William Dietrich - a Retrospective

William Dietrich - a Retrospective

Harper Collins

Historical Fiction and Suspense

Reviewed by Gina


William Dietrich wrote several books before his fictional ICE REICH (ISBN 0-446-52339-9) (1998). Owen Hart hasn’t had a whole lot of flashy success in his life, mainly because he’s played it safe. Rather than fly into sure death in Antarctica, he tells his millionaire patron they need to wait. With flying in his blood he takes an odd delivery job in Alaska and on the way to his destination—actually after a crash landing where he’s lost his plane, he is tracked down by Otto Kohl with an interesting proposition. In the early days of Hitler’s regime, Otto is looking for a pilot who has flown in Antarctica. The only name that comes up is Owen. With nothing else to lose, Owen signs on and discovers there are many more things, dearer things, he can lose.

Mr. Dietrich came to my attention when I received a copy of Napoleon’s Pyramids. While not a fan of World War II stories, I am a fan of air craft and stories that take me places I’ve never been. ICE REICH caught my attention from the first page and began a reading adventure unlike any other I have taken. The author aptly brings to life the frozen wilds of Alaska and Antarctica along with the pomp of pre-war Germany and the devastation of the bombing. He also tells an enticing love story with an intriguing triangle. There were a few points with which I felt a tad bored, but they were short lived with the adventure that unfolded in the pages. Throughout the day, when I had to be doing something other than reading, I found myself wondering what the final outcome would be.



Our next adventure takes us to Australia of the future in GETTING BACK (ISBN 0-446-52457-3) 2000 Warner Books. Daniel Dyson is less than happy with life in the 22nd Century where lives are planned out from birth to death. He’s a corporate misfit looking for something, but he has no idea what. One day while out running he sees and pursues a woman named Raven. Raven comes into his life and raises even more questions about his life for him. Drawn to the mysterious and evasive woman, he signs on to Outback Adventure—a trek to discovery in Australia. What he finds when he gets there is a journey so far from what he expected that his whole life is turned upside down.

GETTING BACK was an interesting read. Most futuristics I’ve read take place into the farthest reaches of our galaxy. This one was unique because Daniel takes the reader to a time without civilization. A country devastated by plague, completely uninhabitable and perhaps one of the most ultimate betrayals one human can commit on another. I found the storyline intriguing and at the same time an easy read. I didn't feel a lot of emotion between the characters—no visceral responses from them and that, in turn, didn't evoke any emotion in me. Still, it was an interesting read.


Mr. Dietrich takes his readers back to Antarctica in DARK WINTER (ISBN 0-446-52675-4, Warner). Fed up with life in the oil business, Jed Lewis signs on for a job as a geologist in the South Pole. The last arrival for a “winter over”, the name for those who spend the six months of darkness on the frozen tundra at the bottom of the earth, he soon finds himself in the middle of murder and mayhem with Jed as the main suspect.

Despite the horrific events that unfold in DARK WINTER, Mr. Dietrich invites his readers into the spellbinding world of the polar ice cap. While most of us will never have the opportunity to travel to that pristine world, there is the vicarious opportunity to sample life at the pole through this book. The challenge of survival under the best of circumstances becomes a nail biter with the addition of a succession of murders, each more ghastly than the one before.



2004 was the debut of HADRIAN’S WALL (ISBN 0-06-056371-0 Harper Collins) a historical fiction set in Britain in 122 A.D. With intrigue, betrayal and a toe curling love story, HADRIAN’S WALL truly has something for everyone. Whether it be battles, politics, studies of human nature, sleuthing or a story of true love, HADRIAN’S WALL is an excellent choice for men and women, young and mature alike. Galba has spent his whole life on the wall. It is a part of him and just when he is to be awarded the highest honor Rome can bestow on him, another is given his place. He is disappointed, but pragmatic. He finds a way to take what he believes to be rightfully his. What Galba fails to consider is the barbarian, Arden and the commander’s wife, Valeria. Yet they too find themselves drawn into Galba’s web. This was one of those books I had a hard time putting down. There is non-stop action with enticing drama.


2005 introduced readers to SCOURGE OF GOD. SCOURGE OF GOD (ISBN 0-06-073499-X 2005) is a fictional account of Attila the Hun’s advance to Rome and how he was a turning point in bringing down the Roman Empire. More than that, Mr. Dietrich once again writes a book that will be enjoyed by men and women alike as well as being something older teens would enjoy. There is something for everyone in his books. In SCOURGE OF GOD, mild mannered intellectual Jonas Alabanda is given what he thinks will be the opportunity of a lifetime—he will journey with a Roman embassy to meet with Attila and sue for a mutual peace. Among the Huns traveling back to their home is a young warrior of Jonas’ age, Skilla. Skilla boasts to him of the woman waiting for his return and how he will wed her. Through talk and competition, Jonas and Skilla become enemies and ultimately friends yet their cultures drive them to a final resolution neither expects. When they arrive in the Hunnish camp, Jonas sees the woman Skilla spoke of and wishes her for his own, so begins a love triangle that is churned into the battle for Rome.