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Щит и меч
В канун Отечественной войны советский разведчик Александр Белов пересекает не только географическую границу между двумя странами, но и тот незримый рубеж, который отделял мир от фашистской Третьей империи. По долгу службы ему пришлось стать немцем Иоганном Вайсом. И не простым немцем.
"Щит и меч" - это и своеобразный социальный роман, и психологический, построенный на остром сюжете, на глубоко драматичных коллизиях.
"Щит и меч" - это и своеобразный социальный роман, и психологический, построенный на остром сюжете, на глубоко драматичных коллизиях.
936 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1966
About the author
Vadim Kozhevnikov
23 booksVadim Mikhailovich Kozhevnikov (Russian: Вадим Михайлович Кожевников) Soviet writer. His daughter Nadezhda Kozhevnikova is also a writer.
Vadim Kozevnikov was born to a Russian family in the Siberian town of Narym, Tomsk Governorate (present-day Kolpashevsky District, Tomsk Oblast), where his revolutionary-minded father, a physician, had been sent as an internal exile by the authorities of the Russian Empire.
Kozhevnikov studied literature and ethnology at Moscow State University, graduating in 1933. Kozhevnikov worked as a war correspondent for Pravda from 1941 to 1945, joining the Communist Party of the Soviet Union halfway into the German-Soviet War in 1943. He was elected secretary of the Union of Soviet Writers in 1949.
Kozhevnikov was officially recognized as a Hero of Socialist Labor for his contributions to Soviet literature and was elected to one term as a politician to the Soviet Union's Supreme Soviet. He was awarded the USSR State Prize following the publication of two of his novels in 1971.
Vadim Kozevnikov was born to a Russian family in the Siberian town of Narym, Tomsk Governorate (present-day Kolpashevsky District, Tomsk Oblast), where his revolutionary-minded father, a physician, had been sent as an internal exile by the authorities of the Russian Empire.
Kozhevnikov studied literature and ethnology at Moscow State University, graduating in 1933. Kozhevnikov worked as a war correspondent for Pravda from 1941 to 1945, joining the Communist Party of the Soviet Union halfway into the German-Soviet War in 1943. He was elected secretary of the Union of Soviet Writers in 1949.
Kozhevnikov was officially recognized as a Hero of Socialist Labor for his contributions to Soviet literature and was elected to one term as a politician to the Soviet Union's Supreme Soviet. He was awarded the USSR State Prize following the publication of two of his novels in 1971.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 12, 2024
Kādreiz dziļā bērnībā bija pirmais spiegu.. ēē.. IZLŪKU gabals, kuru izlasīju ar tikpat dziļu interesi. Atceros, ka neizdzēšamu iespaidu atstāja galvenā varoņa ideālā vācu valoda - tiešām nesapratu, kā to var apgūt tik nevainojami, ka vienīgie, kas nojauta, ka viss nav gluži perfekti, bija kurlmēmie spiegi, kuri pamanīja zināmu savādību lūpu kustībās. Vēl pēc kāda laika šis tūkstošlapu ķieģelis laikam zaudēja sākotnējo pievilcību, jo kalpoja par paliktni, kad izšuvu savu pirmo un vienīgo gobelēnu...
February 4, 2026
a very heavy book that tells many things that happened in WW2 and that you don't find in official history.
Read
May 12, 2024На удивление оказалось меньше вранья, чем я ожидала. Хотя основная тема, конечно, что союзники ничем не лучше гитлера, не говоря уж про сталина, но это-то я помнила с детства.
December 12, 2017
Непоганий шпигунський роман, якщо відкинути ідеологічну складову. Під виглядом прибалтійського німця Йоганна Вайса, радянський шпигун проникає у структури Абвера... На час прочитання було цікаво, хоча вся історія малоймовірна. Зважаючи на невисоке становище і звання Вайс не міг би отримати доступ до таких таємниць ІІІ Рейху.
September 7, 2026
Okay so.
This book is really good. its 1200 pages and I've read it twice in a few months. It has a very interesting premise, with a fascinating core relationship.
The main character, sasha, is well fleshed out. He's young and naive in a lot of ways, and most of all full of very justified anger and hatred for fascism. At the same time, he is required to be that fascist, be a cold calculating fanatic.
The hardest lesson for him is how to help others find redemption. To find it within himself to let go of the disgust and hatred and anger when it is useful for the cause. To put his own justified emotions below the cause.
Henry is even more complex, part driven by abstract revenge. And then partially driven by a feeling of wanting to be important. His feeling of mediocrity is fascinating and the abruptness he returns to sasha's life is really interesting. His arc is very well handled, and damn sasha is a really good friend. Idk if I could've done that.
But some of my favourite characters are the side characters. Even the love triangle is surprisingly interesting, (I despise love triangles) because it links into the themes of personal feelings versus the cause. The cause must always come first, but soviet scouts and anti fascist partisans are still fundamentally people. And people feel things. Zubov is hilarious, I love that he basically uses the fact he has blond hair and blue eyes to bullshit his way through murdering nazis. And a very complicated arc from viewing himself as already dead to wanting to live. 'Olga' is great, demonstrating quick thinking and a strong hardened will even in a situation she is entirely out of her depth. I love the characters we only see for a bit, the goldblats, henry's father is particularly interesting and the jewish american father-son we see only for a little at the end. Each, despite only coming for a while has a suprisingly complex arc, ties into the main themes and then continues on their journey. it often feels a book could be written about any of them.
