The Wolf's Hour

"The Wolf's Hour" was a surprising and memorable read.

This is not modern urban fantasy, with hip, kick-ass characters, struggling against their wolf nature while trying to save the world from demons in just three days.

This is a book with the self-confidence to save the world over several months (and seven hundred pages) AND interweave an "origins of" story as it moves along.

The hero, Michael Gallatin is a man more likely to rip an enemy open that engage in witty reparté. He is a serious, focused man, totally committed to his mission. Turned into Werewolf as a child in post-revolutionary Russia, Gallatin now works for the British Secret Service, fighting to destroy the Nazi war machine.

On the surface "The Wolf's Hour" is the kind of show more book I would normally pass over: it was written in 1989, the plot sounds like "Indiana Jones goes wolf", the Nazis are bad, the allies are noble, there a snow-bound Russian palaces, castles full of evil Nazis, brave resistance fighters, beautiful women who can shoot, drive tanks or fly planes, and larger-than-life evil bastards with no redeeming features.

And yet this book WORKS.

It works because McCammon can write. He knows how to build a scene and evolve a character. If it takes weeks to get from Paris to Berlin, McCammon takes you on the journey and helps you feel the passage of time and understand the sustained stress imposed by the situation and the focused determination needed to win. He describes places in a way that gets under my skin, whether it's the snow-covered corridors of an abandoned Russian palace, the grotesque grandeur of a Nazi castle or the unbearable inhumanity of a Concentration Camp. He delivers wonderful set-piece action sequences. He allows his hero enough introspection to make him to give him a worldview and not just killer reflexes.

It works because the evil things that McCammon's Nazis do are not fiction but horrifyingly real and he does not flinch away from them. They fuel the anger of Gallatin's wolf and make the Nazis far more monstrous than any werewolf could be.

It works because of the skillful way that McCammon weaves the story of how Gallatin became both a wolf and a man into the story of how Gallatin takes on the Nazis in a way that adds depth to Gallatin's character and delivers a welcome change of pace.

Finally, it works because Simon Prebble is the perfect narrator for the twenty-two hour-long audiobook.

There are things I could have lived without. The sex scenes seem somehow dated, although you could think of them as period, and the scenes with Hitler seemed to add little except caricature.

If you are looking for a change of pace and want to spend some time in another era (actually TWO other eras) and a different perspective on the supernatural thriller, then "The Wolf's Hour" is worth a listen.


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Every author has their bad book. Originally, with McCammon, I thought it was [b:Gone South|11549|Gone South|Robert McCammon|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1340796970s/11549.jpg|16692257], but I'm just a few books away from rereading that one, so I'll reserve judgement on it for now. Then, up until lately, I was convinced it was [b:The Five|10189558|The Five|Robert McCammon|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327896424s/10189558.jpg|15088657]. That was a book that just kind of left me cold.

Then, I read The Wolf's Hour and, unless the Michael Corbett series turns out to be a bust, I think I can guarantee this dog is his worst.

Is it a WW II novel? Is it a James Bond type spy novel? Is it a werewolf novel? Who knows? The basic plot is set in WW show more II (though, when a Nazi only allowed Gallatin to eat with plastic utensils--approximately six years before they were invented--I lost a lot of confidence in the story). There's Bond-style stuff going on, with Gallatin bedding more than his fair share of women throughout the novel, and him sneaking around doing spy-type stuff.

And, the werewolf side of things? No. I'm actually going to say, despite the title, that this really isn't a werewolf novel. Don't go in expecting that--like I did--because you'll be sorely disappointed--like I was. McCammon fakes you into believing this is a wolf novel but giving you a painfully stretched out backstory of Gallatin's first years as a wolf when he was just a boy. But, strip that away (and you can, because it adds exactly zero to the main plot), then you have a few sections where you're treated to the same bone-cracking, the same spine contracting, the same fang-baring, then Gallatin goes off and sniffs something or kills a squirrel and eats it.

When it comes to the ultimate showdown with the various villains in the novel--and believe me, they seem to just crawl out of the woodwork so that Gallatin can take them all on--in virtually every case, he resists turning into a wolf, or flat out doesn't even consider it.

It's like renting a porn movie and they all resist the temptation of sex, or completely forget it and go play Scrabble or something.

And the worst part is, every time McCammon does bring out the wolf, it's very obvious that he could have found a non-wolf solution.

So, I think in the end, McCammon reeeeeaallly wanted to write a WW II novel, but then thought, aw shit, I'm known as horror guy now. I better find some sort of horror elem-- wait a minute! I'll make my spy guy a werewolf!

For all my bashing, honestly, somewhere in this bloated 600-page mess is a lean, muscular and entertaining 300-page novel. And that's the only reason there's two stars up there instead of one.

But as it stands? Yeah, I literally had to talk myself into continuing. show less

"What is the soul of a lycanthrope in the eyes of God?"

