Hitler's Peace

by Philip Kerr

A stunning World War II "what if" thriller in which the fate of Europe-and of its remaining 3 million Jews-hangs in the balance.

Autumn 1943. Since Stalingrad, Hitler has known that Germany cannot win the war. The upcoming Allied conference in Teheran will set the ground rules for their second front-and for the peace to come. Realizing that the unconditional surrender FDR has demanded will leave Germany in ruins, Hitler has put out peace feelers. (Unbeknownst to him, so has Himmler, who is ready to stage a coup in order to reach an accord.) FDR and Stalin are willing to negotiate. Only Churchill refuses to listen.

At the center of this high-stakes game of deals and double-dealing is Willard Mayer, an OSS operative who has been chosen by FDR to serve as his envoy. He is the perfect foil for the steamy world of deception, betrayals, and assassinations that make up the moral universe of realpolitik. A cool, self-absorbed, emotionally distant womanizer with a questionable past, Mayer has embraced the stylish philosophy of the day, in which no values are fixed. In the course of the novel, his beliefs will be put to the ultimate test.

But as compelling as Mayer is, the key players in this drama-FDR, Stalin, Churchill, and Hitler, as well as Himmler, Bormann, Molotov, and Schellenberg (with marvelous walk-ons by Kim Philby, Anthony Blunt, and Evelyn Waugh)-are astonishingly true-to-life.

Hitler's Peace is Philip Kerr in top form. With his sure hand for pacing, his firm grasp of historical detail, and his explosively creative imagination about what might have been, he has fashioned a totally convincing thinking man's thriller in the great tradition of Eric Ambler and Graham Greene.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, World War II, Germany, Historical

514 pages, Paperback

First published May 19, 2005

About the author

Philip Kerr was a British author. He was best known for his Bernie Gunther series of 13 historical thrillers and a children's series, Children of the Lamp, under the name P.B. Kerr.

Librarian’s note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Paromjit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Philip Kerr once again writes of WW2, a topic and time period he is extraordinarily well acquainted with, this time without the canny Bernie Gunther, in this standalone historical thriller set in 1943. The mood in Berlin is bleak, acknowledging that they are facing certain defeat, the Allied bombing of Berlin and Germany is taking its toll, and Stalingrad underlines the catastrophic failure of the Germans on the Eastern front. In this blend of fact, fiction and faction, Hitler and his senior Nazis are fearful of FDR's unprecedented demands for an unconditional surrender, and the devastating ruination of Germany that would inevitably follow. Himmler, Schellenberg, Ribbentrop and others are jostling for position in a tense climate of deadly rivalries, looking to secure the best deal for Germany, hoping to drive a wedge between the US and Stalin, as various undercover efforts are undertaken to negotiate the best peace deal for Hitler and Germany.

The only major player not interested in a deal is Churchill, but he is by far the weakest of the Big Three. FDR is perhaps understandably drawn to a deal as it will save huge numbers of American lives, and both he and Stalin have their eyes on the bigger picture, their ability to influence and shape post-war Europe, and how they intend to benefit from it. Dropped into the middle of this high stakes world of deals and double deals is philosophy professor, an academic and Office of Strategic Services agent, Willard Mayer, a German-American Jew asked by FDR to ascertain the truth behind the allegation of a Russian massacre of surrendering Polish officers at Katyn Forest. Mayer is keenly aware that even if true, it is unlikely to prevent FDR from allying himself with Stalin as he finds himself facing danger, deception, betrayal, and assassinations in a behind the scenes moral free real-politik zone that the Big Three and Germany operate in.

Where Kerr does a sterling job is in portraying the murky world of terror and atrocities that Hitler's Germany and Stalin engaged in, and how at the end of the day, so little of this mattered to a US looking towards its own self interest, seeking to secure its European power base and extend its influence. Morality and ideals have little sway other than as clothes to don for PR purposes, the dirty truths obscured, and philosophically one might even question if there is such a thing as truth. This is engaging storytelling, buttressed by the actual realities and real people of the time, such as Kim Philby and Evelyn Waugh. I admit I have a stronger preference for Kerr's terrific Bernie Gunther series, but this is nevertheless a worthy, historically detailed thriller. Many thanks to Quercus for an ARC.

