Making History

Product Information

Sometime later, I made a documentary about mental health breakdowns [ Stephen Fry: The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive, 2006]. BookPage is a recommendation guide for readers, highlighting the best new books across all genres as chosen by our editors. As one half of the Fry and Laurie double act with his comedy partner, Hugh Laurie, he has appeared in A Bit of Fry and Laurie and Jeeves and Wooster.

The heart-wrenching truth and circumstances surrounding the darkest period of human history and just the very idea of rewriting life as we know it, already gave a plethora of moments where I had to keep the book aside to digest the narrative.It was written really well, but not something I would have engaged with if it had been by any other author. The United States develops nuclear weapons in 1941, leading to a Cold War between Nazi Europe and the United States. And, yet, despite the sensitive subjects that Fry brought up, there is an overarching tone of hope for humankind, even if the book focuses on the balance between the good and the bad that comes with every action. Would recommend this as it is intriguing and thought provoking (perhaps a bit more signage, colour or posters out the front would help the unfamiliar to Edinburgh tourist find it.

Steve corrects Michael and reveals that, while never hearing of Hitler, he is all too aware of the Nazi Party.I think Fry was wanting a lighter tone to the novel (he achieved that), but I do not think it met my preference.