Dominion

By: C. J. Sansom

Narrated by: Daniel Weyman

Length: 20 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's summary

At once a vivid, haunting reimagining of 1950s Britain, a gripping, humane spy thriller and a poignant love story, with Dominion C. J. Sansom once again asserts himself as the master of the historical novel.

1952. Twelve years have passed since Churchill lost to the appeasers and Britain surrendered to Nazi Germany after Dunkirk. As the long German war against Russia rages on in the east, the British people find themselves under dark authoritarian rule: the press, radio and television are controlled; the streets patrolled by violent auxiliary police and British Jews face ever greater constraints. There are terrible rumours too about what is happening in the basement of the German Embassy at Senate House.

Defiance, though, is growing. In Britain, Winston Churchill's Resistance organization is increasingly a thorn in the government's side. And in a Birmingham mental hospital an incarcerated scientist, Frank Muncaster, may hold a secret that could change the balance of the world struggle for ever.

Civil Servant David Fitzgerald, secretly acting as a spy for the Resistance, is given the mission to rescue his old friend Frank and get him out of the country. Before long he, together with a disparate group of Resistance activists, will find themselves fugitives in the midst of London's Great Smog; as David's wife Sarah finds herself drawn into a world more terrifying than she ever could have imagined. And hard on their heels is Gestapo Sturmbannfuhrer Gunther Hoth, brilliant, implacable hunter of men . . .

'An absorbing, thoughtful, spy-politico thriller set in the fog-ridden London of 1952 . . . Part adventure, part espionage, all encompassed by terrific atmosphere and a well-argued “it might have been”. – The Times

2014, International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, Long-listed

2013, CrimeFest eDunnit Award, Short-listed

©2012 C. J. Samson (P)2012 Macmillan Digital Audio

Critic reviews

"An absorbing, thoughtful, spy-politico thriller set in the fog-ridden London of 1952. Not, however, the year as it is usually remembered . . . What if, in 1940, Lord Halifax became prime minister instead of Churchill? Part adventure, part espionage, all encompassed by terrific atmosphere." ( Marcel Berlins, The Times)

Believable and well researched

What about Daniel Weyman’s performance did you like?

Sonorific voice that suited the main character

Any additional comments?

In May 1940 the meeting between Halifax Chamberlain and Churchill really did have a slightly surprising outcome - Churchill formed the government - despite the King and much of the Conservative party favouring Halifax - this what if book looks at what would have happened if the meeting had gone the other way.My real life great uncle (a member of the war cabinet) is killed in this book!

Worth a listen

What made the experience of listening to Dominion the most enjoyable?

Good scene setting and thoughtful character development. Good fictional account of an alternative ending to the second World War.

Oh do get on!

This ‘what if’ story of Nazi occupied Britain is beautifully read with a brilliant Churchill voice. Sadly historians don’t necessarily make good novelists. The leaden pace; the endless talking; the lack of excitement and bloody irritating middle class agonising ruined the experience. Samson’s ‘Winter in Madrid’ suffered from the same weaknesses. A firm editor could have cut the fat and shaped a better novel. I was reminded of pedestrian nineteenth century writers. If you’ve got the flu and are going nowhere then maybe this is for you; if you want pace and suspense with deep atmosphere go fo ‘SS GB’ by Len Deighton: a far better book.

Alternate history, accurate profanity

Alternate WWII history. Lots of references to New Zealand in this book. The story started out rather interesting, though I ended up skipping and jumping ahead through the book trying to avoid some of the less-than extras which detracted from the enjoyment for me. So I skipped to the last chapter - snort n grin - which I think must the worst run of profanity in it.
Sansom includes lots of lengthy conversations in this book – some which didn’t really need to feature (David’s SIL and her husband). The prologue was a less than tie up of the story.
Adult content with lots of profanity (hard to skip over on an audio) F-bombs and the c-word, which is also used in reference to a prostitute. Meh!