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Michael Gallatin #1
The Wolf's Hour
D-Day is threatened, but one man could rip the heart of the Nazis -- with his bare claws....
He is Michael Gallatin, master spy, lover -- and werewolf. Able to change shape with lightning speed, to kill silently or with savage, snarling fury, he proved his talents against Rommel in Africa. Now he faces his most delicate, dangerous mission: to unravel the secret Nazi plan known as Iron Fist. From a parachute jump into occupied France to the lush corruption of Berlin, from the arms of a beautiful spy to the cold embrace of a madman's death machine, Gallatin draws ever closer to the ghastly truth about Iron Fist. But with only hours to D-Day, he is trapped in the Nazis' web of destruction....
He is Michael Gallatin, master spy, lover -- and werewolf. Able to change shape with lightning speed, to kill silently or with savage, snarling fury, he proved his talents against Rommel in Africa. Now he faces his most delicate, dangerous mission: to unravel the secret Nazi plan known as Iron Fist. From a parachute jump into occupied France to the lush corruption of Berlin, from the arms of a beautiful spy to the cold embrace of a madman's death machine, Gallatin draws ever closer to the ghastly truth about Iron Fist. But with only hours to D-Day, he is trapped in the Nazis' web of destruction....
603 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 12, 1989
767 people are currently reading
12483 people want to read
About the author
Robert McCammon
167 books5,737 followersPseudonyms: Robert R. McCammon; Robert Rick McCammon
Robert McCammon was a full-time horror writer for many years. Among his many popular novels were the classics Boy's Life and Swan Song. After taking a hiatus for his family, he returned to writing with an interest in historical fiction.
His newest book, Leviathan, is the tenth and final book in the Matthew Corbett series. It was published in trade hardcover (Lividian Publications), ebook (Open Road), and audiobook (Audible) formats on December 3, 2024.
McCammon resides in Birmingham, Alabama.
Robert McCammon was a full-time horror writer for many years. Among his many popular novels were the classics Boy's Life and Swan Song. After taking a hiatus for his family, he returned to writing with an interest in historical fiction.
His newest book, Leviathan, is the tenth and final book in the Matthew Corbett series. It was published in trade hardcover (Lividian Publications), ebook (Open Road), and audiobook (Audible) formats on December 3, 2024.
McCammon resides in Birmingham, Alabama.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 731 reviews
April 29, 2017
Straight epic WWII historical adventure filled with heroism and sacrifice... or a sexed-up epic werewolf story from childhood through adulthood.
What do YOU prefer?
Fortunately, YOU don't have to make a choice! It's all here!
And guess what? This is all a huge tome with a very long and very adventuresome escapade revolving WWII from resistance fighters, going deep into enemy German territory, Russia, and back to England. It's a pretty wild ride and a ton happens. If you like your stories long and exciting and sexed up and very, very, wolfy, then you really ought to read this.
This is NOT your average UF fantasy and since it was written in the 80's it goes a long way to strive for realism and the exploration of what it means to be a man or a wolf, really rocking the Metallica theme and the lone-wolf idea that saves the world, too. And to make it even more impressive, it's very immersive as a historical drama, too, from '18 Russia to WWII.
Really, this is a force to be reckoned with.
They just don't write them like they used to. :)
What do YOU prefer?
Fortunately, YOU don't have to make a choice! It's all here!
And guess what? This is all a huge tome with a very long and very adventuresome escapade revolving WWII from resistance fighters, going deep into enemy German territory, Russia, and back to England. It's a pretty wild ride and a ton happens. If you like your stories long and exciting and sexed up and very, very, wolfy, then you really ought to read this.
This is NOT your average UF fantasy and since it was written in the 80's it goes a long way to strive for realism and the exploration of what it means to be a man or a wolf, really rocking the Metallica theme and the lone-wolf idea that saves the world, too. And to make it even more impressive, it's very immersive as a historical drama, too, from '18 Russia to WWII.
Really, this is a force to be reckoned with.
They just don't write them like they used to. :)
September 16, 2014
I’ve only read two McCammon books so far (SWAN SONG and THE WOLF’S HOUR), but I’ve come to a conclusion.
Robert McCammon doesn’t write novels. He writes masterpieces.
I expected that of SWAN SONG, since many folks place it up there with (and, in some minds, above) one of my favorite novels, Stephen King’s THE STAND. After reading SWAN SONG, I felt the praise was warranted. It’s a towering classic of our genre.
What I didn’t expect was for THE WOLF’S HOUR to rival the majesty of SWAN SONG.
THE WOLF’S HOUR is a completely different type of novel than SWAN SONG (and I would argue that SWAN SONG is very different from THE STAND), but it’s no less impressive. In fact, I found Michael Gallatin (the protagonist of THE WOLF’S HOUR) more interesting than any character in SWAN SONG (which was crammed with awesome characters, especially Josh, the ex-pro wrestler).
I’ll leave the synopsis of THE WOLF’S HOUR to other reviewers—it’s not like this is a new release anyway—and instead limit my observations to a few brief reactions:
1. The aforementioned Michael Gallatin is one of those larger-than-life characters that nevertheless feels grounded in reality. More importantly, McCammon manages to make Michael vulnerable without making him weak. The result is a crackling species of suspense whenever Michael is in danger, which then transforms into a plausible relief whenever Michael triumphs. We believe he can be killed, but we also believe he can overcome. The difficulty of achieving this balance cannot be understated, but McCammon makes it all seem effortless.
2. The novel contains set pieces that beg for a big screen treatment. One involves the Paris Opera House. Another takes place on a specially-rigged “death train,” which is one of the coolest settings I’ve read in a good while. These set pieces alone vault THE WOLF’S HOUR into high adventure territory, and they begin to speak to my next point…
3. The story is a true epic. It contains horror, action, romance, adventure, humor, heartbreak, eroticism, and historical flavor. Despite the fact that we know how WWII ended, we feel genuine terror when the Nazi plot is revealed and teeth-chattering suspense when Michael attempts to bring down (literally and figuratively) Hitler’s diabolical plan.
From the above comments it might seem I’m bashing SWAN SONG. I’m not. It’s an incredible work of fiction. And if I had to choose between THE WOLF’S HOUR and SWAN SONG, I’d choose the latter as the better of the two books. But THE WOLF’S HOUR certainly deserves to be mentioned alongside SWAN SONG when folks discuss horror’s best novels.
I would also be remiss if I didn’t mention McCammon’s writing, which is absolutely superb. The man has a poet’s ear and a carpenter’s exactitude, but he also possesses the sheer brawn to create such a robust tale. McCammon is a masterful writer who has already taught me a great deal. He’s also a riveting storyteller who entertains the heck out of me.
And before you say anything, let me answer you: I know I need to read BOY’S LIFE and plan to do so by year’s end. For now, though, I’m going to savor THE WOLF’S HOUR. It was everything a great book should be.
Robert McCammon doesn’t write novels. He writes masterpieces.
I expected that of SWAN SONG, since many folks place it up there with (and, in some minds, above) one of my favorite novels, Stephen King’s THE STAND. After reading SWAN SONG, I felt the praise was warranted. It’s a towering classic of our genre.
What I didn’t expect was for THE WOLF’S HOUR to rival the majesty of SWAN SONG.
THE WOLF’S HOUR is a completely different type of novel than SWAN SONG (and I would argue that SWAN SONG is very different from THE STAND), but it’s no less impressive. In fact, I found Michael Gallatin (the protagonist of THE WOLF’S HOUR) more interesting than any character in SWAN SONG (which was crammed with awesome characters, especially Josh, the ex-pro wrestler).
I’ll leave the synopsis of THE WOLF’S HOUR to other reviewers—it’s not like this is a new release anyway—and instead limit my observations to a few brief reactions:
1. The aforementioned Michael Gallatin is one of those larger-than-life characters that nevertheless feels grounded in reality. More importantly, McCammon manages to make Michael vulnerable without making him weak. The result is a crackling species of suspense whenever Michael is in danger, which then transforms into a plausible relief whenever Michael triumphs. We believe he can be killed, but we also believe he can overcome. The difficulty of achieving this balance cannot be understated, but McCammon makes it all seem effortless.
2. The novel contains set pieces that beg for a big screen treatment. One involves the Paris Opera House. Another takes place on a specially-rigged “death train,” which is one of the coolest settings I’ve read in a good while. These set pieces alone vault THE WOLF’S HOUR into high adventure territory, and they begin to speak to my next point…
3. The story is a true epic. It contains horror, action, romance, adventure, humor, heartbreak, eroticism, and historical flavor. Despite the fact that we know how WWII ended, we feel genuine terror when the Nazi plot is revealed and teeth-chattering suspense when Michael attempts to bring down (literally and figuratively) Hitler’s diabolical plan.
From the above comments it might seem I’m bashing SWAN SONG. I’m not. It’s an incredible work of fiction. And if I had to choose between THE WOLF’S HOUR and SWAN SONG, I’d choose the latter as the better of the two books. But THE WOLF’S HOUR certainly deserves to be mentioned alongside SWAN SONG when folks discuss horror’s best novels.
I would also be remiss if I didn’t mention McCammon’s writing, which is absolutely superb. The man has a poet’s ear and a carpenter’s exactitude, but he also possesses the sheer brawn to create such a robust tale. McCammon is a masterful writer who has already taught me a great deal. He’s also a riveting storyteller who entertains the heck out of me.