My favourite character is Baryshev, I love him so much. not because he is complex, or has a strong emotional arc the way the other characters do. I just love his good humour and cheer, his love for sasha and the strict but logical teaching he gives. If he had been even a little less strict, Sasha would have payed the price, and Baryshev knows this. Also the scene in the soviet hospital is my favourite bit, becuase he shows up like a wrecking ball, gives very little explanation and helps sasha when hes supposed to be in important meetings. Great guy. So funny.
Also it's very gay, the tv show is definitely more gay but this is still very gay. Henry and sasha my beloveds <3.
However, I cannot give it more than 4 stars on pure technical notes. The book is long, and for good reason but it sometimes loses track of where it is. It forgets characters, plot points are put emphasis on that never show up again.
But. Sasha often goes on sidequests, which is actually a character flaw of his that he has to work on. So in a way, the over involvement in plot and characters that aren't touched on again accurately reflects his character. This is why I didn't mind it so much, the writing of the book feels like a reflection of sasha's nature.
"In this war, humanity lost millions of lives. Among the dead were those who could have gifted humanity with great discoveries through their genius and labor, pointing out new paths to conquer nature and improve mankind. But they were killed".
(edited to add the quote).
This book is really good. its 1200 pages and I've read it twice in a few months. It has a very interesting premise, with a fascinating core relationship.
The main character, sasha, is well fleshed out. He's young and naive in a lot of ways, and most of all full of very justified anger and hatred for fascism. At the same time, he is required to be that fascist, be a cold calculating fanatic.
The hardest lesson for him is how to help others find redemption. To find it within himself to let go of the disgust and hatred and anger when it is useful for the cause. To put his own justified emotions below the cause.
Henry is even more complex, part driven by abstract revenge. And then partially driven by a feeling of wanting to be important. His feeling of mediocrity is fascinating and the abruptness he returns to sasha's life is really interesting. His arc is very well handled, and damn sasha is a really good friend. Idk if I could've done that.
But some of my favourite characters are the side characters. Even the love triangle is surprisingly interesting, (I despise love triangles) because it links into the themes of personal feelings versus the cause. The cause must always come first, but soviet scouts and anti fascist partisans are still fundamentally people. And people feel things. Zubov is hilarious, I love that he basically uses the fact he has blond hair and blue eyes to bullshit his way through murdering nazis. And a very complicated arc from viewing himself as already dead to wanting to live. 'Olga' is great, demonstrating quick thinking and a strong hardened will even in a situation she is entirely out of her depth. I love the characters we only see for a bit, the goldblats, henry's father is particularly interesting and the jewish american father-son we see only for a little at the end. Each, despite only coming for a while has a suprisingly complex arc, ties into the main themes and then continues on their journey. it often feels a book could be written about any of them.
My favourite character is Baryshev, I love him so much. not because he is complex, or has a strong emotional arc the way the other characters do. I just love his good humour and cheer, his love for sasha and the strict but logical teaching he gives. If he had been even a little less strict, Sasha would have payed the price, and Baryshev knows this. Also the scene in the soviet hospital is my favourite bit, becuase he shows up like a wrecking ball, gives very little explanation and helps sasha when hes supposed to be in important meetings. Great guy. So funny.
Also it's very gay, the tv show is definitely more gay but this is still very gay. Henry and sasha my beloveds <3.
However, I cannot give it more than 4 stars on pure technical notes. The book is long, and for good reason but it sometimes loses track of where it is. It forgets characters, plot points are put emphasis on that never show up again.
But. Sasha often goes on sidequests, which is actually a character flaw of his that he has to work on. So in a way, the over involvement in plot and characters that aren't touched on again accurately reflects his character. This is why I didn't mind it so much, the writing of the book feels like a reflection of sasha's nature.
"In this war, humanity lost millions of lives. Among the dead were those who could have gifted humanity with great discoveries through their genius and labor, pointing out new paths to conquer nature and improve mankind. But they were killed".
(edited to add the quote).
March 30, 2025
i do no hate myself enough to finish reading this book. the language is stale and drawn-out. it makes what interesting plot points there are (not that there are many) look as boring as humanly possible. and it's propagandist piece of bullshit spreading historical revisionism of magnitude i have not imagined possible before
"the bourgeois rulers of poland betrayed the patriots and the entire polish population with their refusal to let the red army on it's territory, which wanted to protect poland from the threat of a sudden attack by hitler's wehrmacht" <- actual sentence that made me realize that life is too short to read shit literature
"the bourgeois rulers of poland betrayed the patriots and the entire polish population with their refusal to let the red army on it's territory, which wanted to protect poland from the threat of a sudden attack by hitler's wehrmacht" <- actual sentence that made me realize that life is too short to read shit literature
February 23, 2021
Великолепный замысел уничтожен кондовым языком. Некоторые пассажи будто списаны из протоколов или политруковских методичек (запомнилось "глухонемой собирал информацию путём визуального считывания движений рта наблюдаемого объекта" - очевидно, "читал по губам" было бы слишком просто). События описываются с удушающим количеством пространных рассуждений и при этом без особого погружения в ткань событий.
Я хотел прочитать роман перед тем, как посмотреть экранизацию - увидел в обсуждениях, что значительная часть материала в фильм не попала. Теперь понятно, почему.
Я хотел прочитать роман перед тем, как посмотреть экранизацию - увидел в обсуждениях, что значительная часть материала в фильм не попала. Теперь понятно, почему.
June 28, 2026
Много увлекателна книга.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews