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Hitler's Time Machine
“This war will never end as long as both sides have time machines,” Barbara warned, “because one side will always be able to travel back and checkmate the other.” To Adolf Hitler, the device called Die Glocke, or The Bell, is the wonder weapon that will win World War II for Nazi Germany, enabling the Reich to dominate the world. Others see the time machine differently, among them Franklin D. Roosevelt and Heinrich Himmler. This dramatic story of the race to develop a time machine on both sides is the first novel by Robert F. Dorr, a non-fiction author of popular history books like "Mission to Berlin" and "Fighting Hitler's Jets." In Dorr's first fiction, the top American scientist is a young woman who has never held a job, and the top Nazi scientist is an SS madman in Hitler's inner circle. The outcome of the war may be decided by a commando raid in the tradition of "The Guns of Navarone." Or maybe not.
302 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 13, 2014
4 people are currently reading
98 people want to read
About the author
Robert F. Dorr
82 books41 followersAuthor of "HITLER'S TIME MACHINE."
Author (1955- ); Air Force veteran (1957-60); retired Foreign Service officer (1964-89).
Author of about 75 books on the Air Force and on military history and operations.
Author of the weekly "Back Talk" column in Air Force Times newspaper, the monthly "Washington Watch" column in Aerospace America magazine; the monthly "Front Line" column in Combat Aircraft magazine; the monthly "Washington News" column in Air International magazine; the "The Way It Was" photo feature in Warbirds magazine; the "History Mystery" feature in Air Power History magazine, and other stuff.
I live in Virginia with spouse and Labrador retriever, have grown sons, new iMac. "HITLER'S TIME MACHINE" was published in December 2014
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 28, 2022
Not my cup of tea. Moving on.
April 11, 2016
BOB DORR's "HITLER'S TIME MACHINE"
After six decades of writing military aviation non-fiction, my friend and fellow USAF veteran Robert F. "Bob" Dorr has finally written and published his first novel, and it's a doozie. A thrilling combination of sci-fi, military history, and action-adventure that keeps the pages turning.
The storyline skillfully mingles both real-life historical figures (Hitler, Himmler, Dr. Hans Kammler, Col. von Stauffenberg, FDR, Henry L. Stimson) with fictitious ones (protagonist Barbara Stafford, Capt. Weldon "Don't Call Me Weldon!" Trent, Runyon, the nefarious Dr. Quiller, Major Dieter Schaub). In the case of Dr. Barbara Stafford, the author gives us a female protagonist who's intellectually gifted with scientific genius in an era (long before Women's Lib, "Girl Power," etc.) where such women weren't generally well-accepted or encouraged by prevailing societal attitudes (real-world exceptions to the rule like Dr. Marie Curie and Rear Admiral Grace Hopper notwithstanding).
Bob Dorr also gives some fascinating insights into the psyches of the likes of Hitler, Himmler, and Kammler.
RANDOM NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS:
--p. 14: Haha, BCGs (Birth Control Glasses)! We were still using that acronym when I was in the military from 1999-2006.
--p. 20: Typo; "as an [sic] gentle authority figure"
--p. 104: redundancy in re-describing both Runyan's physical features and personality
--p. 121: I wonder what motivated a megalomaniac Dr. Morley to marry such a relatively mundane woman like Porcia in the first place?
--p. 127: Haha, Charlie Chaplin in "The Little Dictator."
--p. 133: "'You ever tried to fire anybody who works for the government,' the technician continued, with a laugh." Haha, apparently as true back then as it is today!
--p. 166: Typo, "quickl;y" [sic]
--Multiple different pages: fascinating insights into the personality and psyche of Heinrich Himmler
--p. 173: Typo "shrinking violent" [sic]
--p. 188: "'She's too skinny and too mean.'" LOL!
--p. 193: I love a woman with a dirty mouth! :-)
--pp. 197-198: (WARNING: SPOILER ALERT) "'Fucking Weldon'" an intentional double-entendre on the author's part? LOL. The banter between Capt. Trent and Barbara provides some welcome comic relief.
--p. 200: The WWII German military's dislike for the SS; akin to the Soviet military's dislike for the KGB?
