Book Log 2009 #21: Hitler's Peace by Philip Kerr

Set in 1943 and with the outcome of World War II clear despite the continued fighting, the major actors are trying to best sort out how to broker peace. For the Allies, the upcoming Tehran conference will try to settle the question of allowing a negotiated peace, which FDR and Stalin would consider, or an unconditional surrender, which is the only thing that Churchill will take. On the German side, both Hitler and Himmler are seeking peace separately, adding internal intrigue to the mix.


Into this setting comes Willard Mayer, a Harvard-educated OSS officer whose past links with both the Germans and the Soviets aren't widely known, but give him some insight into both sides. Tabbed by FDR to go to Tehran, Mayer's intro to diplomacy is sidetracked by a potential plot against the conference, one that seems to have supporters in the US delegation.

I liked this book quite a bit, both for its interesting twist on actual WWII events and for the almost effortless way Kerr creates the appropriate atmosphere for the times, places and people. Prior to this work he did write a trilogy set in wartime Berlin, so his abilities here shouldn't be a huge surprise. Recommended, especially as an alternative history book that would appeal to folks not necessarily into that genre.