By Steven D. Laib, A book with an interesting premise, but also with historical problems There is a genre of books that is often very popular that may be loosely called “what if” books. Of books in this genre the era of World War II is often an enticing subject. A world in turmoil is a great setting for unexpected events and when unseen possibilities become potential reality they can make for a great story. This is exactly what John T. Cox has set out to do in Hitler’s Ashes; a story premised on the possibility that the plot to kill Hitler succeeds and also eliminates his top Nazi associates leaving Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg, as the Chancellor of a German nation still at war and determined to win. Cox’s story centers largely on a fictitious army officer named Reinhardt who assists with the successful assassination and then becomes a central figure in the success of the new government as it attempts to deal with England and the US on one side and Russia on the other. Cox’s characters come up with a plan that is well thought out, and might have been successful if the circumstances were much more different from reality. His suggestion for a successful campaign to conquer Soviet Russia shows that he precisely understands the problems presented by such a venture. It is an area he might have spent more time discussing, but which he unfortunately neglects in favor of pressing his story on to a conclusion and a brief discussion of a different post WWII era and some details of the lives of the central characters. Thus, while Cox has an idea that presents interesting possibilities he fails to develop them sufficiently to make a really good story. Source: Intlluctualcle Conservative, Image: flickr.com
