In 1912, a young, aimless Adolf Hitler arrives in Liverpool to stay with his half-brother, setting off a series of domestic and social disasters. Adolf struggles to integrate into his brother Alois's household, hampered by his own profound laziness, social ineptitude, and a penchant for paranoid delusions. The narrative follows his failed attempts at employment and his inability to navigate the mundane realities of English life, all while his brother attempts to launch a business venture. The story utilizes a third-person perspective to highlight the stark contrast between the historical figure's later notoriety and his pathetic, bumbling reality during this brief, obscure period of his life.

This novel is widely regarded as a bold exercise in historical subversion that uses dark humor to strip away the mythos surrounding its subject. Critics often highlight the author's ability to render a terrifying historical figure as a mundane, irritating, and ultimately absurd presence within a domestic setting. The narrative style is noted for its dry wit and its refusal to grant the protagonist any sense of grandeur or menace. Readers generally appreciate the ingenuity of the premise, which effectively transforms a historical footnote into a sharp commentary on the banality of evil.