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Fatherland

Fatherland by Robert Harris
``What if Hitler had won the war?’’


I remember when this book was published back during the bleak early 1990s. I remember looking at it in WH Smiths, and reading the reviews. I remember reading the odd column by Harris. I remember getting the book out of the Library. The original cover with the Nazi Flag, and the EU’s banner next to each other on a flag pole.
I even saw the film. I rented it in University.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109779/
I have gone on to read more Alternate History. Since than I have come to find Nazi alternate history’s boring. At the time, I have to confess I was a bit disappointed by the book.
The book is not  really for alternate History aficionado's, but for the general reader. Hitler manages to win the war, by better general ship, and some luck.  What we deal with here is the aftermath. A generation after the war. The Beatles are playing in Hamburg. There is a Kennedy in the Whitehouse.
Its a generation afterwards for me. When I read this book, I was in university. Or perhaps before. I know I got it out of a library. Now, I am well, I flatter myself in the Prime of life. I picked up the book, at a railway station. Part of a buy one, get one free offer.
One of the things, that have happened to me, since I had read this book, was that I have been to Germany, not once but several times. In fact I have been to Berlin. I recognise the city here. Though it is dressed in strange and fearful clothing. I recognise the grey  tenement blocks, like Glasgow. I remember the cold.
The bitter cold, the rivers
 
I have even toured the remains of the Reich ministries. The strength of this book, is its description of ordinary people.  In this case Germans, in an extra ordinary world. So March,  veteran with a failed marriage, becoming more lonely and isolated as he gets older. His son, sitting in earnest youthful judgement.  March’s partner,  trying to get by and a little better. Toasting every bier, with the little things that make him most proud to be Germans Good sausages, Good Bier and Good engines. It must drive March Mad. The Fraulien who sits knitting and see’s everything. The empty apartments. The coffee. The Hotels that did a good a breakfast. Romanians, working in all night pharmacies. ( Something that actually came to pass)
There is there difference. Adolf Hitler, at 75, preparing for Detente with Joe Kennedy. The Slav, worker at the Airport who had his tongue cut out. Herman Goering Airport, The endless war, with the Soviet Union. 20 Million settlers wishing they could go home The book was written just after the fall of the wall. One does get a sense, that it is a National socialist revolution in Germany.  One interesting fact, is that the Nazi’s have private security firms protecting them. This struck me as odd in a fascist state. Why would you challenge the monopoly of force? I am not sure how the UK was defeated. Some of the reference works, that Harris used. I am familiar with, in one scene March reads Signal to his son
A glimpse of a world, like our own. But very different, but a world, where people show up for work, and go home. A world of bribes, and family squabbles. A world where  people complaining about Doctorates being more important than experience as they shove electrodes into peoples genitals. A world where the leader of the Free World, is Joe Kennedy. Where Mad Men, represent the German ambassador.  A  world I caught a glimpse of  as a teen, in a book, I learned to appreciate as a man

Roses are red

 

Coya’s mother has also been unwell My Inca princess looks after her mother, spending her national day in the Hospital

The sport of Kings

Take Pride, riding in purple,  it won 5 dollars!

Who reads my blog in Washington DC?

Who reads my blog in Washington DC?
Are you looking for news of Valya?

Sorry to be blunt. If your a casual reader here, thanks for dropping by

The Olympics

The quietest day I can remember at work for a long time. The sport has chased the readers away

I enjoyed the opening ceremony to the London Olympics. Here are a few of my highlights

Kenneth Brannagh, as Isobard Kingdom Brunel, was  quite appropiate when one recalls Ulster's industrial past. Nice to see a horse drawn bus. A pair of Horse drawn buses. Very London, I cannot remember the last time I saw one and than two turn up at once!


Its odd, that Ireland is represented by Danny Boy but Scotland by Flower of Scotland, which is actually a ``rebel'' song of sorts.

The Bond, and Bean Cameo's were great. I am not especially a fan of Mr Bean, however Atkison, earns his money. My only regret was Amy and the Doctor did not make an appearance. I did see Faulty Towers... and Monty Python.

Hungrary had the prettiest female atheltes.  With a honourable mention going to Austria,

I was suprised Mexico, were cheered so loudly. No disrespect but they are a long way from Home, but good luck to the ladies and gentlemen, from Mexico.  Ed

The 7/7 tribute was well done. As was appearence of Noreen Lawerence. What self cricitism, humility did Bejing display?  I remember Muhammed Ali opening the Atlanta games. On a meaner note. I remember thinking Unlucky ya .... when the french athletes came into the stadium. Edna Kenny stood up to welcome the Irish.

I could feel, the fireworks, from my room, the ground shook, as a series of trains headed north towards the stadium.

An Olympic wish

As the Olympic torch lights the flame tomorrow, at the opening day of the London Olympic. Please God, don’t let David Beckham be the last person to hold the flame.  Really. He does not deserve it. He is not a bad man, he is a very good sportsman and a better businessman. However there are better Manchester united players, both playing and living. Sir Bobby Charton a World Cup, and European Cup winner. A pity the late great George Best did not live to see the day, but please not Mr Beckham

Mary Tamm

Mary Tamm

(22 March 1950 – 26 July 2012)

Actress Mother, and blogger

``Romana'' 

qantu

The national flower, of Peru.

