Author:	Harry Harrison
Copyright:	1972
Date Reviewed:	8/2/86
Rating:	7.0

Synopsis: In this alternate history novel, the American colonies never succeeded in winning their independence from England which is still the world power. In this version of history, George Washington was a traitor to the crown and was hanged for his treachery. Many generations later, Captain Augustus Washington would like nothing more than to clear the Washington name. Washington is i charge of the English half of the Transatlantic Tunnel. Over the objections of Sir Isambard, the tunnels conceiver, Washington is sent to the Americas to .lead that end of the project thus replacing a man reporting directly to Sir Isambard. Since Washington is a capable engineer and an American besides, the move has many political advantages. Washington is engaged to Isambard's daughter, Iris, but because this is a time of honor, she must forgo her love of Washington for her duty to her father.

On his way to America aboard a huge airship, Gus Washington is kidnapped and almost killed by two assailants. It soon becomes clear that someone doesn't want the tunnel completed. Washington escapes but in doing so kills one of his would be assassins. That guilt will always be with him. Washington is of course very successful in is job in America and his section of the continental shelf tunnel, three times longer than the English section, is completed in the same amount of time. The improvement in time is due to a radically new construction technique. Instead of digging the tunnel at a rate of a few yards a day, preformed tunnel sections are put in place on the ocean floor. This idea is in direct opposition to Sir Isambard's way of thinking causing more friction between the two.

The inaugural train run from England to the edge of the continental shelf, known simply as Point 200 is scheduled for 9:00 am. Washington must be on that train but once again foul play is in motion. Three of the four fuel tanks on the helicopter that will take him to the airstrip are found to be empty. The helicopter barely make it back to land. By now many hours have been lost. The only way to get to England in time is aboard a mail delivery rocketship. No human has ever ridden is one of these contraptions so the rocket must be refitted to human specification. The rocket successfully lands in England and Washington is raced to the train station and boards the train just as its about to pullout of the station.

At point 200 Washington reconcile with Sir Isambard just long enough to have a quick drink with Isis. Then comes the next confrontation. Washington wants to run the tunnel over the more treacherous direct route rather than a longer run over better territory. The big problem comes at the mile deep ravine. Isambard doesn't believe any bridge can be built over that section but Washington proposes a bridge with ballast that will be supported from the top rather than from the bottom as other bridges. He also suggests that a vacuum be created in the tunnel to provide less drag and more efficient transportation.

Since the beginning of the project, accidents with the mark of sabotage have occurred too frequently. The head of the project, Sir Winthrop, has hired out of his own pocket a Pickering agent to reveal the plot. The detective, Richard Tracy, contacts .Washington and warns him that no one else must learn about the investigation. One of Tracy's men has infiltrated the starter and will provide them with a means to do more damage. The damage will be done to equipment Washington selects --the old atomic submarine Nautilus. O'Toole, who has been brought into the plot .on Washington's side, pretends to take the crippled ship out into the middle of the ocean where it explodes. This success gives Tracy's man enough of an in with the organization that they lead him, Tracy and Washington directly to the local man in charge who also happens to be on the board of directors of the Transatlantic Tunnel Company.

The last piece to be fitted is the mile long bridge over the deep ravine. Everything is going fine when a small earthquake hits. Of course the bridge was designed to handle these but only when fully secured. It wasn't and a small submarine and her crew are lost. Only through Washington's ingenuity is the bridge controlled and the tunnel completed. Sir Isambard dies during the inaugural transatlantic run but at the very end he reconciles with Washington.

Review: "A Transatlantic Tunnel, Hurrah" was a somewhat interesting experience although I doubt it will be very memorable. It started by showing how gentlemanly this society is compared to our own. That was very effective if irritating at times. The novel is more like a collection of short stories all revolving around the same central character. Each chapter or two shows .Washington encountering and solving some problem. It was hard to feel for any of the other characters because they played such a small role and were very one dimensional. The author does a lot of character development on Washington but he is so perfect that I could not be very empathic for him either.

There were a few points in the novel were credibility was thrown out the window. The first rocket to carry a man could not be prepared in less that a day. This chapter trivialized the entire Mercury space program and could not easily be forgiven since it was written 10 years later. The submarine explosion was also in error. By know we should know that when nuclear reactors fail, they may melt down and rupture but they don't explode with the .force of an atomic bomb.