And before you say anything, let me answer you: I know I need to read BOY’S LIFE and plan to do so by year’s end. For now, though, I’m going to savor THE WOLF’S HOUR. It was everything a great book should be.
September 23, 2024
Wolf, Yes...Werewolf, No!
A story of war, of love and duty, of hate and violence, of sacrifice and revenge. But not many werewolves.
Fortunately, it doesn’t matter.
Four stars. ✨✨✨✨
A story of war, of love and duty, of hate and violence, of sacrifice and revenge. But not many werewolves.
Fortunately, it doesn’t matter.
Four stars. ✨✨✨✨
January 16, 2012
Michael Gallatin is a master spy during World War II. He also happens to be a werewolf. He comes out of retirement for one last mission: to stop a secret Nazi operation called Iron Fist. Can Michael stop Iron Fist and retain his humanity?
The Wolf's Hour is what would happen if Captain America was a werewolf instead of a super-hero. Yes, I remember the atrocious CapWolf storyline from the 1990's. That doesn't count since it didn't happen during World War II.
Wolf's Hour tells two parallel stories: one of Michael Gallatin in World War II and another of young Mikhail Gallatinov, a Russian boy who becomes a werewolf when his family is killed. While both branches of the story had a good amount of action, I was far more interested in the Mikhail storyline. The WWII storyline had far too little werewolf action for my taste.
McCammon's writing is workmanlike. He's not going to win awards on prose alone. However, I do enjoy what he writes. The action sequences are well done and the bits involving werewolves are suitably gory. I thought Michael Gallatin was a good character for what he was meant to be: James Bond as a werewolf. None of the other characters really did much for me.
slightly later edit: I thought it was a little long for what it was. If it had been cut down to 400-450 pages, it would have easily gotten another star.
One last thought: Did you know werewolves pee on one another? I did not.
All in all, this is a good pulpy action story starring a werewolf. If that's all you're expecting, you won't be disappointed.
The Wolf's Hour is what would happen if Captain America was a werewolf instead of a super-hero. Yes, I remember the atrocious CapWolf storyline from the 1990's. That doesn't count since it didn't happen during World War II.
Wolf's Hour tells two parallel stories: one of Michael Gallatin in World War II and another of young Mikhail Gallatinov, a Russian boy who becomes a werewolf when his family is killed. While both branches of the story had a good amount of action, I was far more interested in the Mikhail storyline. The WWII storyline had far too little werewolf action for my taste.
McCammon's writing is workmanlike. He's not going to win awards on prose alone. However, I do enjoy what he writes. The action sequences are well done and the bits involving werewolves are suitably gory. I thought Michael Gallatin was a good character for what he was meant to be: James Bond as a werewolf. None of the other characters really did much for me.
slightly later edit: I thought it was a little long for what it was. If it had been cut down to 400-450 pages, it would have easily gotten another star.
One last thought: Did you know werewolves pee on one another? I did not.
All in all, this is a good pulpy action story starring a werewolf. If that's all you're expecting, you won't be disappointed.
May 3, 2021
"It's the curse of man to have a mind and not have the sense to use it."
Another Robert McCammon book and another five stars. I'm almost at the point now where I'd award his books five stars before reading the first page. McCammon is that good. If you like horror, suspense or just good quality fiction, then you absolutely must give this author a try. Why not start with this one?
The Wolf's Hour is especially good, even for McCammon. I'd give it six stars if I could. It follows World War Two British special agent Michael Galletin on his mission to foil an attempt from the Nazis to cause maximum mayhem on the build up to the D day landings. If that doesn't sound enticing enough Galletin has a little secret that gives this one man army a little extra bite. The clues in the title! Think James Bond on steroids and way cooler.
"If you make friends with pain, you have a friend for life."
The basis for the story is two separate storylines. We have the current spy/espionage plot and flashbacks to when Galletin became a werewolf back in the good old USSR. It provides a brilliant character study for our main hero and even go so far as to say this is one of McCammon's very best. The guy really does write some brilliant characters and there's a number in this one, including some thoroughly nasty villains. That's Nazis for you.
The pacing in this book is also immaculate with some absolutely nail biting action sequences. There's one scene on a train that might be the most exciting thing I've ever read. I was dripping a few bucketfuls of sweat after that part.
If I haven't sold this one then I'm sorry there's no hope for you. Go read some Mills and Boon with a caramel toffee latte and leave this one for the hardcore adrenaline junkies...like me and the rest of the boys in the Night Shift!
March 14, 2024
Fantastic!! 5 stars!
The Wolf’s Hour is a perfect blend of fantasy, historical fiction and intrigue. The book is set during World War II and follows the journey of Michael Gallatin, a British secret agent that happens to be a werewolf.
Yes, you read that right. He's a werewolf. It might sound ridiculous, but it works!
Robert McCammon writes an action-packed plot with vivid descriptions and horrifying details from World War II. He takes this setting and puts it together with a complex and ruthless character that struggles with his past and inner beast.
I absolutely loved Michael Gallatin. What a fantastic main character!
In The Wolf’s Hour, Michael Gallatin must infiltrate Nazi-occupied France and gather information on a new weapon being developed by the Germans. The new weapon will change the direction of the war while stalling and destroying the Allies during D-Day.
I was enthralled with all parts of this book from the city atmosphere and Nazi occupied streets of Paris, to the dark and dense forest of Russia.
All the secondary characters were fantastic, the action felt like a Mission: Impossible film, and the werewolf elements were detailed and believable.
This book was impossible to put down and I’m so happy to finally get to this one!!
The Wolf’s Hour is a perfect blend of fantasy, historical fiction and intrigue. The book is set during World War II and follows the journey of Michael Gallatin, a British secret agent that happens to be a werewolf.
Yes, you read that right. He's a werewolf. It might sound ridiculous, but it works!
Robert McCammon writes an action-packed plot with vivid descriptions and horrifying details from World War II. He takes this setting and puts it together with a complex and ruthless character that struggles with his past and inner beast.
I absolutely loved Michael Gallatin. What a fantastic main character!
In The Wolf’s Hour, Michael Gallatin must infiltrate Nazi-occupied France and gather information on a new weapon being developed by the Germans. The new weapon will change the direction of the war while stalling and destroying the Allies during D-Day.
I was enthralled with all parts of this book from the city atmosphere and Nazi occupied streets of Paris, to the dark and dense forest of Russia.
All the secondary characters were fantastic, the action felt like a Mission: Impossible film, and the werewolf elements were detailed and believable.
This book was impossible to put down and I’m so happy to finally get to this one!!
December 11, 2014
After reading the blurb of this book I am not sure what was I expecting from this book. I have not read a lot of World War and spy books, the only plus point of this book to me was that the lead of the book was a werewolf. I have read McCammon’s Boy’s Life which is one of my all time favorites, and I wanted to read more books by him so I picked this, a decision I am never going to regret.
Wolf’s Hour tells us the story of Michael Galletine, a British spy, during the World War II. He has all the traits essential and necessary to be a master spy but his biggest strength is to be able to shape shift into a Werewolf when the situation calls for. Michael has said goodbye to secret services until he has to accept a mission for which he has to travel all the way to Germany and uncover a top Nazi experiment.
Mr McCammon also told us how Mikahil, a young Russian boy became a werewolf and later turned himself into Michael, a topmost British spy. Mikahil and Michael both were great but my heart went out for the child Mikhail and how he struggled to accept all the changes that comes with being a Werewolf. How he learned to live in a pack and how he earned the respect of his fellow pack members was truly a heart-warming story, a part which I enjoyed much more than Michael’s.
World War and Werewolf is not a combination that looks very promising at first time and that's what I had thought but this book simply blew me away. Mr McCammon’s way of telling story is just so good. Every adventure of Michael’s life, be it from his childhood or his very secretive spy life, is told in beautiful words that made me kept turning pages after pages.
the other thing that rocked me to the core was atrocities of War and how it was effecting the lives of normal people. Some of the events described in books were absolutely brutal.
I truly enjoyed reading this book and will recommend it to everyone.
Wolf’s Hour tells us the story of Michael Galletine, a British spy, during the World War II. He has all the traits essential and necessary to be a master spy but his biggest strength is to be able to shape shift into a Werewolf when the situation calls for. Michael has said goodbye to secret services until he has to accept a mission for which he has to travel all the way to Germany and uncover a top Nazi experiment.
Mr McCammon also told us how Mikahil, a young Russian boy became a werewolf and later turned himself into Michael, a topmost British spy. Mikahil and Michael both were great but my heart went out for the child Mikhail and how he struggled to accept all the changes that comes with being a Werewolf. How he learned to live in a pack and how he earned the respect of his fellow pack members was truly a heart-warming story, a part which I enjoyed much more than Michael’s.
World War and Werewolf is not a combination that looks very promising at first time and that's what I had thought but this book simply blew me away. Mr McCammon’s way of telling story is just so good. Every adventure of Michael’s life, be it from his childhood or his very secretive spy life, is told in beautiful words that made me kept turning pages after pages.
the other thing that rocked me to the core was atrocities of War and how it was effecting the lives of normal people. Some of the events described in books were absolutely brutal.
I truly enjoyed reading this book and will recommend it to everyone.
March 18, 2018
Whenever I pick up a McCammon novel what I know for sure is that I will be entertained. My introduction to his writing was through Swan Song oh so many years ago and I can remember thinking more than once as I read it, that I needed to see what else this guy had written.
