I never quite know what I'll be getting when I read a book by Ben Elton. Like a curate's egg, they vary in quality and readability. I bought this e-book on a whim from a Kindle 99p sale. The blurb intrigued me and so I gambled the money on this being one of his better books.
The premise of having to go back in time to change the events to ensure a better future is one I guess we'd all like to do at some time in our life, even if it was for our own gratification. The Twentieth Century is an era that was full of war and conflict. One event related to the other. The Second World War wouldn't have happened without the first. Or would it...
I liked the characters in the book. Hugh Stanton was someone who was trying to do his best but was blindsided by someone who he trusted. The headfirst lunge across Europe to try to stop the start of World War One was frantic. As the book progressed, I wanted him to succeed, that was until you get to the final third and the big plot twist.
It was an interesting read, thought provoking indeed. As a time travel novel it worked very well.