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The Berkut Hardcover – July 12, 1987
- Print length489 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherRandom House
- Publication dateJuly 12, 1987
- ISBN-100394560884
- ISBN-13978-0394560885
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Product details
- Publisher : Random House; First Edition (July 12, 1987)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 489 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0394560884
- ISBN-13 : 978-0394560885
- Item Weight : 4 ounces
- Best Sellers Rank: #663,419 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #3,748 in Espionage Thrillers (Books)
- #35,298 in American Literature (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

Born in Rhinebeck, New York. Grew up as Air Force brat. 1961 graduate of Rudyard High School in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Michigan State graduate, BA-Journalism, 1965. USAF, 1965-1970. Graduate studies in English Literature at Western Michigan University in mid-1970s. Former adjunct professor of professional writing at Western Michigan University. Author, cartoonist, painter, poet, photographer, fisherman, hiker, Heywood spends up to a month a year in trucks on patrol with Michigan conservation officers to gather information for the Woods Cop mystery series. The experience helps make the stories authentic. Almost everything in the series has happened to a CO somewhere in the state. His blog, rich in colorful and interesting photographs, is "Joe-Roads," on his web-site, www.josephheywood.com.
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book a fantastic read with an excellent, original story about the Third Reich. They also say the book is historically well researched and thrilling. Readers also appreciate the great characters. Opinions differ on the writing quality, with some finding it well written and plausible, while others say it's unimaginative and sloppy.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the plot riveting, believable, and fun for history buffs. They also appreciate the interesting analogy of unknown facts and detailed writing. Customers also say the book is an alternate view of history and spooky.
"...It is to be sure speculative but what is presented is historically accurate and It provides an alternative ending for Hitler's demise...." Read more
"...The suspense is nearly continuous, and you find yourself holding your breath in hopes that the Germans escape, while at the same time hoping that..." Read more
"Pretty good story. It starts out a bit tepid but picks up the pace pretty quickly...." Read more
"...This is not a mindless action novel, it’s great storytelling with excellent character development. Thoughtfully crafted down to the minor details...." Read more
Customers find the book a fantastic read with great characters and story.
"...this book is a fantastic read, the character development of the Germans and Russians is amazing and the ending is simply mind blowing...." Read more
"...It's a good book to engross yourself in as the plot introduces many players who all add another layer...." Read more
"...The plotting of the story is addictive and masterful." Read more
"This is a great read. A wild twist at the end of WW 2. A must read!" Read more
Customers find the characters in the book great.
"...It is historically well researched and the psychological character studies of Both Hitler and Stalin are compelling...." Read more
"...not a mindless action novel, it’s great storytelling with excellent character development. Thoughtfully crafted down to the minor details...." Read more
"...Heywood does a masterful job of creating characters you can identify with and understand, even sympathize with...." Read more
"...Loved characters and story. The details of Nazis Germany and the escape was tense. Thanks Joseph!" Read more
Customers find the mood thrilling and happy.
"...from the middle decades of the 20th Century, the Berkut is a thrilling, spooky, sometimes very disturbing novel based on the "what if" concept that..." Read more
"...This is really a thriller and thoroughly enjoyable." Read more
"Very entertaining. I have read all of his books except the one after this one. Which I will read next." Read more
"Very Happy, this is my second Copy..." Read more
Customers have mixed opinions about the writing quality of the book. Some find it well-written, thoughtfully crafted, and worth the time to read. The author paints vivid, realistic pictures of wartime Germany. However, some readers find the writing unimaginative, sloppy, and full of typos.
"...The author paints vivid, realistic pictures of wartime Germany, and the actions, methods, and philosophies of each of the participants are..." Read more
"...The writing style is somewhat casual. Straight to the point leaves little to the imagination. The strength of the book is the plot...." Read more
"...Thoughtfully crafted down to the minor details. The plotting of the story is addictive and masterful." Read more
"...Detailed, thrilling and meticulously written, it's one of those books that keeps you on the edge to its very conclusion." Read more
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Top reviews
Top reviews from the United States
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In this book, the author tells of an alternative in which Hitler escapes the bunker alive and is spirited away by some of his top operatives. He is taken from Berlin under the noses of the Russians and makes his way across the countryside into the Harz mountains, and eventually out of Germany. At the end of the book, which spans a period of more than a decade, he finally dies, but not in the manner commonly believed.
The book focuses on three sets of characters. First, there is Hitler and his contingent of Nazi operatives. Second is a highly competent Russian special forces cell led by a man called Petrov. This group relentlessly pursues the Germans in an attempt to capture Hitler in order to satisfy Josef Stalin’s demand for revenge. The word ‘Berkut’ apparently means ‘wolf’ in Russian, and is the nickname given to Petrov by Stalin. Interestingly, Hitler’s nickname is also ‘Wolf’, (remember the Wolf’s Lair, Hitler’s mountain retreat?) and it takes some time to actually figure out who the Berkut of this story really is. Finally, there is the lone representative from America, an officer of the OSS who has an extreme dedication to his job.
The narrative rotates among these three groups as the book progresses. The book is so well written that you come to be familiar with all the cast members, and most of them are very deeply developed. You see the war and what it means to its various participants, and you learn that each group has a different perspective. You even gain insight into the character of Hitler, as this book portrays him as a person rather than simply packaging him as the screaming fanatic everyone remembers. Because of the way the author brings you close to all the characters, you find yourself rooting for each group. The Russians occupy the most prominent position, and despite them commonly being portrayed as an enemy, you get to know them so well that you forget the common perception and actually come to know and like them. Oddly, the same holds true in some ways for the Nazis. Clearly they were the embodiment of evil, and this book makes no excuses for their heinous and criminal activities, but it does bring to light the fact that they were real, breathing, living, thinking, feeling people, regardless of their misconceptions. The main American, Beau Valentine, is a complex, highly competent guy who, contrary to the intelligence community party line, becomes wise to the adventures of the Russians and Germans, and does his best discover the truth. Unfortunately, as in actual history, the Americans are a little late to the game, and Valentine is not quite as successful as you hope for him to be.
The book sucks you in from the very beginning, and it truly is one that you get lost in and find hard to put down. There is of course plenty of war-related and secret agent action. The suspense is nearly continuous, and you find yourself holding your breath in hopes that the Germans escape, while at the same time hoping that the Russians and the American are successful in capturing them. The author paints vivid, realistic pictures of wartime Germany, and the actions, methods, and philosophies of each of the participants are portrayed quite accurately. In fact, the whole premise is believable, and you wonder whether something like this story actually took place. The end is graphic and unusually, if morbidly, satisfying.
I have only one gripe about this book, and it has nothing to do with the story or the author. In my Kindle edition, there are numerous glaring typographical errors. I get the impression that some sort of voice recognition was used to prepare the text, and there are many occasions where wrong words are substituted for the right ones. For instance, “Hitler” is frequently spelled “Hider”. There are numerous times when letters are misprinted and in some cases the readability is interrupted. A book of this quality deserves more attentive proofing.
This is the first book I have read by Joseph Heywood, and, because of the great experience with this one, I enthusiastically look forward to reading more of his stuff. This book is easily five stars.
The premise of the book is that, as Berlin fell, Hitler was rescued from the bunker by a German SOG Commando. Of the two bodies found inside the bunker, one was authentic and the other a double. Although the Russians don't know this for sure, they feel that Hitler would have had an escape plan. So starts the cat-and-mouse chase across Europe as the Russians seek to capture "Herr Wolf" before he escapes into Italy.
Mr. Heywood has done a nice job with this premise using historical documents, commonly held inaccuracies, assumptions and hypothesis. It's a good book to engross yourself in as the plot introduces many players who all add another layer. Interestingly Herr Wolf has the least impact on the story.
The writing style is somewhat casual. Straight to the point leaves little to the imagination. The strength of the book is the plot.
Towards the end of the book the chapters start to shorten as the pace picks up.
Enjoy the book, I did.
Top reviews from other countries
Ohne nun etwas von der Handlung vorwegzunehmen muss ich feststellen, dass dieser Roman ohne Frage flott und dynamisch geschrieben ist. Natürlich ist dies in erster Linie ein actionreicher Thriller, und mitunter drückt der Autor Heywood sehr auf die Tube - womit er aber auch dafür sorgt, dass dieser Roman keine wesentlichen Längen und eine Menge Wendungen hat.
Ich muss allerdings feststellen: auch wenn dieser Roman als flottes, dynamisches Entertainment gedacht ist bleibt THE BERKUT einfach im Gedächtnis - das Buch ist also definitiv mehr als irgendwie "trivial", sondern schlichtweg einprägsam und mit vielen bemerkenswerten Ideen ausgestattet. Ich las diesen Roman erstmals 2009 und nahm ihn mir nun in der hier rezensierten neuen Edition nochmals vor... und war überrascht, wie präsent der Roman dann doch noch war. Insofern ist dies einer der Romane, der einfach "das gewisse Etwas" hat.
Alles in allem: für Fans historischer Thriller und Freunden von "was wäre, wenn" Geschichten ein durchaus empfehlenswerter Thriller. Von mir gibts 4 Sterne mit Tendenz nach oben.