This was a reread for me. Many years have passed since the first time and once again Mr. McCammon took control and just told me a fantastic story. And that friends is what it’s all about.
The story moves back and forth in time between Michael Gallatin’s past and present as a British Spy attempting to thwart Nazi operations during WW II . Michael as it happens is also a werewolf. How that came about we learn from his past as a young boy in Russia.
Imagine if the above paragraph was actually a writing assignment. I’d love to read the contenders. McCammon has done a thoroughly satisfying job, mmm perhaps a little wordy but come on, it’s 1980’s horror and McCammon stands in a fertile field.
Let him howl!!
This was a reread for me. Many years have passed since the first time and once again Mr. McCammon took control and just told me a fantastic story. And that friends is what it’s all about.
The story moves back and forth in time between Michael Gallatin’s past and present as a British Spy attempting to thwart Nazi operations during WW II . Michael as it happens is also a werewolf. How that came about we learn from his past as a young boy in Russia.
Imagine if the above paragraph was actually a writing assignment. I’d love to read the contenders. McCammon has done a thoroughly satisfying job, mmm perhaps a little wordy but come on, it’s 1980’s horror and McCammon stands in a fertile field.
Let him howl!!
September 18, 2022
The devil is in the details.
"Even a man who is pure in heart,
And says his prayers by night,
May become a wolf when the wolfsbane blooms,
And the autumn moon is full and bright."
Curt Siodmak
Forget all of that. This is not a classic werewolf story. For one thing the werewolf is not a monster. Instead, he is the hero of the piece, working for British intelligence against the Nazis in WWII. For another, there is nothing supernatural about this werewolf. Bullets, blades, car and airplane crashes, explosions, etc. can kill this wolf and his compatriots.
This is an entertaining thriller, four stars for that aspect of it. However one should not rely upon any of the little details to be accurate. For instance bullets routinely ricochet from things which they should penetrate and penetrate things from which they should ricochet. Nazi medals, insignia, etc are wrong. And so on. Two stars, maybe even one for accuracy. I'll compromise at three.
"Even a man who is pure in heart,
And says his prayers by night,
May become a wolf when the wolfsbane blooms,
And the autumn moon is full and bright."
Curt Siodmak
Forget all of that. This is not a classic werewolf story. For one thing the werewolf is not a monster. Instead, he is the hero of the piece, working for British intelligence against the Nazis in WWII. For another, there is nothing supernatural about this werewolf. Bullets, blades, car and airplane crashes, explosions, etc. can kill this wolf and his compatriots.
This is an entertaining thriller, four stars for that aspect of it. However one should not rely upon any of the little details to be accurate. For instance bullets routinely ricochet from things which they should penetrate and penetrate things from which they should ricochet. Nazi medals, insignia, etc are wrong. And so on. Two stars, maybe even one for accuracy. I'll compromise at three.
October 24, 2012
What if one of the Allies' greatest spies during WWII was a werewolf?
The Wolf's Hour is the story of Michael Gallatin, born Mikhail Gallatinov. His journey is sprawling and meaty, full of intense moments, both emotional and physical. Although I am not sure this technically counts as an epic, it feels very epic to me. Because there is so much to see about how Michael goes from being a privileged eight-year-old during the bloody Russian Revolution to a thirty-four year old British Secret Service spy. You might say, "That's a big jump." But when you read this book, you find out how he evolved from that boy to the man he becomes.
Things to Take Into Consideration:
*This is a bloody, gory book. There is a lot of violence. The action scenes are almost always gruesomely described. If you're really squeamish, be warned. I am not big on gore (at all), and I often winced as I read. However, it doesn't come off as gratuitous. Why? Because this is about predators, human and animals. Michael has to learn to live in the brutal world of the wolf and the more brutal (for it is often not of necessity), unnecessary viciousness of humanity. I feel that McCammon draws a contrast between wolves and humans. Wolves kill for survival. They can attack fiercely and brutally, but their motives are for living another day. Whereas the vile actions of the Nazis and some of the Russians during their Revolution depicted in this novel speak of human evil and the dark heart of human nature. To kill, maim, and to harm for paltry reasons (if there are any good ones), that's not the animal world. That's purely human. Not all humans are evil, and McCammon shows that. But those that are commit so many heinous acts that it weighs on the soul, even when reading a fiction novel set during WWII. Even Michael, a man who lived as a wolf and has a dual beast nature, is not so cruel and blood-thirsty as the Nazis, with their racial and ethnic hatred, their greed, and thirst for domination. I liked how he is asked the question about where werewolves fit in God's eye, by his tutor, Wiktor, and eventually asks himself later on in his life--to find his answer. Suddenly he realizes his place in this world of ugliness, God's wolf avenger. I have to make it clear that I despise the Nazis so much, I liked the idea of having someone like Michael around to take care of them. He realized he couldn't save everyone, but he always tried to do what was right.
*There is a fair amount of sex in this book. Michael's life plays out over nearly thirty years, and in that time, he loves and 'loves' numerous women. I'm not real big on seeing a character 'hook up' with several people over the course of a book, but I suppose that this is another layer to his character that plays out. And in all those encounters, you get the sense that Michael does respect and love women. So it wasn't exploitative, in my opinion.
*As I mentioned earlier, this book focuses heavily on the War World II time period. McCammon does not shy around the atrocities committed by the Nazis, and if that is disturbing to a reader, you might want to avoid this book. If a reader has an interest in WWII, I do recommend this book. It focuses mainly on the Nazis as the evil entity behind this war. Interestingly, it does not focus as much on the political state or evolution of Soviet Russia, or the atrocities that were committed under Stalin. While he doesn't paint the Soviet Army as the only or primary good-guys, neither does he delve deeply into that part of the WWII puzzle (and the reasons why the Soviets were able to crush the Axis on the Eastern Front). This is interesting, since Michael is Russian born, although he becomes a British citizen. But at over 601 pages, this book is plenty long enough, and I can respect that McCammon chose to focus on one aspect of the war.
*This book is about loss, struggle, the fortitude it takes to keep going and living when everything you love and that is familiar and comfortable to you is taken away. It's very angsty and sad, in other words. Just when you have hope that things might turn out out okay, the rug gets swept out from under you. McCammon does a great job of building and sustaining that tension. In real life, there isn't a such thing as "and they lived Happily Ever After." Instead, we have seasons of joy and plenty, and then there are seasons when sorrow seems to prevail above other emotions. But we have to keep moving through those seasons and take the lessons we can from both periods in our lives. Michael shows tremendous fortitude in his life, considering all that he went through. Giving up just isn't part of his makeup. Instead, he takes those hard-won, painful lessons and uses those to grow stronger. How can you not love that about him?
*The mix of espionage with supernatural was very well done. You might be fooled into thinking that things will be much easier for Michael because he is a werewolf. Oh, no! He bleeds just like humans, he can be gravely injured, he suffers from illness and starvation. Being a wolf gives him strength and endurance more than humans, but he is not infallible. Instead, his dual nature is just one other tool in his spy armament. And even that can be a liability in some circumstance. Although I think I do like the wolf who regenerates quickly, even with life-threatening injury, and heals more rapidly than humans better, the portrayal of lycanthropy in this book is better-suited to the tone and overall story. McCammon very carefully avoids using deus ex machina, but instead relies on Michael's physical conditioning, his mental acuity, and his extreme drive and determination, along with help from the Resistance groups of various parts of occupied Europe, and his spy cohorts. The espionage unfolds very well. That razor edge of spywork, and the extreme cost that comes with it. Knowing your life could be forfeit from any mistakes or just because of the danger of the work, and also that you cannot save everyone. You have to make sacrifices so that the greater good could be done. Man, I felt that moral angst deep down as I read this book. I held my breath as Michael and his compadres dealt with the Nazis and did their dangerous work, hoping they wouldn't be caught, and if so, they would find their way to safety. With this book, there certainly are no guarantees. You don't know who will make it, including the lead character. As I said, very well done!
Concluding Thoughts:
The Wolf's Hour is compelling, involving reading. My emotions were deeply engaged, all of them. The story of Michael Gallatin, a man with many identities, drew me in. He is a great hero, and this is a great story about his life. When I finished it, I was kind of sad, because I felt as though he was part of my life for that time I spent reading this book. I highly recommend this novel!
The Wolf's Hour is the story of Michael Gallatin, born Mikhail Gallatinov. His journey is sprawling and meaty, full of intense moments, both emotional and physical. Although I am not sure this technically counts as an epic, it feels very epic to me. Because there is so much to see about how Michael goes from being a privileged eight-year-old during the bloody Russian Revolution to a thirty-four year old British Secret Service spy. You might say, "That's a big jump." But when you read this book, you find out how he evolved from that boy to the man he becomes.