--p. 234: The Beltway!
--p. 273: William L. Shirer!
After six decades of writing military aviation non-fiction, my friend and fellow USAF veteran Robert F. "Bob" Dorr has finally written and published his first novel, and it's a doozie. A thrilling combination of sci-fi, military history, and action-adventure that keeps the pages turning.
The storyline skillfully mingles both real-life historical figures (Hitler, Himmler, Dr. Hans Kammler, Col. von Stauffenberg, FDR, Henry L. Stimson) with fictitious ones (protagonist Barbara Stafford, Capt. Weldon "Don't Call Me Weldon!" Trent, Runyon, the nefarious Dr. Quiller, Major Dieter Schaub). In the case of Dr. Barbara Stafford, the author gives us a female protagonist who's intellectually gifted with scientific genius in an era (long before Women's Lib, "Girl Power," etc.) where such women weren't generally well-accepted or encouraged by prevailing societal attitudes (real-world exceptions to the rule like Dr. Marie Curie and Rear Admiral Grace Hopper notwithstanding).
Bob Dorr also gives some fascinating insights into the psyches of the likes of Hitler, Himmler, and Kammler.
RANDOM NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS:
--p. 14: Haha, BCGs (Birth Control Glasses)! We were still using that acronym when I was in the military from 1999-2006.
--p. 20: Typo; "as an [sic] gentle authority figure"
--p. 104: redundancy in re-describing both Runyan's physical features and personality
--p. 121: I wonder what motivated a megalomaniac Dr. Morley to marry such a relatively mundane woman like Porcia in the first place?
--p. 127: Haha, Charlie Chaplin in "The Little Dictator."
--p. 133: "'You ever tried to fire anybody who works for the government,' the technician continued, with a laugh." Haha, apparently as true back then as it is today!
--p. 166: Typo, "quickl;y" [sic]
--Multiple different pages: fascinating insights into the personality and psyche of Heinrich Himmler
--p. 173: Typo "shrinking violent" [sic]
--p. 188: "'She's too skinny and too mean.'" LOL!
--p. 193: I love a woman with a dirty mouth! :-)
--pp. 197-198: (WARNING: SPOILER ALERT) "'Fucking Weldon'" an intentional double-entendre on the author's part? LOL. The banter between Capt. Trent and Barbara provides some welcome comic relief.
--p. 200: The WWII German military's dislike for the SS; akin to the Soviet military's dislike for the KGB?
--p. 234: The Beltway!
--p. 273: William L. Shirer!
November 24, 2015
The short version first . . .
What if . . . ? Have you ever asked a question that started this way, what if . . .? If you are like most of us, you probably have, and some of us ask questions that start with “what if . . . “ often, if not daily. So why are we so interested in speculation, in asking what if . . .? Did you ever wonder why we speculate? Are we dissatisfied with the world the way it is? Did this ever happen before? Could it happen again? What if?
One author, Robert F. Dorr asks this question and provides some intriguing answers in his first novel, Hitler's Time Machine. Mr. Dorr Is an accomplished non-fiction writer with several books already published which are devoted to aviation history and the impacts of aviation upon history and warfare. Our shared appreciation of aviation and of speculation drew me to this first novel by an already accomplished author.
The topic is technology exploitation in time of conflict, the basis of how human conflict can give rise to leaps of insight, experimentation, and military applications of new and different technologies. In this specific case, the use of time travel to change the course of a global war against dictatorial, fanatic rulers bent on world domination to the greater “glory” of a “Master Race.” The situation pits both sides of the conflict against each other, on a scale that has implications for almost anywhen as well as virtually anywhere. The inclusion of historical figures involved with the book’s fictional characters lends a degree of timeliness and an expansion of the mythos about World War II and the Nazi Wunderwaffe (Wonder Weapons). While die Glöcke and Hans Kammler appear to be historically accurate figures, their location in Sicily lends an air of daring to things and people that usually are found in norther Germany rather than a place along the main invasion routes of Operational Husky, the invasion of Sicily.