[David Lowther · Rating 4 out of 5]

A load of thoroughly entertaining rubbish, the literary equivalent of Tarantino's brilliant movie Inglorious Basterds.

Philip Kerr is one of the very best writers of Nazi Germany stories, some set before the war, others during it and the rest after it. They all have one thing in common; the presence of champion cynic policeman Bernie Gunther. The main character in Hitler's Peace, Willard Mayer, is not Bernie but pretty tough, considering he's been seconded from his job as a philosophy teacher at Princeton to become a wartime German specialist with OSS. He's half Jewish and half German and has dabbled with communism before the war, though his superiors don't know this.

Mayer gets the job preparing a report for President Roosevelt and FDR is so impressed that he recruits our hero to be part of his team attending the 'big three' meeting in Tehran at the end of 1943.

Meanwhile in Berlin, Himmler, Schllenberg and Ribbentrop are variously planning to either kill the 'big three' assassinate Stalin, make a secret peace with Russia or with America and none of them seems to know what the other one is up to. These three make a number of appearances, alongside cameos from Hitler, Stalin, Beria as well as Roosevelt and 'Wild Bill' Donovan and others.

The plot is unbelievably complex, full of twists and turns and surprises and the book itself is a real page turner. Kerr is a real expert at this type of thing. Very entertaining.

[Rowena Hoseason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fans of Philip Kerr’s Berlin noir series might be surprised by this standalone story – it’s most definitely not a Bernie Gunther-style thriller. It’s a rigorously researched historical novel with a fictional intrigue woven around actual events and real people. Don't expect a page-turning espionage adventure – because what you get is a metric tonne of names, ranks and historical references.

The story switches from an American professor who’s called upon to investigate atrocities that may have happened behind allied and enemy lines to a middle-ranking German army officer, who’s come up with a plot to assassinate the allied leaders and thus save Germany from a humiliating defeat.

While Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin set up their negotiations in the Middle East, intellectuals and army officers plot and scheme to undermine allied efforts and to advance their own agendas. Who in the Third Reich in late 1943 might’ve been prepared to do a deal with the Allies? Who might’ve seen the tripartite talks in Tehran as an opportunity for advancement? And who started killing agents in Washington, and then accompanied the American president aboard his warship?

As an alternative timeline, this becomes an immensely engaging story after you’ve negotiated the extended scene-setting of the opening chapters. The series of incompetent events which afflicted FDR’s flotilla are ludicrously enjoyable, as are the interludes with Philby and Co. And I was genuinely on tenterhooks as the conference approached and absolutely anything could happen…

Hitler’s Peace may be too academic and meticulous for fans of page-turning thrillers. Equally, it probably takes too many liberties with real-life characters to entirely endear itself to experts on the era. But if you’re happy to steer a middle path through richly detailed historical happenings and (mostly) plausible fictional conceits, this is a rewarding read.
8/10

There are more reviews of crime-thrillers, spy stories and murder-mysteries over at http://www.murdermayhemandmore.net Feel free to drop by!

[Bibliophile · Rating 2 out of 5]

What if Adolf Hitler had offered the Allies a negotiated peace in 1943? That is the premise of Philip Kerr's Hitler's Peace; unfortunately, the novel doesn't live up to its fascinating premise. The main character is an insufferable womanizing know-it-all with none of the charm or sly wit of Kerr's great Berlin detective, Bernie Gunther. Moreover, Hitler's motivations for seeking peace after the debacle of Stalingrad are never fleshed out and whatever Kerr does posit doesn't seem very believable, frankly - this is the same man who still thought the German Army could hold off the Russians in the middle of the Battle of Berlin, after all. Moreover, the book dragged on seemingly forever. So ... nice try, but I'm just going to stick to the Berlin Noir books!