Things to Take Into Consideration:
*This is a bloody, gory book. There is a lot of violence. The action scenes are almost always gruesomely described. If you're really squeamish, be warned. I am not big on gore (at all), and I often winced as I read. However, it doesn't come off as gratuitous. Why? Because this is about predators, human and animals. Michael has to learn to live in the brutal world of the wolf and the more brutal (for it is often not of necessity), unnecessary viciousness of humanity. I feel that McCammon draws a contrast between wolves and humans. Wolves kill for survival. They can attack fiercely and brutally, but their motives are for living another day. Whereas the vile actions of the Nazis and some of the Russians during their Revolution depicted in this novel speak of human evil and the dark heart of human nature. To kill, maim, and to harm for paltry reasons (if there are any good ones), that's not the animal world. That's purely human. Not all humans are evil, and McCammon shows that. But those that are commit so many heinous acts that it weighs on the soul, even when reading a fiction novel set during WWII. Even Michael, a man who lived as a wolf and has a dual beast nature, is not so cruel and blood-thirsty as the Nazis, with their racial and ethnic hatred, their greed, and thirst for domination. I liked how he is asked the question about where werewolves fit in God's eye, by his tutor, Wiktor, and eventually asks himself later on in his life--to find his answer. Suddenly he realizes his place in this world of ugliness, God's wolf avenger. I have to make it clear that I despise the Nazis so much, I liked the idea of having someone like Michael around to take care of them. He realized he couldn't save everyone, but he always tried to do what was right.
*There is a fair amount of sex in this book. Michael's life plays out over nearly thirty years, and in that time, he loves and 'loves' numerous women. I'm not real big on seeing a character 'hook up' with several people over the course of a book, but I suppose that this is another layer to his character that plays out. And in all those encounters, you get the sense that Michael does respect and love women. So it wasn't exploitative, in my opinion.
*As I mentioned earlier, this book focuses heavily on the War World II time period. McCammon does not shy around the atrocities committed by the Nazis, and if that is disturbing to a reader, you might want to avoid this book. If a reader has an interest in WWII, I do recommend this book. It focuses mainly on the Nazis as the evil entity behind this war. Interestingly, it does not focus as much on the political state or evolution of Soviet Russia, or the atrocities that were committed under Stalin. While he doesn't paint the Soviet Army as the only or primary good-guys, neither does he delve deeply into that part of the WWII puzzle (and the reasons why the Soviets were able to crush the Axis on the Eastern Front). This is interesting, since Michael is Russian born, although he becomes a British citizen. But at over 601 pages, this book is plenty long enough, and I can respect that McCammon chose to focus on one aspect of the war.
*This book is about loss, struggle, the fortitude it takes to keep going and living when everything you love and that is familiar and comfortable to you is taken away. It's very angsty and sad, in other words. Just when you have hope that things might turn out out okay, the rug gets swept out from under you. McCammon does a great job of building and sustaining that tension. In real life, there isn't a such thing as "and they lived Happily Ever After." Instead, we have seasons of joy and plenty, and then there are seasons when sorrow seems to prevail above other emotions. But we have to keep moving through those seasons and take the lessons we can from both periods in our lives. Michael shows tremendous fortitude in his life, considering all that he went through. Giving up just isn't part of his makeup. Instead, he takes those hard-won, painful lessons and uses those to grow stronger. How can you not love that about him?
*The mix of espionage with supernatural was very well done. You might be fooled into thinking that things will be much easier for Michael because he is a werewolf. Oh, no! He bleeds just like humans, he can be gravely injured, he suffers from illness and starvation. Being a wolf gives him strength and endurance more than humans, but he is not infallible. Instead, his dual nature is just one other tool in his spy armament. And even that can be a liability in some circumstance. Although I think I do like the wolf who regenerates quickly, even with life-threatening injury, and heals more rapidly than humans better, the portrayal of lycanthropy in this book is better-suited to the tone and overall story. McCammon very carefully avoids using deus ex machina, but instead relies on Michael's physical conditioning, his mental acuity, and his extreme drive and determination, along with help from the Resistance groups of various parts of occupied Europe, and his spy cohorts. The espionage unfolds very well. That razor edge of spywork, and the extreme cost that comes with it. Knowing your life could be forfeit from any mistakes or just because of the danger of the work, and also that you cannot save everyone. You have to make sacrifices so that the greater good could be done. Man, I felt that moral angst deep down as I read this book. I held my breath as Michael and his compadres dealt with the Nazis and did their dangerous work, hoping they wouldn't be caught, and if so, they would find their way to safety. With this book, there certainly are no guarantees. You don't know who will make it, including the lead character. As I said, very well done!
Concluding Thoughts:
The Wolf's Hour is compelling, involving reading. My emotions were deeply engaged, all of them. The story of Michael Gallatin, a man with many identities, drew me in. He is a great hero, and this is a great story about his life. When I finished it, I was kind of sad, because I felt as though he was part of my life for that time I spent reading this book. I highly recommend this novel!
September 13, 2015
British agent Michael Gallatin parachutes into occupied France on a mission deemed critical to the imminent Allied invasion of Europe in June 1944. He's assisted by a secret only three others on earth are privy to: Michael Gallatin is a werewolf. Resistance fighters, Gestapo agents and civilians caught in their web each sense something unique about Gallatin, and as the story moves back in time to Russia, we see how an adolescent Mikhail Gallatinov came to acquire his unique abilities ...
If you don't cotton to this premise, I doubt that there's much in Robert McCammon's 1989 hybrid of a WWII action adventure and a werewolf tale that will convert you. You might prefer a kissing book instead. But The Wolf's Hour actually features a lot of kissing. And vivid sex. And werewolves. And lethal women. And Nazi killing. And secret missions. And the Paris Underground. And tanks. Rarely am I as satisfied finishing a novel as I am when I read this one.
In June 1942, the German advance to the Suez Canal hits a snag at a German camp in Libya when a Nazi officer carrying top secret maps to the front is attacked by a wolf, which severs his wrist takes off for the British lines with the maps in its maw.
In Cairo, British agent Michael Gallatin is reunited with a friend and ex-lover, newspaper publisher Margritta Phillipe. After an evening of passion, Michael warns the German countess that she's no longer safe in the city and should leave with him. She refuses. Michael later regrets not acting quicker.
A team of British and American army intelligence officers seek Michael out on the moors of Wales, where he's spent two years trying to forget North Africa. One of the men knows Michael's secret and believes it will help them make contact with an agent codenamed "Adam" trapped in Paris with information vital to the coming invasion. Averse to heights or confined spaces, Michael nevertheless takes the job.
Moving back in time to 1917 and a manor miles from the village of Moroc, Mikhail Gallatinov is separated from his aristocratic family and plunged into a nightmare visited on him by assassins and wolves. Mikhail wakes with a bite on his shoulder far from the world he knows and realizes he belongs to a new family, some of whom see promise in him, others looking forward to eating him. Mikhail soon begins to change.
Landing in Nazi occupied France, Michael links up with a French partisan named Gaby who demonstrates her skills set by stealing a tank and mowing down an SS officer with a submachine gun. She completes her mission by getting Michael to the Resistance, but feels strangely compelled to go the extra mile for him, posing as his driver and escorting Michael on the deadly road to Paris.
-- By the way, amid these set pieces, McCammon over-delivers with vigorous amounts of espionage, sex, Nazi killing and werewolf transformations. If you've ever watched a James Bond movie and a werewolf movie together and wondered what would happen if makeup artist Rick Baker had been hired to transform Timothy Dalton's 007 into a werewolf, you'll be chasing your tail with this book.
Arriving in Paris, Michael and Gaby are at a loss on how to contact "Adam", who the Gestapo has been tipped off is a British agent and are watching round the clock. Mugged in an alley, Michael manages to catch his assailant, a German deserter he nicknames "Mouse". Using the pickpocket to plant a message in Adam's pocket, the three of them set a meeting with their target at the Paris Opera House.
Mikhail survives the changes tearing his cellular structure apart. Unable to turn into a wolf or hunt yet, he's taken under the wing of the pack leader, a former professor named Wiktor, who drills his pupil in mathematics, history, languages and literature. Wiktor sees great potential in Mikhail, and teaches him that while being a wolf is wonderful, they can never forget what makes them unique: their humanity. Meanwhile, the pack, consisting of four men and three women, are picked off one by one by what Wiktor describes as a "berserker," a rogue wolf who kills for thrills and who wants the pack's hunting grounds.
Michael is spirited to Berlin, where he seeks an artist named Theo von Frankewitz. A friend of Adam's, it was Von Frankewitz who tipped the Brits that he'd been hired by a Colonel Jerek Blok, taken to a secret location and made to paint bullet holes onto green metal panels. A chemical weapons pioneer in the field of nerve gas and a secret facility on Skarpa Island in Nazi occupied Norway are also part of the puzzle. Accompanied by Mouse, Michael meets his contact "Echo", an American born matinee idol and aviator named Chesna van Dorne who the Nazis believe to be an ally.
Chesna passes Michael off as a tulip-snipping baron and sneaks him into the Reichkronen Hotel, where he meets Blok and witnesses depravities that convince him that these men must not be allowed to live. Michael makes an enemy of Chesna's suitor Harry Sandler, an American big game hunter and Nazi. It was Sandler who betrayed the Countess Margritta in Cairo and Michael has been given authority to dispose of Sandler at his discretion after completing his mission. The hunter proves to be one step ahead.
The Wolf's Hour was published by Pocket Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, and McCammon's publishers have absolutely boned the author's catalog over the years in regards to book covers, some of the crappiest I've ever seen. I'd probably recommend McCammon to more people if I didn't have to put a paper bag over the cover, which tries to appeal to the juvenile horror fan. Once I get past that cover and McCammon is allowed to take over, the novel over-achieves in every sense.