The story is told clearly and with attention payed closely in all areas. Enough of the characters and technology they used provided a realism to the fiction that made the story that much more believable. Mr. Dorr ’s understanding of World War II weapons, technology, and figures was also in clear evidence throughout, lending additional veracity to the story, thereby adding to its believability and making the speculative aspects less mythical and more real. His writing style is punchy and crisp, with good attention to details in the action sequences as well as keeping things moving along. His use of short chapters added to the pace and the buildup of tension in the story leading the multi-tiered plot to several climatic events all clustered around the actual invasion process and how things would play out. Interestingly enough, the main characters, particularly Hans Kammler, actually wound up with a clear cut case of following history to a “T” since he was never located after the war.
Recommendations? Definitely a 5 out of 5 stars for me. The history and the fiction dovetailed beautifully together, with each complementing the other. The seamless interplay between the two aspects was a welcomed addition, making this book one of the better time travel stories I have ever read including my top three: the award-winning The Time Ships by Stephen Baxter , 11-22-63 by Stephen King, and The Time Machine by H. G. Wells . I think I need to add a strong number four to my list.
Review of Robert F. Dorr's Hitler's Time Machine by Richard Buro is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Based on a work at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23844557-hitler-s-time-machine.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at robert.f.dorr@cox.net.
What if . . . ? Have you ever asked a question that started this way, what if . . .? If you are like most of us, you probably have, and some of us ask questions that start with “what if . . . “ often, if not daily. So why are we so interested in speculation, in asking what if . . .? Did you ever wonder why we speculate? Are we dissatisfied with the world the way it is? Did this ever happen before? Could it happen again? What if?
One author, Robert F. Dorr asks this question and provides some intriguing answers in his first novel, Hitler's Time Machine. Mr. Dorr Is an accomplished non-fiction writer with several books already published which are devoted to aviation history and the impacts of aviation upon history and warfare. Our shared appreciation of aviation and of speculation drew me to this first novel by an already accomplished author.
The topic is technology exploitation in time of conflict, the basis of how human conflict can give rise to leaps of insight, experimentation, and military applications of new and different technologies. In this specific case, the use of time travel to change the course of a global war against dictatorial, fanatic rulers bent on world domination to the greater “glory” of a “Master Race.” The situation pits both sides of the conflict against each other, on a scale that has implications for almost anywhen as well as virtually anywhere. The inclusion of historical figures involved with the book’s fictional characters lends a degree of timeliness and an expansion of the mythos about World War II and the Nazi Wunderwaffe (Wonder Weapons). While die Glöcke and Hans Kammler appear to be historically accurate figures, their location in Sicily lends an air of daring to things and people that usually are found in norther Germany rather than a place along the main invasion routes of Operational Husky, the invasion of Sicily.
The story is told clearly and with attention payed closely in all areas. Enough of the characters and technology they used provided a realism to the fiction that made the story that much more believable. Mr. Dorr ’s understanding of World War II weapons, technology, and figures was also in clear evidence throughout, lending additional veracity to the story, thereby adding to its believability and making the speculative aspects less mythical and more real. His writing style is punchy and crisp, with good attention to details in the action sequences as well as keeping things moving along. His use of short chapters added to the pace and the buildup of tension in the story leading the multi-tiered plot to several climatic events all clustered around the actual invasion process and how things would play out. Interestingly enough, the main characters, particularly Hans Kammler, actually wound up with a clear cut case of following history to a “T” since he was never located after the war.
Recommendations? Definitely a 5 out of 5 stars for me. The history and the fiction dovetailed beautifully together, with each complementing the other. The seamless interplay between the two aspects was a welcomed addition, making this book one of the better time travel stories I have ever read including my top three: the award-winning The Time Ships by Stephen Baxter , 11-22-63 by Stephen King, and The Time Machine by H. G. Wells . I think I need to add a strong number four to my list.
Review of Robert F. Dorr's Hitler's Time Machine by Richard Buro is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Based on a work at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23844557-hitler-s-time-machine.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at robert.f.dorr@cox.net.
April 4, 2020
Good read
I stayed with the book and it was interesting. I liked the characters. It’s been a pretty good pandemic read.
I stayed with the book and it was interesting. I liked the characters. It’s been a pretty good pandemic read.
