Behind Yesterday: Love, Intrigue and Espionage in a Time of War

Thomas Watson is a history professor in 1998 with a broad knowledge of WWII. Mysteriously, he finds himself back in 1940 during the Battle of Britain, with no recall of his previous life but full knowledge of the historical events unfolding before him on the streets of England. Armed with his depth of knowledge and intricate understanding of the war, he is very aware Winston Churchill is facing a dwindling air force and a war cabinet pushing him to surrender for peace. Churchill is faced with a massive decision on which rests the fate of his island nation and Western civilization. Thomas knows what history will write of the debate. However, he also knows that it was a vigorous discussion ending with a close decision and Thomas can't be sure that, without his input, a different result might emerge. Thomas is determined to convince Churchill he must resist surrendering at all costs without revealing his unique situation. In his modern life, Thomas has no memory of his failed search for a love that always seemed beyond his reach. In his new life in London, he discovers being married to a woman he doesn't know, a woman named Margaret Hatcher. A member of a wealthy family with ties to Churchill's government, Margaret is a woman ahead of her time, strong-willed, highborn, and determined to live her own life outside her mother's society. Thomas is quickly taken with the beautiful Margaret, quickly falling in love with her as she falls newly in love with her husband and the two proceed down a path of espionage and intrigue, facing danger in their quest to save England. Mrs. Somerville, a chipper elderly neighbor suffering through her second world war, is also taken with Margaret and becomes a key player in their efforts. Yuri Ivanovich Stakova is a charming Russian spy charged with investigating Margaret and the Hatcher family for secrets concerning a sophisticated coding machine called Enigma. A simple patriotic man, Yuri loves his country although he is not pleased with Stalin's oppressive government. Alan Turing is a mathematician working at the secretive Bletchley Park on a machine to break the Enigma code. With Thomas's knowledge of the future (he is very familiar with Turing's work), he is able to provide insight into solving a major problem important to Turing finally breaking Enigma's code. Viktor Grigoryevich Krivitsky is a rogue NKVD (KGB) agent with high Communist party connections secretly charged with cleaning up London's Moscow station before the coming invasion. He pursues his targets relentlessly through the streets of London, searching for a personal victory he can present to the party back home. These and other characters find their lives intertwined, eventually coming together in an unexpected and exciting conclusion to one of the most important events of the twentieth century. Author Richard Taylor presents the reader with a thoroughly researched story articulated in a manner that brings the reader visually and emotionally into a fascinating time and place. It's a compelling work proving that, indeed, in the time behind yesterday, history is being made every day.