Za neskolko let do voyny molodoy sovetskiy razvedchik Aleksandr Belov prevraschaetsya v pribaltiyskogo nemtsa Ioganna Vaysa. Emu predstoit vzhitsya v rol chistokrovnogo ariytsa, vnedritsya v natsistskie ryady, podnyatsya po karernoy lestnitse kak mozhno vyshe i razdobyt kak mozhno bolshe tsennyh svedeniy, sposobnyh povliyat na hod voyny…
V 1967 godu roman leg v osnovu odnoimennoy chetyrehseriynoy ekranizatsii Vladimira Basova so Stanislavom Lyubshinym i Olegom YAnkovskim v glavnyh rolyah. Zavoevav serdtsa zriteley, film polyubilsya neskolkim pokoleniyam, kak i prozvuchavshaya v nem i stavshaya znamenitoy pesnya «S chego nachinaetsya Rodina».