May 9, 2016
Hitler's Time Machine by Robert F. Dorr (2015, a Robert F. Dorr Publication)
Robert F. Dorr is an Air Force vet, retired senior Foreign Service officer, and an author who's widely known in the aviation community.
Last year he began venturing into counter-historical science fiction with the self-published "Hitler's Time Machine," a mash-up of actual World War II history with pulp. The premise is that two teams of the world's top physicists, one in Hitler's Germany and one in FDR's America, are developing time machines in order to win the war. Unfortunately the characters are lifeless and the plot development is at a comic-book level. It's more about the body count than crisis, climax, and conclusion.
The novel combines actual history with science-fiction overtones the way steampunk does--but it lacks the punk attitude that steampunk demands. Its historical passages don't bring history to life, and the science fiction elements aren't very original, either. There are times when the manuscript doesn't even appear to have been adequately spellchecked, let alone edited or copy-edited.
Since Hitler's Time Machine, Dorr has written a murder mystery, Crime Scene: Fairfax County, featuring two characters who survived the body count in his first novel. You'd think such a careful historian--who's experienced so much in government and the military--would know there were no blondes in Congress in 1947.
Dorr has 58 non-fiction books listed on the Barnes & Noble site but "Hitler's Time Machine" is not one of them. It is available on the amazon.com site, however.
Robert F. Dorr is an Air Force vet, retired senior Foreign Service officer, and an author who's widely known in the aviation community.
Last year he began venturing into counter-historical science fiction with the self-published "Hitler's Time Machine," a mash-up of actual World War II history with pulp. The premise is that two teams of the world's top physicists, one in Hitler's Germany and one in FDR's America, are developing time machines in order to win the war. Unfortunately the characters are lifeless and the plot development is at a comic-book level. It's more about the body count than crisis, climax, and conclusion.
The novel combines actual history with science-fiction overtones the way steampunk does--but it lacks the punk attitude that steampunk demands. Its historical passages don't bring history to life, and the science fiction elements aren't very original, either. There are times when the manuscript doesn't even appear to have been adequately spellchecked, let alone edited or copy-edited.
Since Hitler's Time Machine, Dorr has written a murder mystery, Crime Scene: Fairfax County, featuring two characters who survived the body count in his first novel. You'd think such a careful historian--who's experienced so much in government and the military--would know there were no blondes in Congress in 1947.
Dorr has 58 non-fiction books listed on the Barnes & Noble site but "Hitler's Time Machine" is not one of them. It is available on the amazon.com site, however.
January 24, 2016
This is a "wow" book, if you love either military history, adventure, or time travel novels than you are sure to enjoy this. Mind you, I am not so much into military history but I am a sucker for good time travel adventures and this was hands down the best that I have read. Stephen King's 11-23-63 is very good, and that book turned me onto King's favorite time travel novel - The Lincoln Hunter's, which was my favorite as well...until now.
Dorr excellently crafts a story that moves from the opening. As the plot took me in I was introduced to character after character and I wanted to continuing following them. This was a hard to put down book. Add to that, the author's expertise on all things associated with WWII, specifically Hilter's Germany, peppered this with so much realism and depth that even a reader who does not like "war stories" was simultaneously informed and entertained.
I love adventure that takes me away, and this did. The conclusion was both surprising and satisfactory and left me smiling. I highly recommend this.
Dorr excellently crafts a story that moves from the opening. As the plot took me in I was introduced to character after character and I wanted to continuing following them. This was a hard to put down book. Add to that, the author's expertise on all things associated with WWII, specifically Hilter's Germany, peppered this with so much realism and depth that even a reader who does not like "war stories" was simultaneously informed and entertained.
I love adventure that takes me away, and this did. The conclusion was both surprising and satisfactory and left me smiling. I highly recommend this.
December 26, 2014
I'm on part five of Dorr's new story and I'm loving it! It's so dense with characterization, yet easy enough for my feeble mind to understand. Mr. Dorr is known for his non-fiction work, but he is more than a natural fiction writer....his story is better than ALL the fiction I've read in the past year. This is really a fun read. Vic
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews