What do you think?
Rate this book
The Holcroft Covenant
The Second World War is over. Three top Nazis have embezzled $780 million from Nazi funds - and then committed suicide. Their Covenant, to be inherited by their three eldest children, is to redistribute this vast wealth amongst the survivors of the Holocaust. Reparation must be made. Conventional Noel Holcroft is one of the inheritors and his mission is to find the other two 'children' and prove himself worthy of his task. But the Sonnenkinder, the Children of the Sun, are determined to gain control of the millions and establish a Nazi Fourth Reich. As Holcroft tries to carry out his destiny, he finds himself enmeshed in a bewildering, horrifying nightmare ...
547 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1978
351 people are currently reading
3329 people want to read
About the author
Robert Ludlum
630 books5,267 followersRobert Ludlum was the author of twenty-seven novels, each one a New York Times bestseller. There are more than 210 million of his books in print, and they have been translated into thirty-two languages. He is the author of The Scarlatti Inheritance, The Chancellor Manuscript, and the Jason Bourne series--The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy, and The Bourne Ultimatum--among others. Mr. Ludlum passed away in March, 2001. Ludlum also published books under the pseudonyms Jonathan Ryder and Michael Shepherd.
Some of Ludlum's novels have been made into films and mini-series, including The Osterman Weekend, The Holcroft Covenant, The Apocalypse Watch, The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum. A non-Ludlum book supposedly inspired by his unused notes, Covert One: The Hades Factor, has also been made into a mini-series. The Bourne movies, starring Matt Damon in the title role, have been commercially and critically successful (The Bourne Ultimatum won three Academy Awards in 2008), although the story lines depart significantly from the source material.
Some of Ludlum's novels have been made into films and mini-series, including The Osterman Weekend, The Holcroft Covenant, The Apocalypse Watch, The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum. A non-Ludlum book supposedly inspired by his unused notes, Covert One: The Hades Factor, has also been made into a mini-series. The Bourne movies, starring Matt Damon in the title role, have been commercially and critically successful (The Bourne Ultimatum won three Academy Awards in 2008), although the story lines depart significantly from the source material.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 251 reviews
October 13, 2014
The writing is horrible! (ever other sentence ends with an exclamation point!) The story is preposterous! And the magnitude of the conspiracy is entirely unbelievable! The characters are detestable! (Noel, the protagonist, is so dumb, naive, and ridiculously gullible that it's impossible to root for him).
The short of it: Nazis steal a large amount of $$ from the Third Reich as it is about to fall in order to start the Fourth Reich 30 years later. The protagonist is brought in and told he is instrumental to the release of this money - to victims. But he must be silent because if the authorities find out, the money will come under litigation. It does not even occur to the wonderful hero that perhaps this is best: for the money to come under litigation and for those who have a claim on it to exercise this claim. No...., it is much more "heroic" and "just" for HIM to decide how to distribute the money himself to the victims (obviously this is not the purpose of the money but from the first, "Noel" shows himself to be entirely without any mental capacity).
Awful. And the ways in which Ludlum tries to complicate the plot is just absolutely gratuitous. There's incest and beautiful women with large breasts, there's the ODESSA and the Rache, a kibbutz in Israel, and, really, the Fourth Riech is about to take over the world and NO ONE has any inkling of this?
The short of it: Nazis steal a large amount of $$ from the Third Reich as it is about to fall in order to start the Fourth Reich 30 years later. The protagonist is brought in and told he is instrumental to the release of this money - to victims. But he must be silent because if the authorities find out, the money will come under litigation. It does not even occur to the wonderful hero that perhaps this is best: for the money to come under litigation and for those who have a claim on it to exercise this claim. No...., it is much more "heroic" and "just" for HIM to decide how to distribute the money himself to the victims (obviously this is not the purpose of the money but from the first, "Noel" shows himself to be entirely without any mental capacity).
Awful. And the ways in which Ludlum tries to complicate the plot is just absolutely gratuitous. There's incest and beautiful women with large breasts, there's the ODESSA and the Rache, a kibbutz in Israel, and, really, the Fourth Riech is about to take over the world and NO ONE has any inkling of this?
March 16, 2012
Robert Ludlum does it again. This is my first non Bourne novel by the author and I think I may have enjoyed this even more than that series. It is certainly a close call. Ludlum has a real talent for creating complex plots while keeping the story at page turner speed. Plus, I am a sucker for stories dealing with Nazis as the villains so I was sold from the beginning.
June 13, 2014
There's a scene early in The Holcroft Covenant, where our hero, Noel Holcroft, returns home and finds every item in his apartment has been moved around. It provides a potent symbol of how his life is about to be totally transformed. However, the scene is an emblem of the book in that this good idea is soon lost amidst a muddle of counter-plots and clichéd suspense scenes, including characters getting killed just a few seconds before they can reveal something important to Noel.
The book has an interesting central idea - in the dying days of the war, three Nazis set aside some money they have embezzled from The Third Reich, supposedly to make restitutions, but in reality to finance a new Reich. However, this idea is submerged amidst a welter of secret groups and counter-plotting that makes the book a little hard to follow at times.
The book shares the fault with many thrillers that it is essentially nihilistic in tone. It may have its supposed values - Nazis are bad - but it doesn't really set anything good up in their place. It is a series of sadistic killings, incest and untrustworthy characters, with no place of safety for the reader to retreat to. Even the ending offers little comfort with the essential failure of our hero, and another more brutal round of intrigue about to kick off, with our hero still caught in the middle of it.
In that sense, it is best not to get too attached to any of the characters. Not that this is any great danger, as characterisation is fairly rudimentary. The leading Nazi is utterly ruthless and very blonde. He is at least highly-intelligent, as are some of his colleagues, and they are able to out-manoeuvre our heroes repeatedly.
The only appealing character is our hero, who Ludlum touchingly calls by his first name throughout. Noel is no unworldly simpleton, but he is at a huge disadvantage in this amoral world of intrigue, where he can be endlessly duped and threatened. In the circumstances, he does surprisingly well, though at the cost of some coarsening of his character.
I read the book, only because I had seen the film and it was famously awful. Curiously, I felt a little more respect for the film-makers after reading the book. Sure, they include entirely risible scenes and dialogue that Ludlum would have scorned. However, they do try hard to simplify the plot and combine characters and situations to make it more coherent.
In the end though, Ludlum is not a great writer, mainly renowned for writing endless books with clunky titles, usually The Something Something. His prose is less stodgy than many writers, and occasionally quite decent. However, this is not a great book by any stretch of the imagination.
The book has an interesting central idea - in the dying days of the war, three Nazis set aside some money they have embezzled from The Third Reich, supposedly to make restitutions, but in reality to finance a new Reich. However, this idea is submerged amidst a welter of secret groups and counter-plotting that makes the book a little hard to follow at times.
The book shares the fault with many thrillers that it is essentially nihilistic in tone. It may have its supposed values - Nazis are bad - but it doesn't really set anything good up in their place. It is a series of sadistic killings, incest and untrustworthy characters, with no place of safety for the reader to retreat to. Even the ending offers little comfort with the essential failure of our hero, and another more brutal round of intrigue about to kick off, with our hero still caught in the middle of it.
In that sense, it is best not to get too attached to any of the characters. Not that this is any great danger, as characterisation is fairly rudimentary. The leading Nazi is utterly ruthless and very blonde. He is at least highly-intelligent, as are some of his colleagues, and they are able to out-manoeuvre our heroes repeatedly.
The only appealing character is our hero, who Ludlum touchingly calls by his first name throughout. Noel is no unworldly simpleton, but he is at a huge disadvantage in this amoral world of intrigue, where he can be endlessly duped and threatened. In the circumstances, he does surprisingly well, though at the cost of some coarsening of his character.
I read the book, only because I had seen the film and it was famously awful. Curiously, I felt a little more respect for the film-makers after reading the book. Sure, they include entirely risible scenes and dialogue that Ludlum would have scorned. However, they do try hard to simplify the plot and combine characters and situations to make it more coherent.
In the end though, Ludlum is not a great writer, mainly renowned for writing endless books with clunky titles, usually The Something Something. His prose is less stodgy than many writers, and occasionally quite decent. However, this is not a great book by any stretch of the imagination.
October 11, 2018
به خوبی سه کتاب دیگه ای که از لادلوم خوندم نبود. پایانش رو اصلا دوست نداشتم. خیلی آبکی جمعش کرد. جزو کتابهای قدیمی این نویسنده هم بود.
October 21, 2025
Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid. No strike that, this book is beyond stupid. This is beyond a shadow of a doubt the stupidest book I have ever read.
In this book, set in the 1970s, Noel Holcroft is the son of one of the 3 Nazi officer who syphoned of $780 million dollars from the German Government in World War II. He and the children of the 2 other officers are instructed to "do good works" with the money 30 years after the end of the war.
The problem with the book is what do you do when that occurs? You go to the Government right? You go and say "My batsh*t crazy racist Nazi father set up this account, and something needs to be done about it." and "Okay he might have been more more normal near the end, but something needs to be done with this money." don't you? And if the 2 people instructed to help you refuse to help, you put the emphasis on them don't you?
Well not if you're the star of a Ludlum Thriller. In Ludlum Thrillers you try and take the efforts to do good works onto yourself, no matter how well prepared you are for the resulting steps you'll have to take. And that's why the book is stupid. The starting premise is dumb, and as a result the book careens from one degree of stupidity to another as the book progresses.
In this book, set in the 1970s, Noel Holcroft is the son of one of the 3 Nazi officer who syphoned of $780 million dollars from the German Government in World War II. He and the children of the 2 other officers are instructed to "do good works" with the money 30 years after the end of the war.
The problem with the book is what do you do when that occurs? You go to the Government right? You go and say "My batsh*t crazy racist Nazi father set up this account, and something needs to be done about it." and "Okay he might have been more more normal near the end, but something needs to be done with this money." don't you? And if the 2 people instructed to help you refuse to help, you put the emphasis on them don't you?
Well not if you're the star of a Ludlum Thriller. In Ludlum Thrillers you try and take the efforts to do good works onto yourself, no matter how well prepared you are for the resulting steps you'll have to take. And that's why the book is stupid. The starting premise is dumb, and as a result the book careens from one degree of stupidity to another as the book progresses.
September 16, 2015
This is classic Ludlum, the creator of Jason Bourne! I have no words to speak about this man other than he is my favorite author. He wrote over two dozen books, and the Holcroft Covenant is one of his best works. His plot structure derived from this novel, and he never wavered. And never lost the public's eye. Most of his books were made into movies (great ones too)! Holcroft is the consummate professional, the protagonist that leads this great book along. If you've never read the story, I highly recommend you add it to your library.
Have a nice day, and happy reading!
Have a nice day, and happy reading!
November 23, 2016
Scroll down for the English version.
Un’eredità maledetta
Sebbene si tratti dell’ennesima storia di un complotto nazista ambientato decenni dopo la fine del Nazismo, questo romanzo di Ludlum sa essere originale e intrigante. Il protagonista, Noel Holcroft, mi ha catturato da subito. È facile sentirsi legati a lui e preoccuparsi per lui nel rendersi conto di come si stia infilando nei guai. L’autore, infatti, mostra il dipanarsi della storia da vari punti di vista e il lettore è sempre un passo avanti rispetto ai personaggi, sia buoni che cattivi.
Anche in questo romanzo si ripropone lo schema vincente, già visto nella trilogia di Bourne, di un protagonista maschile fisicamente forte ma in difficoltà e di quello femminile che lo aiuta (e infine si innamorano).
Come unico aspetto negativo ho rilevato la presenza del solito cliché dei nazisti supermalvagi e folli, che compiono le peggiori nefandezze senza il minimo rimorso e che hanno dei seguaci disposti pure a uccidersi per la causa. Nello sviluppo di questo concetto sfugge quale sia la causa che perseguono, a parte la loro follia. Possibile che siano tutti folli? Ci potrà pure essere qualche folle, ma almeno qualcuno dovrebbe avere altre motivazioni, come la sopravvivenza (almeno) o un proprio tornaconto. Il lavaggio del cervello come unico motore delle azioni appiattisce irrimediabilmente i personaggi negativi, sminuendo di riflesso quelli positivi.
Per fortuna il romanzo termina con un finale aperto assolutamente imprevedibile che fa dimenticare tutti i cliché.
Altra nota positiva è la traduzione, sicuramente molto più curata e gradevole di quella dei libri su Bourne.
A cursed heritage
Although this is the umpteenth story of a Nazi conspiracy set decades after the end of Nazism, this novel by Ludlum knows how to be original and intriguing. The protagonist, Noel Holcroft, caught me immediately. It’s easy to feel connected to him and worry about him while realising how he is putting himself in trouble. The author, in fact, shows the unfolding of the story from different points of view and the reader is always one step ahead of the characters, both good and bad ones.
This novel shows again the winning scheme, already seen in the Bourne trilogy, of a male protagonist, who is physically strong but in difficulty, and a female one who helps him (and eventually they fall in love).
The only downside I found is the presence of the usual cliché of super-evil and crazy Nazis, who do the worst atrocities without the slightest remorse, and who also have followers willing to kill themselves for the cause. In developing this concept it escapes to me what’s the cause they are pursuing, apart from their folly. Is it possible that they are all crazy? There must be some crazy one, but at least someone should have other motives, such as survival (at least) or self-serving. Brainwashing as the sole engine of actions hopelessly flattens the negative characters, thus belittling the positive ones.
Fortunately, the novel ends with an absolutely unpredictable open ending that makes you forget all the clichés.
Un’eredità maledetta
Sebbene si tratti dell’ennesima storia di un complotto nazista ambientato decenni dopo la fine del Nazismo, questo romanzo di Ludlum sa essere originale e intrigante. Il protagonista, Noel Holcroft, mi ha catturato da subito. È facile sentirsi legati a lui e preoccuparsi per lui nel rendersi conto di come si stia infilando nei guai. L’autore, infatti, mostra il dipanarsi della storia da vari punti di vista e il lettore è sempre un passo avanti rispetto ai personaggi, sia buoni che cattivi.
Anche in questo romanzo si ripropone lo schema vincente, già visto nella trilogia di Bourne, di un protagonista maschile fisicamente forte ma in difficoltà e di quello femminile che lo aiuta (e infine si innamorano).
Come unico aspetto negativo ho rilevato la presenza del solito cliché dei nazisti supermalvagi e folli, che compiono le peggiori nefandezze senza il minimo rimorso e che hanno dei seguaci disposti pure a uccidersi per la causa. Nello sviluppo di questo concetto sfugge quale sia la causa che perseguono, a parte la loro follia. Possibile che siano tutti folli? Ci potrà pure essere qualche folle, ma almeno qualcuno dovrebbe avere altre motivazioni, come la sopravvivenza (almeno) o un proprio tornaconto. Il lavaggio del cervello come unico motore delle azioni appiattisce irrimediabilmente i personaggi negativi, sminuendo di riflesso quelli positivi.
Per fortuna il romanzo termina con un finale aperto assolutamente imprevedibile che fa dimenticare tutti i cliché.
Altra nota positiva è la traduzione, sicuramente molto più curata e gradevole di quella dei libri su Bourne.
A cursed heritage
Although this is the umpteenth story of a Nazi conspiracy set decades after the end of Nazism, this novel by Ludlum knows how to be original and intriguing. The protagonist, Noel Holcroft, caught me immediately. It’s easy to feel connected to him and worry about him while realising how he is putting himself in trouble. The author, in fact, shows the unfolding of the story from different points of view and the reader is always one step ahead of the characters, both good and bad ones.
This novel shows again the winning scheme, already seen in the Bourne trilogy, of a male protagonist, who is physically strong but in difficulty, and a female one who helps him (and eventually they fall in love).
The only downside I found is the presence of the usual cliché of super-evil and crazy Nazis, who do the worst atrocities without the slightest remorse, and who also have followers willing to kill themselves for the cause. In developing this concept it escapes to me what’s the cause they are pursuing, apart from their folly. Is it possible that they are all crazy? There must be some crazy one, but at least someone should have other motives, such as survival (at least) or self-serving. Brainwashing as the sole engine of actions hopelessly flattens the negative characters, thus belittling the positive ones.
Fortunately, the novel ends with an absolutely unpredictable open ending that makes you forget all the clichés.
May 2, 2017
Classic, old-school Robert Ludlum thriller about a sinister plot to financially resurrect the Fourth Reich, and how the protagonist and title character, Noel Holcroft, is an unwitting dupe for most of the storyline, as the villains, through an elaborate ruse, trick Holcroft into thinking that the monies are intended to "make amends" to the victims of the Nazis' atrocities.
Action-packed and suspenseful, though it gets almost as confusing for the reader as it does for the protagonist trying figure out who the real good guys and bad guys (and gals) are.
RANDOM STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS:
--p. 21: Um, yeah, good luck firing multiple shots from within an overcoat pocket without jamming it!
Haha, such a delightfully and dramatically gory description of a throat shot!
"....severing the arteries of the heart....a terrible scream was begun, cut off by death." Er, a knife thrust doesn't quite kill that abruptly and neatly, even if the heart is taken out.
--p. 38: Senior U.S. Customs officials did not hold the rank/title of "Captain."
--p. 39: Sheesh, the silenced revolver. Ludlum's (RIP) weak firearms knowledge showing through yet again.
--p. 53: Hmmmm, is it just me, or did Ludlum have a thing for killing of his characters via throat shots?
--p. 66: Ahem, you're not supposed to inhale cigars.
--p. 98: Just like Hollywood; a single pistol shot blowing out the back window.
--p. 144: "'The flight leaves in twelve minutes.' Five minutes later, Holcroft stood by the departure gate...." Aahh, the good ol' days, when you could still purchase airline at virtually the last minute.
--p. 148: "....the bazaar where the bizarre was for sale." Ha, nice wordplay.
--p. 154: Wouldn't a Frenchwoman be speaking in terms of kilometres instead of miles?
--p. 215: Budischowsky TP-70 Autoloading Pistol, eh? (UPDATE: Okay, upon further review, it's legit.)
--p. 314: Loch Torridon, the reference that got the author accused of violating the Official Secrets Act!
--p. 337: Ahem, hey Mr. Ludlum, a revolver has multiple chambers, not just one! Perhaps you meant the cylinder?
Action-packed and suspenseful, though it gets almost as confusing for the reader as it does for the protagonist trying figure out who the real good guys and bad guys (and gals) are.
RANDOM STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS:
--p. 21: Um, yeah, good luck firing multiple shots from within an overcoat pocket without jamming it!
Haha, such a delightfully and dramatically gory description of a throat shot!
"....severing the arteries of the heart....a terrible scream was begun, cut off by death." Er, a knife thrust doesn't quite kill that abruptly and neatly, even if the heart is taken out.
--p. 38: Senior U.S. Customs officials did not hold the rank/title of "Captain."
--p. 39: Sheesh, the silenced revolver. Ludlum's (RIP) weak firearms knowledge showing through yet again.
--p. 53: Hmmmm, is it just me, or did Ludlum have a thing for killing of his characters via throat shots?
--p. 66: Ahem, you're not supposed to inhale cigars.
--p. 98: Just like Hollywood; a single pistol shot blowing out the back window.
--p. 144: "'The flight leaves in twelve minutes.' Five minutes later, Holcroft stood by the departure gate...." Aahh, the good ol' days, when you could still purchase airline at virtually the last minute.
--p. 148: "....the bazaar where the bizarre was for sale." Ha, nice wordplay.
--p. 154: Wouldn't a Frenchwoman be speaking in terms of kilometres instead of miles?
--p. 215: Budischowsky TP-70 Autoloading Pistol, eh? (UPDATE: Okay, upon further review, it's legit.)
--p. 314: Loch Torridon, the reference that got the author accused of violating the Official Secrets Act!
--p. 337: Ahem, hey Mr. Ludlum, a revolver has multiple chambers, not just one! Perhaps you meant the cylinder?
March 22, 2010
WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What a great book by Ludlum. This book for me rates right up there with Bourne Identity and Supremacy. Covenant is a fantastic read.
At first I wanted to stop reading this novel and start reading something else. The beginning was very confusing and hard to follow. I found my mind wandering and wondering about others things rather than focused on what I was reading. I am very glad I stuck with it because from about page 250 and on its hard to put down.
You see you feel like you are on this journey with the main character. He knows very little about this mission he is on and as the reader you have no clue either. Who are his friends? Who are his enemies? Is everything really as it seems to be? These are the questions that the main character and yourself ask throughout the novel. Then the story picks up, and the mists clear. Little by little you begin to put the pieces together like the hero and what happened through the first couple hundred pages begins to make sense. Very intriguing how Ludlum wrote the novel in this style to make the reader feel and experience what the hero goes through.
Only one negative....you want more!! The ending of the novel is great, but you don't want it to end. You want to keep reading about Noel Holcroft and his experiences that must take place after the novel. Oh well, this is not so bad of a negative to have. Great job Robert Ludlum for giving spy and mystery lovers this masterpiece.
At first I wanted to stop reading this novel and start reading something else. The beginning was very confusing and hard to follow. I found my mind wandering and wondering about others things rather than focused on what I was reading. I am very glad I stuck with it because from about page 250 and on its hard to put down.
You see you feel like you are on this journey with the main character. He knows very little about this mission he is on and as the reader you have no clue either. Who are his friends? Who are his enemies? Is everything really as it seems to be? These are the questions that the main character and yourself ask throughout the novel. Then the story picks up, and the mists clear. Little by little you begin to put the pieces together like the hero and what happened through the first couple hundred pages begins to make sense. Very intriguing how Ludlum wrote the novel in this style to make the reader feel and experience what the hero goes through.
Only one negative....you want more!! The ending of the novel is great, but you don't want it to end. You want to keep reading about Noel Holcroft and his experiences that must take place after the novel. Oh well, this is not so bad of a negative to have. Great job Robert Ludlum for giving spy and mystery lovers this masterpiece.
April 6, 2018
The cover declares it a “#1 Bestseller” and a quote from the author of The Bourne Identity calls it “A compelling, frightening, hair-raising cliff-hanger.” I would like to name it boring. The Holcroft Covenant by Robert Ludlum seemed to be a very interesting novel based around the conspiracy that the Fourth Reich is waiting to be born. The back cover summary of the book makes it sound intriguing and almost a mystery as the bright red print boldly claims that the “only man who can stop [the birth of the Fourth Reich] is about to sign its birth certificate.” However it was much more dreary than the processed action and adventure. There were great scenes of high intensity, but they often seemed less interesting because of the amount of grey descriptions and bland dialogue surrounding them. The book, to me, was like a movie with actors who had never seen the script and were reading their lines off a TelePrompTer. It was dry and there was little to offset the dryness. The language used was exquisite, but often came across as turgid. Overall, I thought the idea was incredibly interesting, and I would still love to read other books by Ludlum, but the execution of the theory wasn’t as good as it could have been.
December 22, 2013
The Holcroft Covenant was the first Ludlum book I ever read, that being on its first publication in 1978. In many ways it laid the foundation for my lifelong interest in thrillers based around contemporary history. In this case: the Nazi Holocaust, the looting of Europe's tragically doomed, the complicity of Swiss bankers, and the insidious presence of the postwar "intelligence community" at every turn. As well, I was drawn to the protagonist, Noel Holcroft, who in spite of his position and status as a monied New York architect, was an "everyman" character, making his way wide-eyed on an increasingly perilous journey. Typically Ludlum, I was would discover becoming a fan, he weaves well-plotted adventure around meticulously researched history to satisfying effect. It chagrins those in search of a "light read", of course, but I was one of those students who actually looked forward to history classes.
August 30, 2017
The Holcroft Covenant is an electrifying, action packed & most entertaining thriller. In the final stages of WWII, three top Nazis officials who know the 3rd Reich have embezzled $780 million from Nazi funds. After thirty years this huge money is to be inherited by their three children & supposed to be distributed among the survivors of the Holocaust. But events happen differently & set the wheels in motion for resurrection of The Fourth Reich. Said to be Ludlum's finest work, the author builds & thickens the plot with each turn & keeps you guessing till the end.
One Negative ---- You have to read carefully from the very beginning as the names & aliases can be a bit difficult to follow.
SPLENDID.
One Negative ---- You have to read carefully from the very beginning as the names & aliases can be a bit difficult to follow.
SPLENDID.
January 15, 2023
I'm wondering if my IQ didnt suddenly start falling down. This is the second book that I found to be "needlessly" complex. Don't get me wrong, I liked the gambit pile-up and how the protagonist was in the dark, used as a pawn, but sometimes it felt as if the complexity wasn't there to enrich the plot but for its own sake. Maybe that is why the plot and characters didn't really feel that interesting. The ending, with all the masks falling and forces colliding was where the book really picked up the pace... only to be completely wasted by the truly atrocious epilogue. It seemed as if the author got bored with writing the book and decided to just drop the plot.
May 1, 2015
Lives of covert agents and those trying to stop them are so much different now than it was in the 70's when this was written and I was toddling around. Amazing the things you could and couldn't do prior to cell phones, computers, digital cameras, etc...
I think that is an added element of intrigue in reading an older thriller.
I've greatly enjoyed all the Ludlum novels I've read and there is no exception here. This is an exciting page turner, action packed, and it keeps you guessing til the end.
I think that is an added element of intrigue in reading an older thriller.
I've greatly enjoyed all the Ludlum novels I've read and there is no exception here. This is an exciting page turner, action packed, and it keeps you guessing til the end.
September 11, 2022
Robert Ludlum, overleden in 2001, is nog steeds een van de bekendste en best verkopende Amerikaanse auteurs. Hij was veertig jaar toen hij in 1971 debuteerde met het meteen succesvolle De Scarlatti erfenis en sindsdien heeft hij meer dan vijfentwintig boeken geschreven en onder zijn naam worden momenteel nog steeds thrillers uitgebracht. In 1978 verscheen Het Holcroft Pact, zijn tiende boek, dat in 1985 verfilmd is. Omdat al zijn werk internationaal georiënteerd is, reisde hij voor zijn research de hele wereld af.
Dertig jaar na de Tweede Wereldoorlog wordt architect Noel Holcroft benaderd door een Zwitserse bankier die hem een document overhandigt dat destijds door zijn biologische vader en twee andere kopstukken van de nazi is opgesteld. Aan hem nu de taak om de twee oudste kinderen van dit tweetal te vinden, waarna ze gedrieën het beheer krijgen over een Zwitserse bankrekening waarop een aanzienlijk tegoed staat. Dit bedrag mogen ze niet zelf houden, maar zal verdeeld moeten worden over de slachtoffers van het Derde Rijk. Dit lijkt eenvoudiger dan het is, want Holcroft krijgt te maken met een gewelddadige samenzwering.
In de proloog, die zich in maart 1945 afspeelt, is het duidelijk dat het einde de Tweede Wereldoorlog nabij is en dat het door hen beoogde Derde Rijk niet van de grond zal komen. Deze inleiding is tevens de opmaat voor wat zich in de rest van de plot, ruim dertig jaar later, voordoet. En dat is heel wat, want de soms wel wat naïeve Holcroft komt in situaties terecht die hij zich in zijn stoutste dromen niet had kunnen indenken. Dit levert een flink aantal onverwachte ontwikkelingen op, maar bij tijd en wijle zijn er ook allerlei wendingen, waaronder verrassende, die voor een flinke dosis spanning zorgen. Hoewel een groot deel van het verhaal zich in rustig vaarwater bevindt, is er zonder meer plaats ingeruimd voor actie. Het tempo van dergelijke scènes ligt dan meteen een stuk hoger.
Het uitgangspunt van het verhaal is zonder meer interessant te noemen, want wat er allemaal gebeurt was ten tijde van het uitbrengen van het boek – en zeker in de huidige tijd – niet eens zo heel erg ondenkbeeldig, ondanks dat sommige situaties wel wat overtrokken en onrealistisch zijn. Vanwege de complexiteit van de plot zal de lezer zijn aandacht wel bij het verhaal moeten houden, een kort moment van afleiding kan er namelijk al voor zorgen dat je de draad een beetje kwijt bent. De breedsprakigheid van de auteur is daar overigens eveneens een reden van, want doordat hij erg veel in detail treedt – ook waar het absoluut niet nodig is – komt hij niet meteen tot de essentie en doen zich regelmatig herhalingen voor.
Ludlum besteedt vrij veel aandacht aan de personages en over met name Holcroft komt de lezer ruim voldoende te weten. De goedgelovigheid van een aantal van hen, waaronder een functionaris van de Britse veiligheidsdienst MI5, doet de wenkbrauwen echter weleens fronsen. Natuurlijk is dit allemaal in het belang van het verhaal, maar het doet wel enigszins ongeloofwaardig aan. Voor enkele omstandigheden geldt trouwens hetzelfde, want die verlopen net iets te soepel. Het heeft er dan alle schijn van dat de auteur zich met dergelijke scènes niet te veel op de hals wilde halen. Dit gaat eveneens op voor het eind van het verhaal. Deze is deels bevredigend, deels onbevredigend. In ieder geval wekt dit slot de indruk dat Ludlum het voor dit boek wel genoeg vond, maar waardoor de indruk wordt gewekt dat de plot niet helemaal afgerond is. Maar afgezien van de paar kritische noten, is Het Holcroft Pact wel degelijk een interessante en intrigerende thriller.
Dertig jaar na de Tweede Wereldoorlog wordt architect Noel Holcroft benaderd door een Zwitserse bankier die hem een document overhandigt dat destijds door zijn biologische vader en twee andere kopstukken van de nazi is opgesteld. Aan hem nu de taak om de twee oudste kinderen van dit tweetal te vinden, waarna ze gedrieën het beheer krijgen over een Zwitserse bankrekening waarop een aanzienlijk tegoed staat. Dit bedrag mogen ze niet zelf houden, maar zal verdeeld moeten worden over de slachtoffers van het Derde Rijk. Dit lijkt eenvoudiger dan het is, want Holcroft krijgt te maken met een gewelddadige samenzwering.
In de proloog, die zich in maart 1945 afspeelt, is het duidelijk dat het einde de Tweede Wereldoorlog nabij is en dat het door hen beoogde Derde Rijk niet van de grond zal komen. Deze inleiding is tevens de opmaat voor wat zich in de rest van de plot, ruim dertig jaar later, voordoet. En dat is heel wat, want de soms wel wat naïeve Holcroft komt in situaties terecht die hij zich in zijn stoutste dromen niet had kunnen indenken. Dit levert een flink aantal onverwachte ontwikkelingen op, maar bij tijd en wijle zijn er ook allerlei wendingen, waaronder verrassende, die voor een flinke dosis spanning zorgen. Hoewel een groot deel van het verhaal zich in rustig vaarwater bevindt, is er zonder meer plaats ingeruimd voor actie. Het tempo van dergelijke scènes ligt dan meteen een stuk hoger.
Het uitgangspunt van het verhaal is zonder meer interessant te noemen, want wat er allemaal gebeurt was ten tijde van het uitbrengen van het boek – en zeker in de huidige tijd – niet eens zo heel erg ondenkbeeldig, ondanks dat sommige situaties wel wat overtrokken en onrealistisch zijn. Vanwege de complexiteit van de plot zal de lezer zijn aandacht wel bij het verhaal moeten houden, een kort moment van afleiding kan er namelijk al voor zorgen dat je de draad een beetje kwijt bent. De breedsprakigheid van de auteur is daar overigens eveneens een reden van, want doordat hij erg veel in detail treedt – ook waar het absoluut niet nodig is – komt hij niet meteen tot de essentie en doen zich regelmatig herhalingen voor.
Ludlum besteedt vrij veel aandacht aan de personages en over met name Holcroft komt de lezer ruim voldoende te weten. De goedgelovigheid van een aantal van hen, waaronder een functionaris van de Britse veiligheidsdienst MI5, doet de wenkbrauwen echter weleens fronsen. Natuurlijk is dit allemaal in het belang van het verhaal, maar het doet wel enigszins ongeloofwaardig aan. Voor enkele omstandigheden geldt trouwens hetzelfde, want die verlopen net iets te soepel. Het heeft er dan alle schijn van dat de auteur zich met dergelijke scènes niet te veel op de hals wilde halen. Dit gaat eveneens op voor het eind van het verhaal. Deze is deels bevredigend, deels onbevredigend. In ieder geval wekt dit slot de indruk dat Ludlum het voor dit boek wel genoeg vond, maar waardoor de indruk wordt gewekt dat de plot niet helemaal afgerond is. Maar afgezien van de paar kritische noten, is Het Holcroft Pact wel degelijk een interessante en intrigerende thriller.
January 16, 2021
The year is nineteen seventy something and Noel Holcroft, a New York City architect, is contacted by the Grande Banque de Geneve, concerning his father's will and testament. Noel, an American, is actually, the son of Heinrich Clausen, a dead Nazi High official. Noel was smuggled to the west along with his mother. According to the testament, Calusen and two of his high rank friends, after finding out about the Holocaust, funneled a vast fortune of money stollen from the third Reich into an account in Zurich. This money, amounting to hundreds of million U.S Dollars should be used by Noel and the descendants of the two other dead Nazi officials, to compensate Holocaust survivors and Holocaust victim's descendants.
The terms are clear, Noel Holcroft has to locate and contact the children of the two other Nazi officials and together form a group to distribute the funds and alleviate some of the pain of the Holocaust.
However, their are other players in the scene. The children of Projekt Sonnenkinder, the children of Germany's finest, Physically and psychologically, who were smuggled out and spread all over the world by U-boats and airplanes. These children (meanwhile grown up) were raised, provided for and trained as the seed for the Forth Reich and they have plans to use the money for their evil purpose of, and are willing to do anything, in order to restore Nazi Germany and conquer the world.
There are other equally nasty groups involved, who want to use the money for their purposes.
It is not clear to Noel how to find the other people and in addition, Noel does not know who to trust and who is secretly a member of a rival group. This leads to an action packed book full of espionage, counter espionage and allot of killing and betrayals.
The book is not bad, was an interesting read, but somehow felt very out dated to me.
The terms are clear, Noel Holcroft has to locate and contact the children of the two other Nazi officials and together form a group to distribute the funds and alleviate some of the pain of the Holocaust.
However, their are other players in the scene. The children of Projekt Sonnenkinder, the children of Germany's finest, Physically and psychologically, who were smuggled out and spread all over the world by U-boats and airplanes. These children (meanwhile grown up) were raised, provided for and trained as the seed for the Forth Reich and they have plans to use the money for their evil purpose of, and are willing to do anything, in order to restore Nazi Germany and conquer the world.
There are other equally nasty groups involved, who want to use the money for their purposes.
It is not clear to Noel how to find the other people and in addition, Noel does not know who to trust and who is secretly a member of a rival group. This leads to an action packed book full of espionage, counter espionage and allot of killing and betrayals.
The book is not bad, was an interesting read, but somehow felt very out dated to me.
March 25, 2018
Como thriller de conspiración este libro no tiene parangón, de este género ha sido lo mejor que he leído en años, tiene un ritmo increíble, una trama enrevesada y complicada que para ser honesta me ha costado seguir, sobre todo por lo complicado que resulta todo el complot.
Mucha acción, muchas mentiras, personajes involucrados en varios bandos, en algún momento ni Holcroft ni nosotros como espectadores podemos saber quienes son los buenos y quienes los malos.
Si bien es cierto que Holcroft es el protagonista y esta en medio de todo el complot, el realmente vive en la oscuridad y todos los personajes secundarios tienen mucho mas peso que él.
Lo mejor de todo ha sido el final, resulta en algo inesperado y por supuesto poco común y la realidad es que es un libro que no da tregua desde la primera hasta la última palabra nos lleva en una montaña rusa de acción, aventura y asesinatos y suspense.
Un libro que vale mucho la pena leerse.
Mucha acción, muchas mentiras, personajes involucrados en varios bandos, en algún momento ni Holcroft ni nosotros como espectadores podemos saber quienes son los buenos y quienes los malos.
Si bien es cierto que Holcroft es el protagonista y esta en medio de todo el complot, el realmente vive en la oscuridad y todos los personajes secundarios tienen mucho mas peso que él.
Lo mejor de todo ha sido el final, resulta en algo inesperado y por supuesto poco común y la realidad es que es un libro que no da tregua desde la primera hasta la última palabra nos lleva en una montaña rusa de acción, aventura y asesinatos y suspense.
Un libro que vale mucho la pena leerse.
November 19, 2021
This is really a two star read, with flat characters and dialogue. But it was entertaining when it wasn’t cringeworthy (the guy stumbles into bed with any willing buxom blonde—and instantly falls madly in love with the one with “kind eyes!”) The arc of the story lagged with seriously dull dialogue in the middle, but became quite riveting by the last quarter of the book. With multiple familiar European cities and landmarks ( mentioned almost in passing and never described)—this could have been quite a setting for a different sort of author—but Ludlum is all about action sequences, with long intervals of deadly dull dialogue to convey his quite interesting plot. All the elements are here to make a terrific spy thriller film. All it needs is a good screenwriter, director, and cinematographer—and a great score would make this story soar. Jason Bourne movies prove how successful that formula can be. Robert Ludlum books are really best as movies. He has some terrific story ideas, some great twisty plots, locations, and action sequences—even if the characters are sort of simple cutouts, they are easy to cast and characterize—Ludlum does it quite quickly and we know who these people are. All that works well in film. So he gets three stars from me. I would watch the movie but probably won’t read another one of his books for awhile.
October 15, 2010
I love this book. This one turns out to be the best book in many of (late) Robert Ludlum's masterpiece. The plot might be a bit confusing at first. Seeing how many clandestine organization go out to stop and kill Noel Holcroft, the hero of this book. The plot itself actually simple: an ordinary man, named Noel Holcroft, whose job as an architect never dreamed that someday he would be face to face with the ultimate choices, the one that will altered his life forever. Starting with him receiving a letter from some authority in Swiss Bank who told him that his father, his bioligical father, the one he and his mother abandoned for almost 30 years left him a great sum of money a total of $780 million dollars to be inherited by him and two other strangers. The three of them are direct descendants of Nazi's generals who back in 1945 tried and failed to to overthrown Hitler. And so this 3 generals thinking there might be away to redeem what the German have done to many of the Jews all over German by embezzled money from Treasury department and kept them in a bank in Swiss to be opened 30 years later by their descendants.
For Noel Holcroft turns out this to be not an easy job. Aside from tracking the other two descendant, Noel soon enmeshed in deadly trap spun by the Sonnenkinder - The Children of the Sun - who will stop at nothing to stop Noel, get the money and ressurrect The Fourth Reich.
For Noel Holcroft turns out this to be not an easy job. Aside from tracking the other two descendant, Noel soon enmeshed in deadly trap spun by the Sonnenkinder - The Children of the Sun - who will stop at nothing to stop Noel, get the money and ressurrect The Fourth Reich.
September 5, 2023
El Pacto de Holcroft es una novela de suspense de 1978 del escritor estadounidense Robert Ludlum. El libro sigue la historia de Noel Holcroft, un arquitecto estadounidense que descubre que es el heredero de una gran fortuna. Sin embargo, la fortuna está vinculada a un secreto oscuro: es parte de un pacto hecho por tres hombres nazis durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial para robar 756 millones de dólares y usarlos para financiar el Cuarto Reich.
Holcroft se ve obligado a viajar por Europa para encontrar a los otros dos herederos y firmar el pacto. En el camino, se enfrenta a una serie de peligros, incluyendo asesinos, espías y agentes de la CIA. Al final, Holcroft descubre la verdad sobre el pacto y se enfrenta a los hombres que lo crearon.
El Pacto de Holcroft es una novela de suspenso de ritmo rápido y emocionante. Ludlum es un maestro de la construcción de tensión y suspense, y el libro está lleno de giros y vueltas inesperados. Los personajes son complejos y bien desarrollados, y la historia es convincente y estimulante.
La novela fue adaptada a una película en 1985, protagonizada por Michael Caine como Noel Holcroft. La película fue un éxito comercial, pero recibió críticas mixtas de los críticos.
Holcroft se ve obligado a viajar por Europa para encontrar a los otros dos herederos y firmar el pacto. En el camino, se enfrenta a una serie de peligros, incluyendo asesinos, espías y agentes de la CIA. Al final, Holcroft descubre la verdad sobre el pacto y se enfrenta a los hombres que lo crearon.
El Pacto de Holcroft es una novela de suspenso de ritmo rápido y emocionante. Ludlum es un maestro de la construcción de tensión y suspense, y el libro está lleno de giros y vueltas inesperados. Los personajes son complejos y bien desarrollados, y la historia es convincente y estimulante.
La novela fue adaptada a una película en 1985, protagonizada por Michael Caine como Noel Holcroft. La película fue un éxito comercial, pero recibió críticas mixtas de los críticos.
March 15, 2015
Donated to Smith Family Charity March 2015
The Second World War is over. Three top Nazis have embezzled $780 million from Nazi funds - and then committed suicide. Their Covenant, to be inherited by their three eldest children, is to redistribute this vast wealth amongst the survivors of the Holocaust. Reparation must be made.
Conventional Noel Holcroft is one of the inheritors and his mission is to find the other two 'children' and prove himself worthy of his task. But the Sonnenkinder, the Children of the Sun, are determined to gain control of the millions and establish a Nazi Fourth Reich. As Holcroft tries to carry out his destiny, he finds himself enmeshed in a bewildering, horrifying nightmare.
A formula Ludlum book, but keeps you busy on a long train ride, many
twists and turns in the plot to keep you turning the pages.
The Second World War is over. Three top Nazis have embezzled $780 million from Nazi funds - and then committed suicide. Their Covenant, to be inherited by their three eldest children, is to redistribute this vast wealth amongst the survivors of the Holocaust. Reparation must be made.
Conventional Noel Holcroft is one of the inheritors and his mission is to find the other two 'children' and prove himself worthy of his task. But the Sonnenkinder, the Children of the Sun, are determined to gain control of the millions and establish a Nazi Fourth Reich. As Holcroft tries to carry out his destiny, he finds himself enmeshed in a bewildering, horrifying nightmare.
A formula Ludlum book, but keeps you busy on a long train ride, many
twists and turns in the plot to keep you turning the pages.
September 15, 2024
Noel Holcroft is summoned to a mysterious meeting with a Swiss banker in a train car. He is told that his Nazi Father and two friends set up an account of $780 million, which they pilfered from various nations including their own. The part I find not plausible is where the high ranking Nazis claim they knew nothing of the Holocaust and have set up the account out of guilt to "make amends" with descendents of those who have suffered. Sure. In fact, it is to kick start the 4th Reich. Holcroft is amazingly naive to believe this for one minute, but the Nazis dangle a carrot in front of him and the 2 other covenant members of 2 million dollars each for their trouble. The premise of the book is good, but there are parts I do not find plausible. Ludlum, however, is the King of Paranoia.
March 2, 2019
that was one scary shit
my work schedule thankfully lets me read more than before
p35: he opened the door, pulled out his revolver and fired, the gunshot muted by a silencer.
p96: around the barrel was a perforated cylinder--a silencer.
p244: "that's a word you could use three weeks ago,"she said reaching for his hand.
my work schedule thankfully lets me read more than before
p35: he opened the door, pulled out his revolver and fired, the gunshot muted by a silencer.
p96: around the barrel was a perforated cylinder--a silencer.
p244: "that's a word you could use three weeks ago,"she said reaching for his hand.
April 18, 2020
Started rereading this book.
A book that has cost me a lot of headaches. Conspiracy theories after conspiracies, old plans for the future that need to become reality. Constructed ingeniously 30 years ago and now told. Not an easy book, but interesting.
A book that has cost me a lot of headaches. Conspiracy theories after conspiracies, old plans for the future that need to become reality. Constructed ingeniously 30 years ago and now told. Not an easy book, but interesting.
August 13, 2011
My favorite Ludlum Book. Same old Ludlum formula, but I don't care. It was a fun read. Way better than the movie (Micheal Caine)
July 29, 2017
A great adventure with a twist of WW2 history.
August 27, 2021
Too ridiculous. Got to page 90 and had to put it down.
January 22, 2019
A premissa do livro é super interessante, e sendo Robert Ludlum o autor de uma das minhas trilogias de espionagem preferidos (Bourne), eu esperava uma história super envolvente!
Infelizmente, o livro foi uma decepção.
Completamente irreal desde o começo, o autor no fez tentar acreditar que é possível sobreviver e combater três organizações secretas poderosas, repletas de assassinos treinados, com nenhum conhecimento necessário para a sobrevivência.
Passei 500 páginas repetindo: "Ele deveria receber treinamento!", pra isso acontecer exatamente, e eu não tô brincando, nas duas últimas páginas. Não tive um infarto porque, a essa altura, já sabia que iria detestar ainda mais o final.
Não recomendo essa leitura!
Infelizmente, o livro foi uma decepção.
Completamente irreal desde o começo, o autor no fez tentar acreditar que é possível sobreviver e combater três organizações secretas poderosas, repletas de assassinos treinados, com nenhum conhecimento necessário para a sobrevivência.
Passei 500 páginas repetindo: "Ele deveria receber treinamento!", pra isso acontecer exatamente, e eu não tô brincando, nas duas últimas páginas. Não tive um infarto porque, a essa altura, já sabia que iria detestar ainda mais o final.
Não recomendo essa leitura!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 16, 2020
Read in 1978. Boy, Ludlum never skimped on pages for his novels, this one 548. Always complex puzzles to confuse, and hero's to triumph.
December 16, 2024
I really wanted to finish this book but … the story was just not gripping enough even though it started out really well.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 251 reviews