The Madagaskar Plan

The Madagaskar Plan is a 2015 alternate history novel set in a world where Nazi Germany and Britain made peace after Dunkirk. Instead of the Holocaust, the Nazi regime has deported five million European Jews to Madagascar as part of their colonial expansion across Africa. Burton Cole, returning from events in the previous novel The Afrika Reich, searches for his missing lover Madeleine. The story spans multiple locations including Britain, Nazi-controlled African territories, and Madagascar itself, where the exiled Jewish population struggles under colonial rule. The narrative unfolds against a backdrop of political tension, military conflict, and a race to develop weapons that could alter the balance of power. Key figures include Nazi governor Odilo Globočnik and the antagonist Hochburg, who faces mounting pressure from multiple fronts. This alternate history explores themes of power, colonialism, and the human cost of political ideologies while examining how small changes in historical events can lead to drastically different outcomes.

Readers consistently note this alternate history novel provides deep historical research but suffers from pacing issues. On Goodreads, reviewers highlight the attention to detail in imagining a Nazi-controlled Africa. Readers appreciated: - Historical accuracy and research - Complex geopolitical worldbuilding - Character development of both protagonists and antagonists Common criticisms: - Slow middle section with too many subplots - Confusing shifts between multiple viewpoint characters - Unresolved plot threads that seem setup for another sequel Average ratings: Goodreads: 3.7/5 (148 ratings) Amazon UK: 4.2/5 (92 ratings) Amazon US: 3.9/5 (46 ratings) Several reviewers mentioned struggling to keep track of the large cast of characters. One Goodreads review noted "meticulous research but gets bogged down in details." Amazon reviewers frequently compared it to other alternate history works like Fatherland and The Man in the High Castle.

Fatherland by Robert Harris In this alternate history thriller, a German detective investigates a murder in 1964 Berlin where the Nazis won World War II and control most of Europe.

The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick This novel explores a world where the Axis powers won World War II and divided the United States between Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan.

Dominion by C. J. Sansom Set in 1952 Britain as a Nazi puppet state, a civil servant becomes entangled in a resistance movement while protecting a scientist with dangerous knowledge.

SS-GB by Len Deighton A British detective works under Nazi occupation in 1941 London after Germany's successful invasion of England.

The Plot Against America by Philip Roth This alternate history follows a Jewish family in Newark as Charles Lindbergh wins the 1940 presidential election and leads America toward fascism.

🔹 The Madagascar Plan was a real Nazi proposal from 1940 to relocate European Jews to Madagascar, which was still a French colony at the time. 🔹 Author Guy Saville's novel is part of a series, following his previous alternate history work "The Afrika Reich" which established this reimagined world. 🔹 Madagascar, the setting for much of the novel, is the world's fourth-largest island and would have been completely inadequate to support the millions of people the Nazis planned to relocate there. 🔹 The book's timeline diverges from actual history at the Dunkirk evacuation of 1940, which in reality allowed over 338,000 Allied troops to escape from France. 🔹 During WWII, Madagascar itself was actually invaded by British forces in 1942 to prevent the island from falling into Japanese hands, making its real history quite different from the novel's premise.