-- McCammon writes women very, very well. Nearly all the females with names in this novel are shown to be professional league Nazi killers. I don't think there's a babe in the woods in this entire book. Instead, there are wolves in sharp clothing who are committed to killing as many Nazi basterds as possible, and have the skills to do it. Far from action figures, McCammon gives each woman a spirit and talents that sets them off to their destiny.
-- Some of McCammon's prose is the color purple. I have no use for adverbs, but the story here is so enthralling, I was able to barrel through the descriptions, taking what I needed and leaving the rest. McCammon doesn't take short cuts, and moves through every scene or action with imagination, whether it involves a parachute jump or something even more deadly. KISSING! Uh, no, wait, the romance actually adds splashes of color to the story rather than halting it or turning it all mushy.
On impulse, Michael pulled Chesna against him, and kissed her lips. She resisted, but only for a second because she also knew they were being watched. She put her arms around him, felt the muscles on his shoulders move under the tuxedo jacket, and then felt his hand caress the base of her spine, where the dimples were. Michael tasted her lips: honey-sweet, with perhaps a dash of pepper. Warm lips, and growing warmer. She put a hand against his chest; the hand made an effort to push him back but the arm didn't agree. Defeated, the hand slipped away. Michael deepened the kiss, and found Chesna accepting what he offered. "That's what I want," Michael heard the old goat's nymphet say.
-- Like Stephen King at his best, McCammon's imagination is in high gear. Unlike King, whose characters could all conceivably be customers at the same hardware store in Maine, I was impressed by McCammon's ability to propel me to regions or eras he'd never visited and I never will. A house isolated on the Welsh moors. A deserted church overgrown by Russian forest. A kennel holding six malnourished prisoners in a German concentration camp.
-- Reading this novel, I felt like a twelve-year-old again, when my favorite movies were Moonraker and Raiders of the Lost Ark. My mom allowed me to watch An American Werewolf In London only with her standing by with the clicker in hand. McCammon proves a dexterous hand with the remote control, engaging in both history and high fantasy with intellectual excitement and emotional satisfaction.
McCammon finally returned to Michael Gallatin in 2012 with The Hunter From the Woods, three inter-connected novellas that continued the werewolf's adventures and filed in a few of the gaps in his personal history. McCammon never really launched a series based on the character, which might be just what readers overdosing on series fiction might appreciate. The Wolf's Hour leaves it all on the floor.
If you don't cotton to this premise, I doubt that there's much in Robert McCammon's 1989 hybrid of a WWII action adventure and a werewolf tale that will convert you. You might prefer a kissing book instead. But The Wolf's Hour actually features a lot of kissing. And vivid sex. And werewolves. And lethal women. And Nazi killing. And secret missions. And the Paris Underground. And tanks. Rarely am I as satisfied finishing a novel as I am when I read this one.
In June 1942, the German advance to the Suez Canal hits a snag at a German camp in Libya when a Nazi officer carrying top secret maps to the front is attacked by a wolf, which severs his wrist takes off for the British lines with the maps in its maw.
In Cairo, British agent Michael Gallatin is reunited with a friend and ex-lover, newspaper publisher Margritta Phillipe. After an evening of passion, Michael warns the German countess that she's no longer safe in the city and should leave with him. She refuses. Michael later regrets not acting quicker.
A team of British and American army intelligence officers seek Michael out on the moors of Wales, where he's spent two years trying to forget North Africa. One of the men knows Michael's secret and believes it will help them make contact with an agent codenamed "Adam" trapped in Paris with information vital to the coming invasion. Averse to heights or confined spaces, Michael nevertheless takes the job.
Moving back in time to 1917 and a manor miles from the village of Moroc, Mikhail Gallatinov is separated from his aristocratic family and plunged into a nightmare visited on him by assassins and wolves. Mikhail wakes with a bite on his shoulder far from the world he knows and realizes he belongs to a new family, some of whom see promise in him, others looking forward to eating him. Mikhail soon begins to change.
Landing in Nazi occupied France, Michael links up with a French partisan named Gaby who demonstrates her skills set by stealing a tank and mowing down an SS officer with a submachine gun. She completes her mission by getting Michael to the Resistance, but feels strangely compelled to go the extra mile for him, posing as his driver and escorting Michael on the deadly road to Paris.
-- By the way, amid these set pieces, McCammon over-delivers with vigorous amounts of espionage, sex, Nazi killing and werewolf transformations. If you've ever watched a James Bond movie and a werewolf movie together and wondered what would happen if makeup artist Rick Baker had been hired to transform Timothy Dalton's 007 into a werewolf, you'll be chasing your tail with this book.
Arriving in Paris, Michael and Gaby are at a loss on how to contact "Adam", who the Gestapo has been tipped off is a British agent and are watching round the clock. Mugged in an alley, Michael manages to catch his assailant, a German deserter he nicknames "Mouse". Using the pickpocket to plant a message in Adam's pocket, the three of them set a meeting with their target at the Paris Opera House.
Mikhail survives the changes tearing his cellular structure apart. Unable to turn into a wolf or hunt yet, he's taken under the wing of the pack leader, a former professor named Wiktor, who drills his pupil in mathematics, history, languages and literature. Wiktor sees great potential in Mikhail, and teaches him that while being a wolf is wonderful, they can never forget what makes them unique: their humanity. Meanwhile, the pack, consisting of four men and three women, are picked off one by one by what Wiktor describes as a "berserker," a rogue wolf who kills for thrills and who wants the pack's hunting grounds.
Michael is spirited to Berlin, where he seeks an artist named Theo von Frankewitz. A friend of Adam's, it was Von Frankewitz who tipped the Brits that he'd been hired by a Colonel Jerek Blok, taken to a secret location and made to paint bullet holes onto green metal panels. A chemical weapons pioneer in the field of nerve gas and a secret facility on Skarpa Island in Nazi occupied Norway are also part of the puzzle. Accompanied by Mouse, Michael meets his contact "Echo", an American born matinee idol and aviator named Chesna van Dorne who the Nazis believe to be an ally.
Chesna passes Michael off as a tulip-snipping baron and sneaks him into the Reichkronen Hotel, where he meets Blok and witnesses depravities that convince him that these men must not be allowed to live. Michael makes an enemy of Chesna's suitor Harry Sandler, an American big game hunter and Nazi. It was Sandler who betrayed the Countess Margritta in Cairo and Michael has been given authority to dispose of Sandler at his discretion after completing his mission. The hunter proves to be one step ahead.
The Wolf's Hour was published by Pocket Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, and McCammon's publishers have absolutely boned the author's catalog over the years in regards to book covers, some of the crappiest I've ever seen. I'd probably recommend McCammon to more people if I didn't have to put a paper bag over the cover, which tries to appeal to the juvenile horror fan. Once I get past that cover and McCammon is allowed to take over, the novel over-achieves in every sense.
-- McCammon writes women very, very well. Nearly all the females with names in this novel are shown to be professional league Nazi killers. I don't think there's a babe in the woods in this entire book. Instead, there are wolves in sharp clothing who are committed to killing as many Nazi basterds as possible, and have the skills to do it. Far from action figures, McCammon gives each woman a spirit and talents that sets them off to their destiny.
-- Some of McCammon's prose is the color purple. I have no use for adverbs, but the story here is so enthralling, I was able to barrel through the descriptions, taking what I needed and leaving the rest. McCammon doesn't take short cuts, and moves through every scene or action with imagination, whether it involves a parachute jump or something even more deadly. KISSING! Uh, no, wait, the romance actually adds splashes of color to the story rather than halting it or turning it all mushy.
On impulse, Michael pulled Chesna against him, and kissed her lips. She resisted, but only for a second because she also knew they were being watched. She put her arms around him, felt the muscles on his shoulders move under the tuxedo jacket, and then felt his hand caress the base of her spine, where the dimples were. Michael tasted her lips: honey-sweet, with perhaps a dash of pepper. Warm lips, and growing warmer. She put a hand against his chest; the hand made an effort to push him back but the arm didn't agree. Defeated, the hand slipped away. Michael deepened the kiss, and found Chesna accepting what he offered. "That's what I want," Michael heard the old goat's nymphet say.
-- Like Stephen King at his best, McCammon's imagination is in high gear. Unlike King, whose characters could all conceivably be customers at the same hardware store in Maine, I was impressed by McCammon's ability to propel me to regions or eras he'd never visited and I never will. A house isolated on the Welsh moors. A deserted church overgrown by Russian forest. A kennel holding six malnourished prisoners in a German concentration camp.
-- Reading this novel, I felt like a twelve-year-old again, when my favorite movies were Moonraker and Raiders of the Lost Ark. My mom allowed me to watch An American Werewolf In London only with her standing by with the clicker in hand. McCammon proves a dexterous hand with the remote control, engaging in both history and high fantasy with intellectual excitement and emotional satisfaction.
McCammon finally returned to Michael Gallatin in 2012 with The Hunter From the Woods, three inter-connected novellas that continued the werewolf's adventures and filed in a few of the gaps in his personal history. McCammon never really launched a series based on the character, which might be just what readers overdosing on series fiction might appreciate. The Wolf's Hour leaves it all on the floor.
September 14, 2025
This book has actually two stories going on. The first being a young boy slowly changing into the mythical werewolf on the plains and forrests of Russia.
the second story is the man-werewolf taking his place in the world as WW2 rages on planet Earth. we first meet Michael Gallatin in the desert near Tobruk were he has to stop Rommel and his folks.
then he parachutes into Nazi occupied France to stop some other chenanigans by the Nazis.
The book is fastpaced and has a lot of gore in it but remains a shallow story, that entertains for sure but remains less than it could have been. Not sure if it is the writer that was just not up to the task. You never find yourself in awe with any of the characters in the book and at the end of the book you feel you read a nice war adventure of which Alistair McClean was a master. The horror aspect of a living werewolf are far less satisfactory, it felt more like a gimmick. There are far better werewolf stories out there.
The mixing of the two genres was therefor less satisfying as expected based on some reviews I read and reading tips I got .
That makes 720 pages a too long of book for the story.
This book is somewhat of a disappointment as the horror is not there and the adventure is soso.
I Will try another Robert R. McGammon along the way of my reading. And see what else he got to offer.
the second story is the man-werewolf taking his place in the world as WW2 rages on planet Earth. we first meet Michael Gallatin in the desert near Tobruk were he has to stop Rommel and his folks.
then he parachutes into Nazi occupied France to stop some other chenanigans by the Nazis.
The book is fastpaced and has a lot of gore in it but remains a shallow story, that entertains for sure but remains less than it could have been. Not sure if it is the writer that was just not up to the task. You never find yourself in awe with any of the characters in the book and at the end of the book you feel you read a nice war adventure of which Alistair McClean was a master. The horror aspect of a living werewolf are far less satisfactory, it felt more like a gimmick. There are far better werewolf stories out there.
The mixing of the two genres was therefor less satisfying as expected based on some reviews I read and reading tips I got .
That makes 720 pages a too long of book for the story.
This book is somewhat of a disappointment as the horror is not there and the adventure is soso.
I Will try another Robert R. McGammon along the way of my reading. And see what else he got to offer.
December 12, 2021
Ако сме твърде взискателни ще открием безброй слабости и пукнатини в тъканта на романа, но не мисля, че идеята на МакКамън е била да сътвори подковано откъм историческа фактология четиво - достатъчно ясно обяснява концепцията си в предговора. През цялото време, докато трескаво отгръщах страниците, се чувствах като на прожекция на филм от серията за Индиана Джоунс (Похитителите на изчезналия кивот или Последния кръстоносен поход), в който археологът се надлъгва с нацистите - нулева достоверност и чиста проба забавление на макс. Неспирният екшън ме наведе и на мисли за романите на Матю Райли - преди години ги гълтах на килограм :)
Най-слаби ми се сториха епизодите от детството на Майкъл Галатин в Русия - подобни смехории редовно наблюдавам, когато, да речем, български автор се заиграе с американски сетинг - просто в Белия дворец, обитаван от вълчата глутница нямаше нищо, ама нищо руско... Но здраве да е - открих точно онова, което търсех - още едно любопитно предложение от Колекция MAGiCA.
Най-слаби ми се сториха епизодите от детството на Майкъл Галатин в Русия - подобни смехории редовно наблюдавам, когато, да речем, български автор се заиграе с американски сетинг - просто в Белия дворец, обитаван от вълчата глутница нямаше нищо, ама нищо руско... Но здраве да е - открих точно онова, което търсех - още едно любопитно предложение от Колекция MAGiCA.
June 13, 2024
Cologne Colossus! Eau D'Lycanthrope Conquers World Market! "Well, after the war I discovered that I could bottle my animal magnetism and sell it to all the poor bastards that didn't have the edge with ultra-beautiful women that I have. Now any ordinary fellow can become a hit with the ladies, just by bringing out a little bit of the savage beast that lurks within. I've made so much money that I'm considering buying my own island ... apparently Australia is very nice at this time of year." - Michael - The Exceedingly Magnetic Gentleman's Journal
Wow, I have to admire McCammon's story vision. Reading one of his books (this is my 2nd) is like scaling Mount Everest. I just about feel I need several base camps and a team of Sherpas to help me along the way.
While I can't fault the story telling, I found it kinda ... strangely ... distractable. Like I'd be reading and then mid-scene I'd want to do something else, anything else... really almost inexplicable.
Well, almost, a bit like the Jack Reacher book I read, there's a fair bit of over-telling, or over-describing going on... something like that.
Hence 4 stars for lack of story immersion.
That said, I already own more books by this author and I'll read some more, I'm sure of it.
Recommended, 4 'Howling at the Moon,' stars
Wow, I have to admire McCammon's story vision. Reading one of his books (this is my 2nd) is like scaling Mount Everest. I just about feel I need several base camps and a team of Sherpas to help me along the way.
While I can't fault the story telling, I found it kinda ... strangely ... distractable. Like I'd be reading and then mid-scene I'd want to do something else, anything else... really almost inexplicable.
Well, almost, a bit like the Jack Reacher book I read, there's a fair bit of over-telling, or over-describing going on... something like that.
Hence 4 stars for lack of story immersion.
That said, I already own more books by this author and I'll read some more, I'm sure of it.
Recommended, 4 'Howling at the Moon,' stars
September 28, 2021
A werewolf secret agent taking on Nazis.
Do you really need to hear anymore?
Read this book.
Do you really need to hear anymore?
Read this book.
September 14, 2025
When I found "the Wolf's Hour" by Robert R. McCammon in the basement of an antique store, on a dusty bookshelf, under an orange, glowing light, I thought this looked like a fun, werewolf vs. Nazis kind of book. So, I bought it. It would be a fun book to laugh at with my friends and jokingly call it a masterpiece. What I would eventually find out though, was that it was so much more and even started my fascination with Paperbacks From Hell.
I've never judged a book by its cover, but I often find myself collecting books, simply because of the cover art. Rarely, will a horror novel with subjectively good artwork contain a fantastic story within its pages, but I am glad to say that this one indeed did so.
Yes, it has its share of werewolves vs Nazis, but it has so much more. At its core, it's a story of family, loss and survival...WITH all the stuff I was also hoping for. Michael Gallatin is a character we, the reader not only root for but sees as a believably conflicted human being as he tries to prevent Doomsday and uncover the secret of "Iron Fist", a plan put together by the Nazis, which is heavily secretive.
Yes, there are some horror elements to this, but very little relating to the wolf. Most of the horrors involve the war. Regarding the war and his pre-war Origins, the story really delves into some sad aspects that I will not say more of to prevent spoilers.
The writing in this is fantastic. The entire time Michael finds himself on the enemy lines, you feel nervous, as if he's truly surrounded by danger and not just in the presence of two bad guys he could easily knock out. I found myself sad, on the edge and even laughing at some times, as I grew to love the characters throughout and if book succeeds in doing that for me, I consider it to be a good, well-written book. This went from me jokingly calling it a masterpiece to unironically considering it to be one of the best books I've ever read. So, yeah. I would definitely recommend it.
I've never judged a book by its cover, but I often find myself collecting books, simply because of the cover art. Rarely, will a horror novel with subjectively good artwork contain a fantastic story within its pages, but I am glad to say that this one indeed did so.
Yes, it has its share of werewolves vs Nazis, but it has so much more. At its core, it's a story of family, loss and survival...WITH all the stuff I was also hoping for. Michael Gallatin is a character we, the reader not only root for but sees as a believably conflicted human being as he tries to prevent Doomsday and uncover the secret of "Iron Fist", a plan put together by the Nazis, which is heavily secretive.
Yes, there are some horror elements to this, but very little relating to the wolf. Most of the horrors involve the war. Regarding the war and his pre-war Origins, the story really delves into some sad aspects that I will not say more of to prevent spoilers.
The writing in this is fantastic. The entire time Michael finds himself on the enemy lines, you feel nervous, as if he's truly surrounded by danger and not just in the presence of two bad guys he could easily knock out. I found myself sad, on the edge and even laughing at some times, as I grew to love the characters throughout and if book succeeds in doing that for me, I consider it to be a good, well-written book. This went from me jokingly calling it a masterpiece to unironically considering it to be one of the best books I've ever read. So, yeah. I would definitely recommend it.
July 15, 2021
“Werewolf superspy” if I was pitching this book to a movie studio exec these two words would be the first thing I blurt out. In essence that is all this novel is, but a high concept alone does not make for a readable book. Back in the 80s, Robert R. McCammon was one of my favorite authors of horror fiction. He wrote the excellent supernatural post-apocalyptic Swan Song, a lengthy novel similar to, yet very different from, Stephen King’s epic The Stand. As I recall when I finished Swan Song I felt it was perhaps a bit better than the The Stand. In all fairness, I would have to read bother books again to compare them. I also went on to read They Thirst Stinger Mine etc. All very good. Unfortunately, from Boy’s Life onward McCammon began to drift away from the horror genre as he found success with this rather mainstream book that (at the time) did not do much for me; I don’t know if I would like Boy’s Life now but back then this is not what I wanted from him.
The Wolf's Hour is an amalgamation of the horror and espionage genres, I was intrigued by the genres fusion and curious to see which genre would be takes precedence. I think the emphasis leans slightly toward the espionage side. The lycanthropic protagonist hero is one Michael Gallatin, introduced in the narrative as a young boy who lost his parents under tragic circumstances and is taken in by a pack of werewolves who raise him and also pass the “gift” of lycanthropy. The narrative is split into two timelines focusing on his childhood and development as a teen wolf, and his adventures as a rather Bondesque British spy battling Nazis during World War II. This novel is McCammon in top form, action-packed with some devious plotting and some edge-of-seat cloak and dagger business. The werewolf transformation scenes are vividly described, as are the more grounded spy vs spy fight scenes, there is considerable gore and violence but the tone leans more toward high octane action and I would not call this a horror novel. Michael Gallatin is a hero you can rot for but a bit more of a sense of humour would have been nice. McCammon’s take on lycanthropy is based on a sci-fi rationale rather a supernatural one, he does not make a particularly convincing case for it but it is not of any real importance to the storyline.