[Michel · Rating 3 out of 5]

After 2 chapters, I wanted to give it 4-stars, later I was giving 5-stars, but then, the last 3 chapters, well, I don't want to spoil it for anybody, let's just say I couldn't suspend disbelief any longer. Some of the things that happen here just could have happened, with intermediaries, but not with the main protagonists; and just too much is attributed to one obscure 3rd tier Oss analyst…
This being said, Kerr is topgun when it comes to research! What he doesn't know about nazi Germany, or WWII European theater, isn't worth knowing; even his metaphors are period-conscious. And his precise, understated style is a delight.
Ok, I'll give this book a 4th star if you do, how's that?

[Toni Osborne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of this author since my introduction to the Bernie Gunther series some time ago. I simply could not stay there waiting for the next installment so why not backtrack and “Hitler’s Peace” became my preferred choice.

This is briskly paced and a sharp standalone spy thriller set in 1943 when Hitler and his advisors see that they are losing the war and unconditional surrender is out of the question. Hitler and his advisers then work on a secret plan to manipulate the Allies to turn their backs on the Russian State.

With this as background, Willard Mayer, a former Princeton philosophy professor currently working as an intelligence analyst is given an unexpected assignment from the President of the U.S.A to examine the facts surrounding the Katyn Forest Massacre and to be part of his entourage to the Teheran Conference where the “Big Three” (Roosevelt, Stalin, Churchill) would meet to strategize about the war.

Meanwhile general Schellenberg plans to kill the Allies leaders in order to save the Fatherland from further destruction and then begins the high stakes game of deals and double-dealing. The body count mounts, twists spins the tale and eventually every piece of the puzzle falls into place.

This is indeed an interesting concept and a great fiction based on facts, Mr. Kerr explains which one are true at the end of the book. The story is told in the first person narrative by the protagonist, Willard Mayer, a pretentious and somewhat bland character. The book is populated with overpowering historical figures that once on the stage could have overshadowed everything else. With excellent portrayal of them, Mr. Kerr did manage to make them appeared less stringent at times. Some side escapades were a fun read and brought a light touch to the suspense. Despite its flaws (a fiction is a fiction) this fast paced novel left me wanting more as I flipped the pages.

“Hitler’s Peace” is an interesting and entertaining novel I enjoyed quite a bit..

[Mieczyslaw Kasprzyk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book and it reminded me of how many good stand-alone books Philip Kerr wrote. Essentially it's about the confusion of loyalties people had in WW2, about the confusion of morality when you have to choose between the devil and the deep blue sea. It's about real-politik and a willingness to betray allies and principles.
It's about the build-up to the Teheran Conference and having to meet with one mass murderer in order to defeat another but... perhaps there is a way out of all our troubles?
Politics exists in its own universe, divorced from God's laws.
Hitler wants a way out... so do the Soviets and, if truth be known, so do the Americans... and lo! an opportunity presents itself.
This is a well written tale of espionage (of sorts) and that dimension of war away from the bullets and bombs. It is a work of fiction but it beautifully weaves its way through the truth... what actually happened.
Excellent.

[Unai Goikoetxea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me duele en el alma valorar con un tres a mi admirado Philip Kerr, pero no me ha quedado otro remedio.
La novela arranca suave, poniéndonos en situación y presentándonos a los personajes que van a capitalizar la narración. Por un momento llegué a emocionarme, ya que vi destellos del Kerr de Bernie Gunther. Fueron espejismos, me temo.
Estamos ante una novela de espías sosa, insuflada con discursos filosóficos que no aportan nada, más allá de darle a la obra una pátina de pedantería innecesaria.
En fin, le doy tres estrellas por lealtad a Kerr.

