The Barbarossa Secret

An absolutely fascinating read for anyone like myself who enjoys novels set around WWII. Excellently researched it reads at times more like a history book than a work of fiction. Based on the idea that Germany was proposing peace with Britain in return for a United front against Russia and Hitler retaining power in Germany. The story is very thought provoking and raises a lot of "what if " questions in my mind. The plot involves many major figures from the period including the Royal Family and at times paints a very uncomfortable picture of British political life in that period. The theory that Hitler escaped to Argentina is explored in a quite convincing way.
A work of fiction based around factual events it educates as well as entertains it is in my opinion a first class piece of writing.

Thank you to the Book Guild and NetGalley for this preview copy.

The book tells the story of a secret pact between Germany and the Allies which only comes to light following the murder of a 97 year old former Nazi in Berchtesgaden. He leaves a trail which is potentially dangerous for the man he has chosen to learn the truth as government agencies are keen to ensure the secret remains hidden.

The timeline jumps between the 1930s and the present day, which I did find a little confusing at times, but the story is well written and makes you want to read on to find out where it will lead.

I would recommend this to readers who enjoy modern historical fiction, and thrillers.

I love books that are historical ficxtion, and imparticular books that are set in or around World War Two and so I was really excited to read this. It was different from the other books I have read set in this era, it really made me think and left me with lots of questions whilst reading it. A great read.

This is an incredible piece of work as it marries fact and fiction in such a credible way. The issues it captures remain relevant today and unpicking the background is fascinating, even if you are not a WWII buff.

I really enjoyed this as it was a "What If" thriller with a fascinating and original premise. I will not provide spoilers but this is a good and exciting read for those who like well written and excellently researched World war 11 thrillers.

This certainly thrilled and entertained from start to finish and I will be looking out for other books by an author who was new to me but surely deserves a far wider audience.

Thanks so much to The Book Guild and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in return for my honest opinion.
Much has been written about WW2, but author Christopher Kerr, has a new "what if" novel. It is a fascinating book that is steeped in great research and actual history, and yet it involves a plot that could easily have happened. Most of us have heard of Operation Barbarossa, but this book takes it a bit further and delves into a fictional agreement between the US, Britain and Germany to forge an alliance against Germany. Sure this did not happen, but "what if?" Great stuff that even takes us into British Royal intrigue and the very real "Operation Willie" that was created to get the Duke of Windsor to support Germany and quite possibly retake the throne of England. As I said, much of this book details actual history, as the author swings back and forth for most of the book between the 1930's and 2o20. It is a fast paced and exciting book, that raises many fascinating facts and possibilities.
World War 2 is still a much used genre in both fiction and non-fiction, however in this book the author takes us places that most other books have never ventured. A Top Notch effort by relatively new author Christoper Kerr.

Christopher Kerr https://christopher-kerr.co.uk is the author of three novels. The Barbarossa Secret was published in 2022.

Due to scenes of violence, I categorize this novel as R. The primary character is journalist Hans Schirach. In 2020 Schirach is approached. He begins to learn the truth about what happened. The true Nazi legacy from WWII. The Third Reich may have fallen in May of 1945, but a new Reich was now in power. It is hidden behind the scenes, but wields far more power than Hitler.

There are secrets many do not want to be revealed. The revelation of these secrets could cause governments to fall. Efforts are made to keep the information contained. People die.

I enjoyed the 13.5+ hours I spent reading this 468-page thriller. The novel covers from 1932 up to 2020. It is a mix of historical fiction and alternative history. The fictional plot weaves around many historical facts, popular myths, and conspiracy theories. I like the eye-catching cover art. I give this novel a rating of 4.4 (rounded down to a 4) out of 5.

You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

I loved the premise of this book and before it became available to review on NetGalley I had considered pre-ordering it. I am glad I didn't! Sadly, this just doesn't work for me - there is just something about the writing style which meant that I was unable to enjoy the book, in fact I didn't get past the first couple of chapters. In order to enjoy a book, I need to be engaged with and invested in not only the characters but the writing as well - the characters are fine (the ones that I met anyway) and the story is a great idea, but I was stymied by the writing.

I am sure the book will be successful, there will be lots of people who enjoy the title but unfortunately I'm not one of them.

I received an advanced reader copy of “ The Barbarossa Secret” by Christopher Kerr via Net Galley to review. My thanks to the publisher, author and Net Galley.

Note: “Barbarossa” was the German code word for the invasion of the Soviet Union. The Barbarossa Secret refers to a supposed protocol agreement in 1944 between the Allies and the Nazis to join together to agree to a cease fire and then join in attacking the Russians, thereby saving civilization from the Bolshevik hordes. While the Nazi leaders may have fantasized such a thing as catastrophe approached ( actually something many captured German officers told Allied officers late in the war) Mr Kerr takes this fever dream as the basis for his book.
“The Barbarossa Secret” is written in chapters alternating from the late 1930’s to 2020 , and takes place mostly in Britain and Germany. The characters in the mostly 1930’s chapters are real ones, such as the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, the Mitford women, Joseph Kennedy, and Lord Mountbatten . From what I have read of the history of that time , these chapters can be described as historically accurate as far as I know. While interesting to a point, the story often bogs down with lengthy descriptions of women’s gowns, the interiors of estates’ glittering salons and the flirting flattery of the privileged class admirers of Hitler. A little of this goes a long way; unfortunately, there was a lot of it.
The modern-day chapters of the book involve one Hans von Shirach. Hans is a journalist who finds out who his real father was upon the death of the man whom he thought was his grandfather. The reader then begins to learn of a dossier comprised of letters and documents of Von Sirach’s possession being held by the suppose grandfather. These papers include the plan for Hitler’s deluded plan to strike back against the USSR alongside the Allied armies. This part of the novel is pretty interesting, reminiscent of popular thrillers such as , “ The Marathon Man” and “ The Boys from Berlin and “Notorious” ”. Without dropping spoilers, Herr Hans Von Shirach finds himself targeted by the German Republic’s federal police and various thugs who want to reawaken Naziism . These chapters were the best parts of the book with tight plotting , taut, drama and a dramatic ending.
If only the author had been as focused in the 1930’s chapters, I would have been able to give a better raring and review. As it is, three stars, barely, for “ The Barbarossa Secret.”

I have been reading novels in this genre for many years: Robert Harris and Sebastian Faulks have written several excellent examples and before them Ken Follett and Jack Higgins led the way but the work of these bestselling writers seems almost insignificant now with the arrival of Christopher Kerr's thriller.
The author juggles fact and fiction, with a massive cast of real-life characters, drawing the reader into an intensely complex plot that is fascinating, thrilling and poses extraordinary questions about the fate of the Nazi regime and it's leaders. A must read thriller.

If the are into Nazi secrets you will enjoy this book. It jumps from today to time before WWII. Greta Atkins was a spy for the British that I loved. We learn about the German and British sides of the war. My love for history ate this one up.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC and to the publisher The Book Guild Ltd.