I don’t have a lot to say about The Wolf's Hour as it is just a fun read that is not meant to be ruminated about. For pure entertainment, it works very well, people talk about popcorn movies, do people eat popcorn while reading too? Anyway, some snacks would go down well with this book.
The Wolf's Hour is an amalgamation of the horror and espionage genres, I was intrigued by the genres fusion and curious to see which genre would be takes precedence. I think the emphasis leans slightly toward the espionage side. The lycanthropic protagonist hero is one Michael Gallatin, introduced in the narrative as a young boy who lost his parents under tragic circumstances and is taken in by a pack of werewolves who raise him and also pass the “gift” of lycanthropy. The narrative is split into two timelines focusing on his childhood and development as a teen wolf, and his adventures as a rather Bondesque British spy battling Nazis during World War II. This novel is McCammon in top form, action-packed with some devious plotting and some edge-of-seat cloak and dagger business. The werewolf transformation scenes are vividly described, as are the more grounded spy vs spy fight scenes, there is considerable gore and violence but the tone leans more toward high octane action and I would not call this a horror novel. Michael Gallatin is a hero you can rot for but a bit more of a sense of humour would have been nice. McCammon’s take on lycanthropy is based on a sci-fi rationale rather a supernatural one, he does not make a particularly convincing case for it but it is not of any real importance to the storyline.
I don’t have a lot to say about The Wolf's Hour as it is just a fun read that is not meant to be ruminated about. For pure entertainment, it works very well, people talk about popcorn movies, do people eat popcorn while reading too? Anyway, some snacks would go down well with this book.
January 27, 2020
I really wanted to hate this novel. It’s such a silly concept: a British werewolf spy fighting Nazis? Give me some crackers with that cheese! The fact that this book receives almost universal praise, often getting cited as one of Robert McCammon’s best works, seemed a shame to me. What could this book possibly offer to rival with Boy’s Life or Swan Song?
What makes The Wolf’s Hour work is McCammon’s fine writing. He knows how to grab the reader and not let go, and this is one of his longer stories so the world is fully developed. What I found most intriguing was the chapters detailing the lead character’s coming of age, his tragic childhood and his coping with newfound paranormal abilities. The present story—spying for the British to stop Nazis—didn’t grab me quite as much, as I’m not a war buff and I’m not into spy/adventure stories. Still, it was gripping enough.
Despite this book being hyper-masculine and über male in places (the fact that almost every female character is judged by her attractiveness to Michael alone did not escape this reader), I couldn’t rate it less than 4 stars due to McCammon’s obvious expansive research into the era and the sheer breadth of the tale. Will I ever revisit it? Hmm . . . probably not. But color me a fan.
What makes The Wolf’s Hour work is McCammon’s fine writing. He knows how to grab the reader and not let go, and this is one of his longer stories so the world is fully developed. What I found most intriguing was the chapters detailing the lead character’s coming of age, his tragic childhood and his coping with newfound paranormal abilities. The present story—spying for the British to stop Nazis—didn’t grab me quite as much, as I’m not a war buff and I’m not into spy/adventure stories. Still, it was gripping enough.
Despite this book being hyper-masculine and über male in places (the fact that almost every female character is judged by her attractiveness to Michael alone did not escape this reader), I couldn’t rate it less than 4 stars due to McCammon’s obvious expansive research into the era and the sheer breadth of the tale. Will I ever revisit it? Hmm . . . probably not. But color me a fan.
July 30, 2025
4.5/5, rounded up.
Another McCammon scratched off the list, another banger enjoyed. This guy just rarely misses, and The Wolf's Hour was no exception. Those expecting a horror novel might be somewhat put off, because while the main character is a werewolf, and there are certainly many horrific moments throughout the book, it's mainly a historical fiction/action adventure epic. If you blended Raiders of the Lost Ark with some James Bond and maybe a little from a movie like Dog Soldiers, you'd be in the ballpark, but maybe those comparisons are a disservice. McCammon crafts an amazingly well paced adventure/espionage tale, traversing around South Africa, Wales, France, Germany and Norway, never letting off the gas, and effortlessly drawing his characters, and yes, folding in lycanthropy into the serious history of World War II. I can't recommend this one enough!
Another McCammon scratched off the list, another banger enjoyed. This guy just rarely misses, and The Wolf's Hour was no exception. Those expecting a horror novel might be somewhat put off, because while the main character is a werewolf, and there are certainly many horrific moments throughout the book, it's mainly a historical fiction/action adventure epic. If you blended Raiders of the Lost Ark with some James Bond and maybe a little from a movie like Dog Soldiers, you'd be in the ballpark, but maybe those comparisons are a disservice. McCammon crafts an amazingly well paced adventure/espionage tale, traversing around South Africa, Wales, France, Germany and Norway, never letting off the gas, and effortlessly drawing his characters, and yes, folding in lycanthropy into the serious history of World War II. I can't recommend this one enough!
June 16, 2011
Trashy, genre-crossing mess about a Russian refugee werewolf fighting Nazis and having sex. I read this when I was in my early teens and thought it was pretty pervy, but I'm sure it would seem mild compared to lots of later "paranormal" novels.
April 30, 2008
This is probably my favorite of all the McCammon books. How can you go wrong with a werewolf master spy fighting against the Nazis? You can't.
Its just pure pulp fun. Some may consider it trash but they're just not enlightened.
Its just pure pulp fun. Some may consider it trash but they're just not enlightened.
March 31, 2015
If Jason Bourne and rabid Lassie had a love child on the set of The Dirty Dozen directed by John Woo, this is what you’d get.
Nazi’s make me fucking sick. I can’t believe that this kind of shit went down not all that long ago. Anytime a Nazi piece of shit gets killed I can’t help but want to stand up and cheer and there was no shortage of it in this one. Good. Fuckers.
Oh yeah, and there were werewolves in here too. A little spy thriller/ espionagey (yes, that is a word) for me, but I believe it was exactly what it was supposed to be and its McCammon man. McCammon!
Nazi’s make me fucking sick. I can’t believe that this kind of shit went down not all that long ago. Anytime a Nazi piece of shit gets killed I can’t help but want to stand up and cheer and there was no shortage of it in this one. Good. Fuckers.
Oh yeah, and there were werewolves in here too. A little spy thriller/ espionagey (yes, that is a word) for me, but I believe it was exactly what it was supposed to be and its McCammon man. McCammon!
March 27, 2016
To come.
October 19, 2011
I could go even to [9/10] for the sheer amount of entertainment I got out the Michael Gallatin adventures and the skilled control of McCammon over the plot and the pacing of the narrative.
There are a lot of things done good in this high octane thriller and few to criticize. In true Indiana Jones style the hero goes from one rollercoater ride to another, from the sand dunes of El Alamein to the rooftop of the Paris Opera and from the rushing train on the Berlin outskirts to a desolate rocky island in the North Sea. The object of the quest is not some archeological relic, but a Nazi plot to turn the tide of WW II.
It is not a spoiler that Michael is a werewolf, and the best chapters of the book for me were the flashback of his life in the Russian forest and coming to grips with his dual nature. The cast of second characters that help the hero along the way are well done, maybe with the exception of the adversaries, who are a tad over the top in their despicable dastardly deeds. Michael too, could have turned out as an annoying superhero always right and always winning, in the mould of Rambo or Steven Segal, but McCammon was able to temper his special abilities with vulnerabilies, hesitations and self doubt. He has to work hard and does not get out unscatted from his confrontations. Of course, he has quite a way with the ladies, and in this matter the novel is rather explicit and mature for young readers. again Mccammon found the right note with his feminine characters and they are not in the story as passive eye candy but as fierce fighters and independent spirits.
The level of violence and gore is very high, still I would rate this book as an adventure thriller and not a true horror novel.
There are a lot of things done good in this high octane thriller and few to criticize. In true Indiana Jones style the hero goes from one rollercoater ride to another, from the sand dunes of El Alamein to the rooftop of the Paris Opera and from the rushing train on the Berlin outskirts to a desolate rocky island in the North Sea. The object of the quest is not some archeological relic, but a Nazi plot to turn the tide of WW II.
It is not a spoiler that Michael is a werewolf, and the best chapters of the book for me were the flashback of his life in the Russian forest and coming to grips with his dual nature. The cast of second characters that help the hero along the way are well done, maybe with the exception of the adversaries, who are a tad over the top in their despicable dastardly deeds. Michael too, could have turned out as an annoying superhero always right and always winning, in the mould of Rambo or Steven Segal, but McCammon was able to temper his special abilities with vulnerabilies, hesitations and self doubt. He has to work hard and does not get out unscatted from his confrontations. Of course, he has quite a way with the ladies, and in this matter the novel is rather explicit and mature for young readers. again Mccammon found the right note with his feminine characters and they are not in the story as passive eye candy but as fierce fighters and independent spirits.
The level of violence and gore is very high, still I would rate this book as an adventure thriller and not a true horror novel.
