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Journal Entry 1 by jawin from Launceston, Tasmania Australia on Sunday, December 31, 2006
 Fry explores the question that we all sometimes wonder: how would the last century have turned out if Hitler hadn't been born? The sci-fi techniques involved in achieving that aim are a somewhat unlikely, but somehow it's credible that Cambridge dons are bright enough to achieve the impossible. The altered world that Fry portrays is entirely realistic.
I won't give away any details but it is a fascinating example of how totally unlikely the real world is. The chances of the world ending up as it is today are tiny, and random events such as the birth of Hitler were absolutely necessary for the modern world to be moulded as it is. Most young Britons alive today are only in existence because of the Second World War. Without it, and the subsequent 'baby boom' generation, there would be no Amazon.co.uk, possibly even no Internet. A whole different population would have been born into a different world, and morals, prejudices, and thinking would all be changed.
The only thing this book ignores (which it has to for dramatic reasons) is that the hero wouldn't actually exist without Hitler, and that when he 'makes history' he would really be 'unmaking' himself, but that wouldn't be much of a story, so full marks to Stephen Fry for creating a convincing and enjoyable narrative that overcomes these drawbacks.
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Journal Entry 2 by caldron from Brisbane, Queensland Australia on Sunday, January 07, 2007
gratefully received, thank you. sounds very interesting!
~ time flows ~
I can second jawin's original commentary; an enjoyable read (providing you employ the standard 'suspension of disbelief' vis-a-vis time-travelling conundrums mentioned) told in Fry's usual style.
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Making History
