Killing Hitler. The Plots, the Assassins, and the Dictator Who Cheated Death PDF
Preview Killing Hitler. The Plots, the Assassins, and the Dictator Who Cheated Death
The Plots, the Assassins, Who and the Dictator Cheated Death M US OlG E R H InU.S.$25.00/InCanada $35.00. Forthe first time in one enthralling book, here is the incredible true story of the numerous attempts to assassinate Adolf Hitler and change the course of history. HITLER Disraeli once declared that"assassination never changed the history of the world," and yet the idea that World War II and the horrors of the Holocaust might have been averted with a single bullet or bomb has remained a tantalizing one for half a century. What historian Roger Moorhouse reveals in Killing Hitler is just how close—and how often—history came to taking a radically different path between Adolf Hitler's rise to power and his ignominious suicide. Few leaders, in any century, can have been the target of so many assassination attempts, with such momentous consequences in the balance. Hitler's almost fifty would-be assassins ranged from simple craftsmen to high-ranking soldiers,from the apolitical to the ideologically obsessed, from Polish Resistance fighters to patriotic Wehrmacht officers, and from enemy agents to his closest associates. And yet, up to now, their exploits have remained virtually unknown, buried in dusty official archives and obscure memoirs. This, then, for the first time in a single volume, is the story of the men who came closest to killing Hitler. A story of courage and ingenuity and; ultimately, (continued Boston Public ibrary I. MA booton, 0zii6 WITHDRAWN No longer the property ef the Boston Public Library. Sale of this material benefited the Library. KILLING HITLER Also by Roger Moorhouse Microcosm: Portrait of a Central European City KILLING HITLER The Plots, the Assassins, Who and the Dictator Cheated Death Roger Moorhouse Bantam Books ®< KILLINGHITLER ABantamBook/April2006 Published byBantam Dell ADivisionofRandom House, Inc. NewYork,NewYork Allrightsreserved. Copyright©2006 byRogerMoorhouse Bantam BooksisaregisteredtrademarkofRandom House,Inc., andthecolophonisatrademarkofRandom House, Inc. LibraryofCongress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Moorhouse, Roger. KillingHitler/RogerMoorhouse. p. cm. ISBN-10: 0-553-80369-7 ISBN-13:978-0-553-80369-3 — — 1. Hitler,Adolf, 1889-194—5 Assassin—ation atte—mpts. 2. Germany History- 1933-1945—. 3. Assas—sins Germany History 20thcentury. 4.—Anti-Nazi movement Germany History.—5. Opposition (Politicalsci—ence) Germany. 6. WorldWar, 1939-1945 Undergroundmovements Germany. DD256.35.M662006 2005053653 943.08622 Printedinthe UnitedStatesofAmerica PublishedsimultaneouslyinCanada www bantamdell.com . 987654321 10 BVG Acknowledgments Writing is a strangely solitary existence. Yet any writer would concede that though the words on the page may be his, numerous personal debts are accrued in their preparation. A number of individuals deserve special mention, therefore. At the research stage, Kate Gilbert provided great assistance. Krzysztof Bozejewicz handled all Polish-language research, in UK both the and Poland, aided by Andrzej Kororiski. In Ger- many, Angelica von Hase and Peter Steinkamp gave vital archival support, as did Dr. Luba Vinogradova in Russia. In addition, a number of specialists read and commented on chapters of draft text. These include Antony Beevor, Professor M. R. D. Foot, Dr. Ted Harrison, Gitta Sereny, and Dr. Jacek Tebinka. Others who provided assistance, responded to queries, and are otherwise de- serving of mention include Dr. Andreas von Breitenbuch, Dr. Bogdan Chrzanowski, Ewa Huggins, Ute Krebs, David List, Acknowledgments viii Eugenia Maresch, Dr. Iwona Sakowicz, Roy Seaton, Dr. Andrzej Suchcitz, Dr. Hilary Willard, and Dr. Wanda Wyporska. A number of institutions should also be mentioned, includ- ing the British Library Newspaper Archive, the Gedenkstatte Deutscher Widerstand, the Bundesarchiv in Berlin, the Bundes- archiv (Militararchiv) in Freiburg, the German Historical Insti- tute in London, the Imperial War Museum Archive, the Polish Underground Movement Study Trust, and the Wiener Library. Particular praise is reserved for the British Library and the NationalArchives in London. Having worked for manyyears as a researcher, I have extensive experience ofworking in archives and libraries across Europe and have come to the conclusion that these two institutions are without equal. There are, regrettably, few areas in which Britain can still claim to be world-class, but the British Library and the National Archives set a new benchmark in their efficiency, the competence and expertise of their staff, and the excellence oftheir working environment. Three special debts must be acknowledged. Will Sulkin and Jorg Hensgen ofJonathan Cape were unflagging in their enthu- siasm for the project, and my agent, Peter Robinson, was consis- tently supportive and negotiated the publishing deal that made it all possible. I would also like to thank Professor Norman Davies, who inspired me to embark on this path in the first place. Lastly, I would like to thank mywife, Melissa. Hitler has been — a part of our lives the mustachioed elephant in our living — room for a long time now, and byway ofapology for this intru- sion, I feel it appropriate that I dedicate this book to her.
Description:The list of books you might like
