Hitler's Holy Relics

If this were fiction, some might say it lacks credibility--which is understandable as the true tale of how the prized crown jewels of the Holy Roman Empire were recovered at the end of WWII has some of the makings of an Indiana Jones script. Charles Stransky skillfully narrates this intriguing story. His resonant baritone moves at a pace that is quite easy to follow and comfortable. The account of the chance interrogation of a German prisoner by an American officer, who just happened to be an ÄmigrÄ from Germany AND an art historian, is just the beginning of the search for this treasure. Listeners will be off and running. M.T.F. (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine

March 15, 2010
In this fast-paced history, Kirkpatrick (A Cast of Killers
) describes the efforts of German-born Walter Horn, a U.S. Army first lieutenant and art historian, to locate the missing crown, orb, scepter, imperial sword, and ceremonial sword of the Holy Roman Empire in Europe at the end of WWII. The objects, along with the Holy Lance of Longinus and many other artifacts, had been stolen by the Nazis from Austria after the Anschluss in 1938 and, conceivably, could have been used by Nazis to motivate Germans in the creation of a “Fourth Reich.” Through research, investigation, and amateur detective work, Horn explored the continuing threats inherent in Nazi mythology while successfully solving the core mystery of the disappearance of the crown jewels. Definitely speculative in the suggestion that a mysterious new order of “Teutonic Knights” might exist for malevolent political purposes, Horn's story is an interesting footnote to the history of WWII. 24 pages of b&w photos; 2 maps.

Starred review from July 1, 2010
Based on a true story spanning several centuries and continents, Kirkpatrick's (sidneykirkpatrick.blogspot.com) latest nonfiction title, following "A Cast of Killers"(2007), reads like a wild cross between "Raiders of the Lost Ark"and the novels of Michael Connelly. From the Spear of Destiny that lanced the side of Christ to the detailed symbolism of the Third Reich, this incredible-but-true account follows the 1945 search for the pillaged symbols of Germanic glory. In it, U.S. Army lieutenant Walter Horn, a prewar professor of art history, is the lead investigator in a race against time for these stolen, priceless artifacts, which might have been a uniting factor in the rise of a Fourth Reich. Narrator Charles Stransky's ("Red Moon Rising" tension-filled performance is spectacular. Recommended for anyone interested in military affairs and American history. [See Prepub Exploded, "LJ"Online 12/3/09.—Ed.]—Scott R. DiMarco, Mansfield Univ. of Pennsylvania Lib.

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