Re: About 50 million dead thanks to communism, and counting.
I'll highly recommend you my current read:
Hitler's Spy Chief
The Wilhelm Canaris Mystery
Book Review By Michael D Booker (May 2005)
Author: Richard Bassett
Publisher: Weidenfield & Nicholson
The Orion Publishing Group Ltd
Orion House
5 Upper Saint Martin’s Lane
London WC2H 9EA
ISBN: 0 297 84687 6
Published in 2005
UK Price: £20.00
Admiral William Canaris head of the Abwehr (the German Secret Service between 1935 and 1944, was described by his Russian opposite numbers as “the most dangerous intelligence man in the world!” However despite his high profile and most trusted position and originally being loyal to “the old Germany”, he gradually became disenchanted with Hitler’s Nazi regime and as evidence shows, he became involved in an aborted coup d’etat in 1938. As war broke out, it was his belief that Germany could not win and it is then, he commenced a “campaign from within” to sabotage Hitler’s war machine.
This unique volume - the first ever biography of Admiral William Canaris to be published in English, is based on original research by the author, who having spent a vast amount of time delving into both the British and German archives, tells the fascinating story of a most intriguing man, who was personally involved in a number of what many considered to be foolish acts during the Second World War. These included a secret meeting with the head of British Intelligence in Gibraltar in 1942 in attempt to bring about peace, to saving the lives of many Jews. As Canaris’s connections with Winston Churchill dated as far back as the Great War, he actually leaked the German invasion plans to Churchill and in a further attempt to delay the same invasion, he also overestimated the strength of British forces in reports back to Hitler!
Throughout the war, just one man - Reinhard Heydrich Chief of the SS Intelligence Service suspected Canaris and eventually threatened to tell Hitler of his exploits, however within a few weeks, Heydrich was assassinated by the British and Canaris lived another day. Canaris’s fate was eventually sealed in the aftermath of the 1944 plot to assassinate Hitler. He was arrested by the Nazis and executed in the last week of the war.
I enjoyed this excellent title immensely and am sure it will provide fascinating reading for those with a serious interest in military history. It includes superb photographs of the personalities involved, an organisational chart of the Abwehr as well as a detailed bibliography to assist with further reading.
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