April 30, 2022
Another great action-packed thriller from McCammon. Absolutely loved the character of Michael Gallatin! Great stuff.
October 25, 2018
Werewolves, sex, spies, assassins, nazis... man this book had it all.
This was not so much a scary book as it was an action packed thriller. McCammon does provide some gruesome scenes along the way, so scary or not, this is still a horror novel fit for a good pre-Halloween read.
Along the way we are given some back-story glimpses of our protagonists life and his transformation into a lycanthrope, but the bulk of the story deals with him in human form as an undercover agent endeavoring to aid the allies in the battle against Hitler and his Nazi regime.
I thought this was an entertaining, exciting read, from the first page to the very end. I wouldn't call it perfect, but deserving of 5 stars.
This was not so much a scary book as it was an action packed thriller. McCammon does provide some gruesome scenes along the way, so scary or not, this is still a horror novel fit for a good pre-Halloween read.
Along the way we are given some back-story glimpses of our protagonists life and his transformation into a lycanthrope, but the bulk of the story deals with him in human form as an undercover agent endeavoring to aid the allies in the battle against Hitler and his Nazi regime.
I thought this was an entertaining, exciting read, from the first page to the very end. I wouldn't call it perfect, but deserving of 5 stars.
January 24, 2018
Fabulously entertaining, an exotic blend of paranormal, war thriller and romance. Defies category. Highly recommend.
August 6, 2025
We are all familiar with the old adage, Time and Tide wait for none, and this truly applies to me. I am that grasshopper that starts working at the last minute; be it studying for exams or completing tasks or even reading books. Procrastination is something that is like second skin to me and I have to admit that I am not proud of it. Only true procrastinators will understand the futility of advising us with dire consequences. It is as I said part and parcel of our lives. Why am I taking about procrastination and the adage here? Well, this book is one such procrastinated effort!
At the beginning of 2015, my dearest buddy Manu and I decided to exchange 12 recommendations, with the promise that we shall read all twelve this year. Now my buddy is a diligent soul and has completed several of my recommendations but me the great procrastinator always put off reading these books by saying there are 11 months, then 10, then 9 and so forth; am sure you get the drift. We are now in the final month of the year and I finally realized that I have read only 4-5 of the recommended 12. Naturally, I decided to rush to the finish and wanted to get as many done. This book was one such effort and I must say that the rush to the finish line isn’t going to happen, despite the facts that the books recommended by her are truly superb.
Coming to this book in particular, I have to say that this is my second book by the author and I totally loved it. Set in the backdrop of the World War II, this book is a spy thriller with a supernatural element. The combination itself is deadly and when you add Robert McCammon’s writing to it, it is transformed into something so sublime and superior that you are left with a feeling of awe that is reserved for those books that move you.
Moving seamlessly between the past and present, McCammon brings to the reader a treat in the form of words, which can be described by using only superlatives. Let us start with the theme; I love WWII books and I love supernatural elements, especially werewolves. When a book has both together, it has enough to intrigue me to read it. McCammon’s genius comes from the fact that he hasn’t used the stereotyped supernatural element, which is all strong and invincible, but has produced a hero who is capable and yet susceptible to pain and death like all others. There is honesty in this particular caricature of the wolf-man and it is so brutally honest that it will appeal even those who aren’t really fascinated with the supernatural theme.
Michael Gallatin, the main character in this book, is your average guy but he is also a werewolf. Robert McCammon gives life to Michael and his descriptions of how he turned into a werewolf and how he learnt to accept it are truly transcendent. I believe that this part of the book, the past, is filled with pathos that is heart wrenching and yet so beautiful that you are wont to stay there forever. The honesty and superb caricature is continued when the author talks about Michael, the spy. For a person like me, who is fed on the various superhuman werewolves, this was a bright spot and a perfect change. I have to say here that the author while writing the wolf parts has truly gone into the mind of the wolf and written it as if he were a true wolf, which is something truly magical.
Moving onto the parts about the Nazi regime, I have to say here that this part was brutal and really painful to read. I have read a lot on the Holocaust and the Nazi regime and have felt the horrors but McCammon’s soulful writing brings to life those horrors in such a way that you feel as if you are experiencing it. When reading these parts, I actually wanted to kill them with my bare hands and this was only because of the realistic writing of the author.
While the book deserves all the praise that it gets in this review, I won’t say that this book is without its faults. One major problem that I had with this book was the movie-like writing in the action sequences, especially the climax scene. Don’t get me wrong, I totally loved it but felt that it read more like a movie script than a book. It kept me at the edge of my seat even when I felt it to be unrealistic, especially the final scenes, which I felt took away a little from my enjoyment and made me give a rating lower than a complete 5. However, despite this small issue of the climax and action scenes, I truly enjoyed this book and the experience it gave me as I wandered through the Nazi lands and war affected regions of Europe and experienced everything through the eyes of Michael and his friends.
At the end of my review, I would like to thank Manju for recommending this book to me. While I can’t promise that I will finish all your recommendations by the end of this month, I will try and get to all by Jan/Feb next year.
At the beginning of 2015, my dearest buddy Manu and I decided to exchange 12 recommendations, with the promise that we shall read all twelve this year. Now my buddy is a diligent soul and has completed several of my recommendations but me the great procrastinator always put off reading these books by saying there are 11 months, then 10, then 9 and so forth; am sure you get the drift. We are now in the final month of the year and I finally realized that I have read only 4-5 of the recommended 12. Naturally, I decided to rush to the finish and wanted to get as many done. This book was one such effort and I must say that the rush to the finish line isn’t going to happen, despite the facts that the books recommended by her are truly superb.
Coming to this book in particular, I have to say that this is my second book by the author and I totally loved it. Set in the backdrop of the World War II, this book is a spy thriller with a supernatural element. The combination itself is deadly and when you add Robert McCammon’s writing to it, it is transformed into something so sublime and superior that you are left with a feeling of awe that is reserved for those books that move you.
Moving seamlessly between the past and present, McCammon brings to the reader a treat in the form of words, which can be described by using only superlatives. Let us start with the theme; I love WWII books and I love supernatural elements, especially werewolves. When a book has both together, it has enough to intrigue me to read it. McCammon’s genius comes from the fact that he hasn’t used the stereotyped supernatural element, which is all strong and invincible, but has produced a hero who is capable and yet susceptible to pain and death like all others. There is honesty in this particular caricature of the wolf-man and it is so brutally honest that it will appeal even those who aren’t really fascinated with the supernatural theme.
Michael Gallatin, the main character in this book, is your average guy but he is also a werewolf. Robert McCammon gives life to Michael and his descriptions of how he turned into a werewolf and how he learnt to accept it are truly transcendent. I believe that this part of the book, the past, is filled with pathos that is heart wrenching and yet so beautiful that you are wont to stay there forever. The honesty and superb caricature is continued when the author talks about Michael, the spy. For a person like me, who is fed on the various superhuman werewolves, this was a bright spot and a perfect change. I have to say here that the author while writing the wolf parts has truly gone into the mind of the wolf and written it as if he were a true wolf, which is something truly magical.
Moving onto the parts about the Nazi regime, I have to say here that this part was brutal and really painful to read. I have read a lot on the Holocaust and the Nazi regime and have felt the horrors but McCammon’s soulful writing brings to life those horrors in such a way that you feel as if you are experiencing it. When reading these parts, I actually wanted to kill them with my bare hands and this was only because of the realistic writing of the author.
While the book deserves all the praise that it gets in this review, I won’t say that this book is without its faults. One major problem that I had with this book was the movie-like writing in the action sequences, especially the climax scene. Don’t get me wrong, I totally loved it but felt that it read more like a movie script than a book. It kept me at the edge of my seat even when I felt it to be unrealistic, especially the final scenes, which I felt took away a little from my enjoyment and made me give a rating lower than a complete 5. However, despite this small issue of the climax and action scenes, I truly enjoyed this book and the experience it gave me as I wandered through the Nazi lands and war affected regions of Europe and experienced everything through the eyes of Michael and his friends.
At the end of my review, I would like to thank Manju for recommending this book to me. While I can’t promise that I will finish all your recommendations by the end of this month, I will try and get to all by Jan/Feb next year.
June 15, 2025
Gosh, what a range of topics inside: imminent invasion of Europe (D-Day), Nazi-Terror, Russian Revolution, the story of a werewolf (Michael Gallatin), love and sex scenes. Robert McCammon here probably wrote the most intriguing modern werewolf novel ever. It was a compelling book about a secret Nazi weapon and the plans of Michael and Chesna to prevent it from being used in the final days of the war. Is it a war novel? Definitely. But one blended with a perfect mix of horror motifs and philosophic elements. Far from being an extremely fast read I couldn't put this one down. The author is one of the best narrators ever. A modern classic and new facet to WW2. Highly recommended!
February 13, 2013
This is still to date one of my all time favorite novels. McCammon has written some great tales but this is one I can (and have) read over and over and over again. 007 meet the Wolf man; actually no... 007 IS the Wolf man. McCammon takes you back and forth between WWII espionage, personal vendetta, 007 spy action and werewolf Russian heritage. As much as i would love to read a sequel I don't want the fun of the original to be squandered. If you want a great werewolf novel or just an interesting twist on a WWII or spy novels.. this is it.
I simply can't find the words to fully espouse how much I freakin love this book.
I simply can't find the words to fully espouse how much I freakin love this book.
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