[Miss R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Quercus Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The late Philip Kerr was an author of inimitable talent in the field historical fiction and will be sadly missed. 'Hitler's Peace', is yet another example of Kerr's astonishing ability to take historical 'truth', and re-fashion it into something new, and utterly absorbing. All the hallmarks of Kerr's greatness are present here, too. If you thought Kerr's legendary Bernie Gunther series of books were classic examples of their genre, which they undoubtedly are, then you will not be disappointed with 'Hitler's Peace'. It is technically a 'what if?' type of novel, but the events outlined by Kerr could very well have turned out as he envisaged them. Many alternative history novels require a suspension of belief on the part of the reader, not Kerr's. It his ability meld the intricacies of history with just enough fictional moving parts to give his writing an incomparable authenticity, that made him such a great writer. Because make no mistake, you will never see the likes of Kerr again on the literary stage. Others may attempt to imitate his style, but they will never compare with his unique vision, creativity and instinctive feel for the historical ebb and flow of world events. The plot for 'Hitler's Peace' is a plausible one; swimming with the currents of history, not against. It is 1943, and Hitler's Germany is facing defeat. Fearful of another Treaty of Versailles and the ruination of post-war Germany, the great, good and the not-so-good of Hitler, Stalin, FDR and Churchill, along with their various apparatchiks, deploy all the skills of chess masters in their own realpolitik-esque brand of political manoeuvres. The results pitch ally against ally, with the great evil of Nazi Germany in the middle of the emerging rivalries for post-war supremacy. The meticulous research of Kerr, and his ingenious contextualisation of historical events within a thriller-like format, makes this a compulsive read. If Hitler hadn't engaged in his own form of nihilism this may well have been the true course of history. It certainly gives one pause for thought.

[Sipovic · Rating 3 out of 5]

В перерыве между детективной серией про Берни Гюнтера Филипп Керр решил зайти на территорию Юлиана Семёнова и написать большой политический псевдоисторический триллер с кучей селебрити времен Второй Мировой. Причем местами сюжет, в котором Гитлер после поражения под Сталинградом предлагает союзникам мирные переговоры, идёт по таким знакомый тропам произведений лауреата премии КГБ в области искусств, что кажется, ещё немного и под фанфары выйдёт Макс Отто фон Штирлиц собственной персоной. Правда там, где Семёнов вяз в своей традиционной параноидально-бредовой мифологии, лишних сюжетных ветках и бесконечных исторических справках, Керр наоборот - компонует историю в формат вырезок из статей википедии и "Экспресс газеты", а реальных героев времени пытается не превращать в памятники, максимально очеловечивая, порой даже больше, чем нужно.
Надо отдать автору должное, как настоящему детективщику ему удаётся всю книгу скрывать её истинную цель, чтобы в конце бомбануть мощным твистом, но несмотря на это, финал всё равно получился не очень убедительным и каким-то пустоватым.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not really such great writing; but perfectly interesting. Hard to put up with novelization of these characters (I just had dinner with Adolf!), but I understand much is factual, so, on I go ... .
Turned out to be perfectly interesting. Three interesting plots going on, the "hero" becomes more and more interesting, and the places and people are certainly very interesting. Worthwhile. Very.

[Phil Shaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simply brilliant. Didn't want to put it down. I havent read a Philip Kerr book that I haven't thoroughly enjoyed. I find his style easy and fun to read. The humour in his books appeals to me greatly. 'Hitler's Peace" was no exception, and will definitely go onto my - read it again sometime - shelf.

[Styron Powers · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disappointing- Poorly Written, with a difficult flow. I finished 50% and put it aside. For most of my life, I finished books, even if I disliked the book. Now, I no longer waste the reading time. Unfortunately, I did waste the money.

[John M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A realistic and compelling read, although a tad overwritten. Mr. Kerr's edit0rs could have done a better job of cutting superfluous details.

[Robert Ronsson · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a fan of Kerr's Bernie Gunther books I was very pleased to discover this novel that was first published in 2006. The edition I read was issued after Kerr's death last year. Hitler's Peace is a fantastical piece of 'what-if' writing centred on the 1943 'Big Three' Teheran summit between Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin. The preposterous plot (pun intended) is made credible by Kerr's excellent writing and, as in all his books, is underpinned by meticulous research.
Some writers, notably in this genre David Downing in his Station books, do the research and then delight in burying the reader in detail. Until now I have never accused Kerr of this, however, in the first third of this book, he introduces us to an overwhelming number of officers in the Abwehr and SS most of whom, as far as I can remember, play no significant part in what follows. Some will say that this provides a firm base for the delicate confection that follows but, on this occasion, sadly, I felt it was one of my favourite novelists showing off.
This is a ripping yarn well told and I place it above the lesser Bernie Gunthers but below the best of them. Consequently if you are also a fan of Kerr's flawed Berlin bull, and you haven't read this, you are unlikely to be disappointed if you give it a go.

