Customer Reviews

The Holcroft Covenant

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

What would happen if in the final stages of WWII, high ranking Nazi officials who knew the 3rd Reich was about to collapse, made a bold move and set the wheels in motion to begin the 4th Reich...but not for a very long time... Sounds interesting, huh? It IS.

I read this book many years ago, and recently I began the joyful task of re-reading all of my favorite Ludlum novels, mostly because I was in a slump and couldn't find anything that grabbed my interest--but also because I remembered how much I truly enjoyed these books and was curious as to whether or not I would like them as much all these years later. One of my favorites was 'The Holcroft Covenant' and I have to admit, this one kept me on the edge of my sofa for several days as I absorbed this great conspiracy-theory book for the 2nd time.

Noel Holcroft is unwittingly a part of this global project, even though he despises everything the Nazi's stood for. He realizes over time that what is to be set in motion is farther reaching than he thought was even possible. How could it be that an organization as hated as the Nazi's rise again? The answer to WHO is supporting the rise of the 4th Reich is shocking to say the least--and for the reader, immensely entertaining.

Let me warn you right away, for those who are hoping for the usual Ludlum launch of action from beginning to end, this might come as a bit of a let-down. He sets the stage early on, but takes his time building to the climax (which is most satisfying). The tension grows gradually, and as the conspiracies grow and multiply, so does the action and suspense. Give it a shot, and DON'T give up too soon. I promise you that as the plot unfolds, you WILL be happy to took the journey. I echo the thoughts of another reviewer, as I read 'The Apocalypse Watch' I couldn't help but wonder whether or not it was a sequel of some kind to 'Covenant'--but not as good. It has been said that Ludlum's earliest work was his best, and I have to agree. Not much that has come off the presses in the 90's has been nearly as suspenseful as what he produced in the late 70's and 80's. TRUST me, if you can pick up his early work and end up NOT finishing it, you either have NO attention span, or you just dislike good fiction, 'cuz that is what Ludlum produces: GOOD FICTION (VERY good stuff indeed). 'The Holcroft Covenant' is a hum-dinger and really fun to boot. The ending really IS worth the journey.

I am hooked on Robert Ludlum's books. I gave up romance after I turned 20, moved on to murder mysteries (Ellery Queen genre), but I never experienced an author that could keep me awake until 3:00 in the morning, not only with one of his books--but with all of them!

I have read The Chancellor Manuscripts, all three of the series of the Bourne books, and just finished the Holcroft Covenant, which teases and hints at a sequel in the last few pages, and I'm crossing my fingers there is one (have to still check out his list of books).

The Holcroft Covenant deals with Nazi sympathizers and a Covenant that is allegedly going to help all those victims of the Holocaust approximately 30 years after the conclusion of the war. Mr. Holcraft, the son of one of Hitler's closest officers who supposedly committed suicide in the last days of the Reich, is given a letter, written by his father before his death, directing the son to find two other Nazi offspring, go to Geneva, and recover a multi-million dollar account that is dictated to be used to 'help' those victims of war crimes committed during the war.

The twist, as expected in any Ludlum novel, occurs about half-way through the book, from a direction the reader would never guess, and involves a woman (the hero always has to get his gal in Ludlum's novels--I love it!), and this right after he encounters an experience that forces him to run for his life, hide from those he loves, and cuts his communications off from any normal life that the hero would normally use if this was real life.

While Ludlum's books smack of a 'formula,' I absolutely love it--you know that something unusual is going to happen to the main character, he's going to be forced to give up his normal life to go out and 'save the world,' he'll use life-long aquaintances for help throughout the book (although about 85% end up in a morgue by the end of the story), there's lots of shooting of the bad guys, a damsel in distress who will initially hate the main character, then fall in love with him, and after everybody shoots at each other and more bad and good guys die, the hero either ends up being 'savior' of the world, or he ends up physically chopped to pieces, but survives to take on the bad guys again.

Don't try this plot at home--only Ludlum can add enough realistic and believable imagery to convince you of the reality of the story with his details of Europe, lovely descriptions of continental hotels, and travelogues throughout the storyline.

If you haven't tried a Ludlum novel, pick one up--any one, and enjoy an espionage thriller that only a master like Ludlum can write.

