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It is 1952, the twelfth year of a fragile peace with Hitler's Germany. Following Dunkirk, where tens of thousands of British troops were killed and many more captured, Churchill was obliged to resign and Halifax – always inclined towards appeasement – replaced him and negotiated a peace which allowed Britain to keep her Empire. For reasons that are not made entirely clear, Cole Burton, an ex-soldier, is hired by a mysterious stranger to assassinate a high ranking SS general in the German Congo. There is also no initial explanation given for precisely why he agrees to get involved other than hints that the general was guilty of something quite unforgivable. THE AFRIKA REICH describes the efforts made by Burton and his hired mercenaries to carry out their task. Needless to say, things go wrong. Very much a Boys Own hero, Burton seems to have limitless energy, even though he rarely manages to eat or sleep. He can survive any number of beatings up and appears completely impervious to bullets. There is also something a little vieux jeu about a hero who ran away as a young man to join the French Foreign Legion. Unfortunately, the characters are all one-dimensional stereotypes and there is little or no serious attempt at constructing a credible plot. None of this is surprising because, whilst the 'what if?' device employed to good effect in Robert Harris' FATHERLAND was a legitimate attempt to envisage how a German victory might have changed history, in this novel it appears to be simply an excuse for a bunch of mercenaries to romp around central Africa killing and being killed in fairly horrific ways. And when the reason for Burton having been asked to carry out the assassination in the first place is finally disclosed, it too is totally unbelievable. The temptation, after reading a few pages, to check how many were still to be endured was almost irresistible. § Arnold Taylor is a retired Examinations Board Officer, amateur writer and even more amateur bridge player.
Reviewed by Arnold Taylor, June 2011
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