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Philipp Kerr nous entraîne à nouveau dans la seconde guerre mondiale mais cette fois avec un philosophe d’origine allemande qui travaille pour les services secrets américains. On est en 1943 on navigue entre les Allemands, les Russes, les Américains, les Anglais et un zeste d’Italiens. Je m’embrouille dans les personnages qui font complots sur complots, je les suis dans différentes cellules ou salons au Caire et ailleurs.Roosvelt, Hitler, Staline se croisent, des femmes belles et mystérieuses usent de leurs charmes... ça pourrait être un roman noir mais c’est un patchwork d’anecdotes historiques mal ficelé.
C’est dommage

[Pieter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book reminded me a bit of Richard Harris his books about WW2 (Munich, Enigma, V2). But this one was way better executed.
To be honest, the first 300 pages didn't do much for me. Although I can appreciate a slow espionage plot, it did not really drag me in.
But by the end, Kerr totally got me.
Although some events were not very realistic, the narrative was clearly one that could have been.
The "easy" thing about WW2 for a lot of people is the clear cut distinction between good and evil.
The Nazis are bad, the rest is good. It is the classic LOTR story.
What if one of your allies is just as bad, or maybe even worse? What if real politik dictates that you need to shake hands with your worst enemy? Isn't it ironic?
Philip Kerr was able to deliver a thought provoking historical fiction novel.

Highly recommended, 4,5 stars.

[Wilde Sky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Various peace negotiations and plots take place in 1943.

The writing was good, as were the characters but there was too much name dropping and simply far too many plot jumps / coincidences.

Reading time around nine hours.

[Jef Vanhaverbeke]

Ik zie jou prof. dr. Smets!

[Liedzeit Liedzeit · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a stand alone novel by Kerr. But it is very similar to the Bernie Gunther books. Except, that the hero is an American. A Philosopher who gets appointed by FDR to investigate the Katyn massacre. And later to accompany him to his trip to Teheran.

About half of the book is not told in First Person Singular, and I liked that much better. For one thing he is not trying too hard to be funny here. Just very sober descriptions about what was going on in Germany. His dialogs here e.g. between Himmler and Schellenberg are excellent.

So. Himmler as well as Hitler are trying to make peace in 1943 when they had realised that there was no way to win the war. At the same time there is a plan to assassinate the Big Three, Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill in Teheran. We have treason some spying and murders. Very good. A little too long maybe, and our hero a bit too heroic. And too funny. (But I mentioned that.)

One thing I noticed, the good cop - bad cop routine gets mentioned. That seemed to be an anachronisms to me. And indeed, the expression was only used starting in the fifties. A minor mistake. But it seemed more interesting to me than the solution of the murder story.

[Greville Waterman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The late and much lamented Philip Kerr could have written out the names and numbers from the telephone book and still made them sound interesting - he was that great a writer.

Like so many others, I loved his Bernie Gunther series so I thought that I would delve into his back catalogue and came across this 2005 second world war what-if thriller.

The storyline has been dissected to death elsewhere so I will not repeat it or provide spoilers. All I will say is that all the leading characters from Nazi Germany that populate the Gunther series are here in their appalling glory.

The characterisations and historical accuracy are wonderful and engrossing as is the plot and the resulting machinations that arise. There is also an excellent main character in Willard Mayer who is sympathetic and credible.

All it lacks is Bernie and every time a door opens I half expect him t come string through it, cynical and wisecracking as normal.

He doesn't' but this book is an excellent precursor to the main body of the Gunther series that follows it and is one to be cherished.