I've recently found that in all the Robert Ludlum books I've been reading, and in some cases re-reading after several years, that his early work is by far his best. If you're new to this author, this is a good starting point - and this plot was re-used in part for his later effort THE APOCALYPSE WATCH, also worth checking out. This riveting story which has almost come true concerns a vast fortune left in a Swiss bank account by Hitler's aides for the SONNENKINDER project, a plan to start a Fourth Reich and take over the world. Sounds familiar? One of the earlier inspirations for many more novels of this nature, including Clive Cussler's ATLANTIS FOUND in part! Noel Holcroft, one of the Sonnenkinder, must use every trick and desperate measure in the book(no pun intended) to get his hands on the fortune to prevent the Fourth Reich getting their way. Along the way, he finds that he cannot trust anybody he comes into contact with as his trail leads him to Brazil, Switzerland and England. As usual, Ludlum never fails to surprise the reader - who is really the professional assassin TINAMOU? The answer does not come until near the end, which is a surprise in itself! Overall, a very fine read!

I'm not much of a reader but a book on tape listener. This book I READ in 2 days. I couldn't put it down, EVER!! If your looking for action and excitement. A twisting turning mystery with a surprise ending, This is the book.

Although Ludlum is not one of my favorite authors, I simply could not get my eyes off the book. it was totally detailed, and not lacking in anything. The climax was what shocked me the most, and I liked the book for that.

Ludlum is my guilty pleasure that I hate to admit to. His work is not great literature, but wonderful fun vacation reading. Yes, the characters lack deep inner lives, but the action is non-stop and the plots often inovative.

With this work, Ludlum offers us up one of his favorite villians, Nazis, here trying to establish the Fourth Reich. Our protaganist goes through twists and turns while romping around the world, trying to understand the sinister web in which he has fallen. He does not know who to trust and neither do we. All we know is that the stakes are unimaginable.

Great Fun!

THE HOLCROFT COVENANT - 4 STARS

I never liked much espionage, spy books at all. I used to think that all of them were boring and too complicated. This changed when I read that book. THE HOLCROFT COVENANT has a very interesting plot that the reader is able to understand without much problems. I'm not saying here that the plot is not intricated. It really is! But Robert Ludlum does it so wonderfully that the reader goes on reading without notice if it's morning or night. He's the best spy book I've ever read, I say this without hesitation. Frederick Forsyth is another good author, but Robert Ludlum is much, so much better. I became addicted to Robert's books when I read that one. Now I love this kind of book to death and would really love to have more and more books by Mr. Ludlum on the following years, God willing. If you don't like much this genre, try this book and start to enjoy it. If you're already a fan of spy books, THE HOLCROFT COVENANT is a must-read, I assure you. Long writing life to Mr. Robert Ludlum! He's just the best on his craft! Try him and you won't be dissapointed.

I read Holcroft Covenant on a rainy weekend in a tent in a river valley. In a search to try and find a Ludlum as good as this I've read a stack Ludlum books about a metre and a half high. The rest of his books don't come near to this. I reccommend it highly.

You read stories every day in the business section about Nazi millions being discovered in a secret Swiss bank account. This takes place all over the world. This outstanding book tells about 700 million dollars being stored away in a Swiss bank account to start the Fourth Reich. This money is released by the signature of the children of Nazis who were taken out of the Nazi area aboard submarines. This is a truly spellbinding book that is hard to put down. Read this book and then watch the business section of your newspaper or the Wall Street Journal. You will know what I mean by realistic. It shows great writing by Robert Ludlum. Buy this book.

Named after its protagonist Noel Holcroft, "The Holcroft Covenant" is easily among Ludlum's top novels.

Holcroft is an American son of a high-ranking Nazi, who is shown the surprising document called "The Holcroft Covenant", to which he is the key. Under its stipulations which Noel must implement, second generation Jews are to receive the immense sum of $780 million from three high ranking and apparently repentant Germans including Noel's father, as an expression of regret for the atrocities of the Second World War. But this covenant is not quite what it seems, and soon Noel finds himself in the middle of the hostile operations of several competing groups: The Odessa - a pro-Nazi group; The Rache - a radical Jewish group aimed at taking revenge against the Germans; the Nachrichtendienst - another Jewish group with different aims; and the mysterious Wolfsschanznze - an old alliance of Germans which for some reason seems to be supporting Holcroft. And who is unleashing the final stage of the covert "Operation Sonnenkinder", which seeks to establish the Fourth Reich by channelling these funds to Nazi children which were hidden throughout the world at the end of the war?

The action is somewhat less than Ludlum's staple, but the overdose of suspense and intrigue more than makes up for it! It's still a fast-paced page-turner like Ludlum's other novels, because the suspense is second to none, with constant twists and turns as Noel struggles to survive and to unravel the twisted strands of events going on around him. Expect plenty of surprises! The Holcroft Covenant is another terrific Ludlum read! -GODLY GADFLY