed and the situations are plausibly drawn from the premier totalitarian society of the 20th century, the soviet union. well written, but a sharp penciled editor would have made the book less daunting and easier to carry on the airplane. read it, if you have the time for 1,150 pages.
Rating:
Summary: one of the best books i've ever read
Review: This is most definitely one of the best books I've ever read.
Suffice it to say, that despite the almost 1200 page length, I was definitely sorry when it ended. One can only hope that the author will be continuing the story in a sequel, as there are many things still left unresolved at the end.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best books I've ever read
Review: This is one of the best books I have ever read!! It portrays , with deep historical psychological , social and political insight, the terrible world that might have been created had Germany won WW II.
There are no more Jews in Europe. England , France and the rest of Euriope are parts of the New Reich, Race theories rule Europe, and the Reich;s economy is based on Zawngsarbeiter - Slave laborers, which are owned and tortured by the Masre race. Across the ocean , an isolationist America is quitely cutting deals with the new Fuehrer, who is secretly plotting his final victory. In this dark world, there is a glimmer of hope for a better future. But don't get me wrong. This is not an "alternative history" book. It is the immensely captivating story of a man, Peter Halifax. The complex character of Peter, a man who is weak and strong, symbol of freedom and a slave, kind and loving who does not hestitate to kill in cold blood, an atheist who is more religous than most of us. 1152 pages, every one of them is worth reading. But I want to warn you: this book contains one of the most horryfing scenes you will ever encounter - taken directly from the darkest chapters of the Holocaust. If you are sensitive to scenes of torture and racist brutality, don't read this book.
Rating:
Summary: Long, difficult, ultimately rewarding
Review: This is the first alternate history novel I have ever read, so I was not sure what to expect. One thing I did expect was a greater level of detail. I felt very frustrated at times, because I felt that the everyday things of Stroyars world were not very well fleshed out. What did people's clothes look like? What did the architecture look like? The cars? Although I did not really "see" this world, I sure as heck could feel what it was like to live in it. The details of Peter's torture and mistreatment drew me in, especially his enslavement in the German household. It was almost too much at times, but I don't remember the last book that has given me such a viscereal reaction. It was a little too lengthy, and the characters spent a little too much time thinking, talking, thinking about their feelings, talking about their thoughts etc... Nevertheless, i thought the characters were engaging, and the premise has lots of potential. I am looking forward to seeing this story continue in the sequel, hopefully at a faster pace than the original.
Rating:
Summary: Not what I was looking for.
Review: Too long, too repetitive, and too little plot wrap-up. You'd think with a book of this length there would be more of a finality to the end. In good conscience, I could not reccomend buying this book.
Rating:
Summary: Recent Newcomer To Alternative History
Review: What can I say about Children's War. Deeply moving, involved is not an appropriate word, but its all that I can think of, maybe involved times 10. Simply a wonderful book. Its been a long time since I cared about a character in a novel and I deeply cared for Peter he became a part of my life for the better part of a month. I was lent the book by a friend along with The Plot Against America, and In the Presence of Mine Enemies, needless to say I was not overly impressed with either of those, I have read Alt. History but pick and choose what I read. 1901, and Fatherland have been about the best I've read up till Children's War. I was a bit intimidated upon first being lent the book, but once I started I loved it. I would recommend picking up this book, though the paperback might be a better choice the hardback can become a little uncomfortable at times, and reading it becomes a physical task as well as mental.
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