[Herbert Lasky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Creative fictional history

Mr Kerr had a firm grasp of German history. His fiction is both thought provoking and entertaining. His ability to use real events and people to spin a griping yarn is striking.

[David Cutler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another typically gripping WW2 page tuner from the master Philip Kerr.

His hero Willard for this stand-alone , sort of alternative history, the philosopher Willard is rather less captivating and convincing than Bernie Gunther, the German detective in most of his novels. And your reaction will also depend on the cavalier interweaving of real life characters from Kim Philby to Roosevelt with the main fictional characters. Kerr gives as fact deeply speculative - and unlikely - tales such Hitler’s half Jewish son. The novel centres around the Tehran conference of the Big Three in 1943.

Possibly a little over long and the plotting too clever for it’s own good. It is really a vehicle for a massive ‘reveal’ which you are either going to love - I did - or have you tossing it angrily against the wall.

I certainly wouldn’t dream of spoiling writing as audacious as this for you and would recommend it for some lockdown escapism.

[Aoife · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually very much enjoy Phillip Kerr’s books. I loved his Berlin Noir trilogy when I first read it a long time back and I’m a big Bernie Gunther fan.
This book I also enjoyed but not to the same extent. It is set during WWII which is an era I think he writes particularly well about. However Prof Mayer I found a little irritating, or at least his internal monologue. I did find aspects of this book really interesting but the American perspective didn’t really work for me. The last 20% or so of the book was the best of it for me at least.
Overall a good read (with lots of names to confuse or mix up if you’re like me!)

[Mike Cotton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Stopped reading after 58 pages due to the overly sympathetic portrayals of Nebe and Schellenberg which are totally ahistorical. The characters in general felt clunky and 2 dimensional. Not his best work.

Re read this fully August 2024, and whilst it's not as bad as my original review which I've upgrade to 2 stars, as other reviewers have noted, it does go on and on, and whilst the actual history is reasonable other than the sympathetic portraits of various Nazis and a bizarre reference to a 'panzer tank' (he seems to be referring to the Tiger tank but doesn't seem to know that panzer and tank are different words for the same thing) the 'alternative history ' is completely unbelievable

[Peter Caddick-Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sad to think that Kerr (author of Bernie Gunter) is no longer with us. A well-paced novel from 2005, full of the usual Kerr period detail that never fails about the lead up to the 1943 Tehran Big Three Conference. Several lesser-known historical facts woven into a just-about-plausible plot, though I thought the ending limp, as though the author had simply run out of steam. A page-turner with several unexpected (and one stupendous) twists. I finished it in a day by the poolside, unable to put it down, when I should have been swimming!

[Bob Hurley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who was there?

This book centres around the meeting of Roosevelt, Churchill & Stalin in Tehran. This meeting presented an opportunity for Germany to kill one or more of the triumvirate that opposed Germany. The book is written viewed from all sides with some interesting viewpoints expressed by all. Yet again Philip Kerr challenges you on your thoughts of Germany and views of its role during the second world war. Well written and factually detailed it leaves you with one final thought, "Did it happen, if only" Philip Kerr is a great loss to the Spy Novel genre.

[Laura Ashurst · Rating 3 out of 5]

First I have to say it is a well written book. It has surprises at the end. It was slow at first, then picked up later. It drew a unique picture of negotiations within Roosevelt's inner circle during WWII. Parts of it were quite realistic.

I just have to say I didn't like the hero. He was a cold hearted, intellectual snob.

The portrait of politics during WWII seemed quite real. However the hero's personal life was not true for me.

[Justinas Rastenis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book by Philip Kerr who meticulously brings the readers back to the great historical event of WWII. Diligently built setting allows readers to wonder “what if” in the context of crucial war events. Great book for historical novel genre lovers. The author demonstrates his gift outside famous Bernie Gunther series to produce an immersive read.

[Frederic · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dull,prolix and unbelievable...with a climactic summit meeting of WWII leaders that is sketched so superficially that neither the historical nor fictional figures have any breadth or depth...a major disappointment from Philip Kerr,whose Berlin Noir trilogy was so compelling on many levels...