Munich: A novel

What if you could change history? What would you risk to stop evil? In 1938, Europe is staring into the abyss. The machinations of the Nazis have everyone on edge. The Nazis are looking to claim more living space or Lebensraum. Czechoslovakia is the country Hitler and his minions have their eye on. The Czechs are looking to allies, such as Great Britain, to stave off this theft. War looks imminent if the Germans are impeded. Hugh Legat is a diplomat in the Prime Minister’s office, where his worries are twofold: war and a crumbling marriage. He is hoping to get closer to Neville Chamberlain, the current PM, and influence his opinion. Paul von Hartmann works in the German Foreign Ministry and has ideas of his own. A plot is being hatched to depose Hitler in a coup, and Von Hartmann is central to this plot. A meeting is planned between Chamberlain and Hitler to discuss the annexation of Czechoslovakia, but neither side knows the relationship between Legat and von Hartmann. What are they planning? Can their plans be successful?

Munich is the latest in the excellent oeuvre of Robert Harris. The dialogue is brimming with intrigue and covert action. The outcome may be known in reality, but the alternate history knows no limits. Harris has proven beyond capable of taking the reader to the edge with each offering. An excellent, smart read!