This is so much more than a werewolf story. We follow Michael Gallatin, the tortured protagonist of this wonderful novel, from his tragic and violent childhood to his coming of age in a band of werewolves and finally through his adventures as an uniquely skilled spy for the Allies in World War 2.

Part coming of age novel, part traditional horror story, part thrilling and atmospheric historical spy thriller---it excels at all three. I found the spy story angle thrilling as I rushed through the pages just as much as I felt Michael's pain as he suffered the inevitable existential crisis at trying to find his place in the universe, straddling both worlds and the ever slippery and show more relativistic concepts of good and evil. The historical elements were completely believable. I felt the cold of those forests and the historical aspects were completely convincing.

What I loved about this novel is that the werewolf element never overwhelms the story. It is always the story of Michael Gallatin, the man. His lycanthropy is just an aspect of this tremendously interesting character---and this novel is full of interesting characters, both good and evil.

Fantastic story start to finish. Five stars and the highest possible recommendation. show less

I became a huge fan of Robert McCammon's when I was in high school. I came across 'The Wolf's Hour' in the local library where I was drawn to the cover of the book; the snarling black wolf with green eyes.

And, so I read it with glee, not understanding so much the underlying WWII/Nazism story, but I loved it.

It's been around 20 years since I last read it, and now as an adult I can say this time I didn't enjoy it quite as much.

I found paper thin characterisation, some areas of the book which plodded along with nothing happening, and a number of loose ends and plot holes that even now bug the hell out of me.

But, what is the story about?

Well, it's about a man named Michael Gallatin, a man born of Russian aristocracy, who as a young child show more witnesses the murder of his parents during which he is bitten by a wolf. Of course, it's not a normal wolf, it's a werewolf.

With the wolf's venom in his veins, and the inevitability of death, the wolves take him to their den where he learns they are in fact human. In time, the venom takes hold and The Change begins. This part of the story is wonderfully told and is different than any other werewolf novel or short story I've read.

The Change takes weeks - months perhaps - and happens gradually as the body is weakened to the point of death. The bones crack and crunch as the body twists and contorts into excruciating positions. In fact, young Michael's death is almost expected given his age and apparent weakness. However, he (obviously) survives and becomes a werewolf.

As the years pass, he learns what it takes to become both a man, and a wolf. He hunts with the pack, comes to love them, and to accept both parts of himself.

Unfortunately, the rest of the book is set in 1948 when Michael is now a British Agent (yes, like James Bond) and is tasked with stopping an attack on Britain by Germany.

This is where we get into James Bond-y territory but without the same excitement which makes James Bond so much fun. As a result, you're left with a terrific story relative to him becoming a werewolf, but a sub-standard spy story filled with cardboard characters.

You know when you read a book and you have those "Oh, shit!" moments? You have a number of those moments in the werewolf backstory, but none in the spy story and as a result you're hoping for the next chapter where you can go back to the werewolf characters and Michael's time in Russia.

I still rate Robert very highly as a writer. I've read a number of his books and enjoyed each one - even this one, overall. But if you're looking for a pure werewolf novel, this probably isn't the one I'd recommend. show less

If you are fan of spy thrillers and horror you can't do much better than the story of Michael Gallatin, a Russian immigrant now working for British Intelligence as an agent, who just happens to be a werewolf. The novel takes place in the time leading up to WWII's D-Day with Gallatin attempting to find a way to prevent a German plot to derail the Allied invasion. In several chapters mixed throughout the book, we learn the riveting and heartbreaking story of how Gallatin became a werewolf.

I'm not a big paranormal fan and don't usually like stories about werewolves, with some exceptions. Gallatin is definitely an exception. I was completely immersed in this captivating story, which was filled with historical authenticity. McCammon is a show more master who knows how to keep you turning the pages.

I read this book for the first time when it was originally published in 1989 and have never forgotten it. With it's conversion to Kindle I couldn't resist the opportunity to own it once more. I realize how long it's been since I've read anything else by Robert McCammon and plan to correct that as soon as possible. I highly recommend adding this fascinating story to your book collection. show less

Hands down,The Wolf's Hour is the best werewolf novel I've ever read. Arguably, it's the best werewolf novel ever written. I confess. When I read this book, I fell head over heels in love with Michael Gallatin. What a hunk of man! So what if he gets a little furry when he's excited? The flashbacks help illuminate his nature, his character, his soul, and his ultimate aloneness.

And it's a great action novel to boot!

It took me a little bit to warm to this book, but in the end I really enjoyed it. It's a spy book/thriller book/werewolf book. In half the story, the hero's a WW2 spy. In the other half, he's a werewolf. They mix, of course, that's what makes him such a great spy. I found myself enjoying the werewolf sections the best, though the spy stuff was cool, too. On the whole, I would recommend this book. Well written, interesting premise, good fun.