Review: Countdown to Valkyrie: The July Plot to Assassinate Hitler
Pen & Sword Books is part of The Barnsley Chronicle newspaper group. The Barnsley Chronicle is one of the UK’s oldest provincial newspapers and one of the few weeklies still in private ownership. It was launched in 1858 and is due to celebrate its 150th anniversary in 2008.
Over recent years the company has continued to grow and has added new imprints to its core area of military history. Pen & Sword now specialise in all areas of military history, naval and maritime history, aviation, local history, family history, collectibles and antiques, nostalgia and true crime.
With over 200 books published every year, Pen & Sword has established itself as a specialist book publisher.
Recap
Although there were more than 40 plots to assassinate Adolf Hitler, none came closer to success than the July Plot of 1944. The attempt was masterminded by Count von Stauffenberg, a member of the German General Staff, who had been rushed back from Africa after losing his left eye and right hand. For his injuries, he had been decorated as a war hero. Never a supporter of Nazi ideology, he was increasingly attracted by the approaches of the German resistance movement. After a attempt to assassinate Hitler in November 1943 failed, Stauffenberg developed a new plot to kill him at the Wolf’s Lair Headquarters on 20th July 1944. Besides the Fuhrer’s assassination, Stauffenberg organized plans to take over command of the Germany forces and sue for peace with the Allies.
The attempt ultimately failed. Only one bomb was detonated and Hitler was only injured: his life was probably saved because the bomb, hidden in Stauffenberg’s suitcase, had been placed behind a heavy table leg which reduced the impact of the black.In remarkable detail, with photographs, explanatory maps and diagrams, author Nigel Jones dissects the lead up to the attempt, the events of the day in minute-by-minute detail, and the aftermath in which the conspirators were hunted down. No other work on the July Plot contains such accessible detail and full explanation of this attempt on Hitler’s life. In addition to a forensic analysis of the day, the book includes short biographies of the key characters involved, the first-person recollections of witnesses, and a ‘what if’ section explaining the likely outcome of a successful assassination.
The Good
This book is a thrilling, engrossing narrative of the incredible assassination conspiracy. Nigel Jones provides an exciting, informative and ground-breaking story that is so well-detailed, yet amazingly entertaining.
This is the book to read on the subject.
The Bad
None.
The Ugly
None
Product Summary
Name: Countdown to Valkyrie: The July Plot to Assassinate Hitler
Author: Nigel Jones
Publisher: Pen & Sword Books
Category: Book
Cost: £19.99
SKU: N/A
ISBN: 9781848325081
Rating
