HITLER'S SPY CHIEF: The Wilhelm Canaris Mystery - Hardcover

Bassett, Richard

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0297846876 ISBN 13: 9780297846871

Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson Ltd, 2005

Synopsis

Wilhelm Canaris was appointed by Hitler to head the Abwehr (the German secret service) eighteen months after the Nazis came to power. But Canaris turned against the Fuhrer and the Nazi regime, believing that Hitler would start a war Germany could not win.

In 1938 he was involved in an attempted coup, undermined by British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain. In 1940 he sabotaged the German plan to invade England, and fed General Franco vital information that helped him keep Spain out of the war.

For years he played a dangerous double game, desperately trying to keep one step ahead of the Gestapo. The SS chief, Heinrich Himmler became suspicious of the Abwehr and by 1944, when Abwehr personnel were involved in the attempted assassination of Hitler, he had the evidence to arrest Canaris himself. Canaris was executed a few weeks before the end of the war

About this title

About the Author:

Richard Bassett has worked in the City for the last fifteen years advising several of Europe's largest companies. Before then he worked in Central Europe for many years, first as a professional horn player and then as a staff correspondent of the London Times in Vienna, Rome and Warsaw, where his dispatches covered the end of the Cold War and gave early warning of the impending disintegration of Yugoslavia. He is married with two children and divides his time between London and other parts of Europe.

Review:

'... a brief and readable biography... Canaris himself emerges from these pages as a remarkable man, unassuming and modest, but with an iron will, great courage and a subtle intelligence, who thought that the dirty work of spying became less sordid if conducted by gentlemen.' -- Richard Overy LITERARY REVIEW 'Fascinating' -- Michael Burleigh EVENING STANDARD '... illuminating biography' FINANCIAL TIMES 'Fascinating' -- Peter Lewis DAILY MAIL 'extraordinary and very interesting' GUARDS MAGAZINE

About this edition

• Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson Ltd
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 0297846876
• ISBN 13: 9780297846871
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 319