For want of a nail

An attack of pleurisy my father suffered from, aside. I would be South African today

``The blig is called Leer and a dreemer''

Killmeagain

http://www.killmeagain.com/

A friend is involved in this project. Please take a moment to view the link.
I thank you for your time

Boots

I had an interview today. I wore my lucky boots. They are from Peru. They were a gift from my beloved.

Grabbers trailer

Filmed in Donegal and Northern Ireland. A horror film with an Irish twist

The beauty of Peru

From one beauty of Peru, to another. Get well soon dear xxx.
This is from the wonderful site of Machu Picchu, near Cusco in Peru.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machu_Picchu

Forgotten presents

Forgotten presents...

These were found, under a desk in an abandoned area of work

Locked out

Its Friday the 13th, and I have locked myself out. I must wait in my parents front room until my brother brings me my spare set of keys. On top of that, the internet guy has not arrived, to update my computer
I am out of milk. I missed out on getting a haircut. I need to make an appointment with the optician to get my glasses fixed. Oh, I had to clean my brothers desk. I can't take my medicine, its locked in, as well as ride my bike. Grrrrrrr

Post card from Holland

A lovely postcard from Holland

This is a genuine Library ticket

Look at the name of the user, and the book,

Commuter cat

A cat by the railway, and a shameless attempt to get hits

Iceland

fjögur ár. Þakka guði. Þakka þér guð. Ég er hamingjusamur. Ég missti af strætó

My childhood trauma

The other day, I was in the garden of my parents house, and my father, told me, he killed a dinosaur. He used to do this often. It was very upsetting. He did not do similar to my sisters, who dreamed of ponies and doggies, just to me. My father also had a moustache ala Tom Selleck in the 1980s.

You can see....

Quote of the week

“The performance of the Government since last Friday has been so brazen it would make John Terry blush.”

Good luck, Andy Murray.

Well, I notice that my blog is on its 1745th post, an omen for Mr Murray today?

Good luck Andy Murray.

Andy Murray, is a Scottish tennis player competing for the men's singles prize at Wimbledon

(In other news, I have updated the pages, on my blog, the roll of honour, film reviews, and TV thoughts and FAQ)

The Wolf triumphs

The Wolf, is the Queen of the beasts, it is victorious over the Tiger, see how it weeps, the dragon is forlorn, and the cornflower, and granniog mourn

My cup brimming over

I got this as a baptismal present, when I was a boy. As a child I was extremely proud of it. I was convinced it was gold. Its probably pewter, or brass. I used to make a point of, showing it to my siblings and cousins. My sister once even borrowed it for a school play, when she was playing one of the Tudors. So it has appeared on stage

Andy Griffith

Andy Griffith

June 1, 1926 – July 3, 2012

Musican, Actor, Father, English Teacher,

Alumni of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

``Matlock'' ``Sheriff Andy Taylor''

Deep Space Nine, alternate plotline

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Search_(Star_Trek:_Deep_Space_Nine)

Spoilers

The big reveal at the end of the the two episodes of the search, is that Odo's people are the founders.
Now lets play another hand. Instead of Odo being revived, make it Doctor Bashir,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Bashir,_I_Presume%3F_(DS9_episode)
Julian Bashir, is an augmented Human, not unlike
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khan_Noonien_Singh

Now instead, of the Female, founder, Julian is brought before the great Khan.
The founders, are human, well more than Human. They are the descendents of Khan, and his people
Some who escaped, and made it to the Gamma quandrant, by luck or design. Remember, they are smarter, there lives are longer. The Khan-ites finding their way to the Gamma Quadrant, perhaps a meeting with one of the phropets, explaining their hostility to Sisko in the pilot.

The Khan-ites ( Augmented Humans, bred the Jem Hadar, and the Vorta, to use as cats paws and to do their fighting for them, and why not? Why risk Khan blood. They had carved an empire out of the Gamma quadrant, oh about 100 years ago. Genetically created life forms, can be created by someone else

Now, they find, themselves in contact with Earth again.

You can still do the stories with the founders infiltrating Earth. It also changes, the politics, the Humans,who are dominating the federation are now treated with wariness, how can the romulans be sure, the two Human factions are not unified?

Where does this leave Odo? I don't know. Possibly I was going to have the Khan-ites, kill him off. I like Odo and DS9 would have lost his charcter, and the acting of
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ren%C3%A9_Auberjonois_(actor) That would have been a loss. However, it would have also, hit the viewer hard. That was the point, Odo, killed, or even taken hostage, and used for Khan-ite, research would have given the crew of DS9 something to motivate them, or a potential conflict between the Bajorians and the Federation.  The person, with the dual loyalities, is Bashir, the augment. The Khanites, recognise his potential, they offer him, a place.

They can save the Alpha Quadrant from the Borg