Killing Hitler

February 27, 2006
Although Hitler took his own life, there was no shortage of people who wanted, and attempted, to do it for him throughout his political career. Drawing on newly opened archives in Germany and elsewhere, British historian Moorhouse (Microcosm: Portrait of a Central European City
) casts a wide net, chronicling failed assassination attempts by disaffected individuals in the early days of Hitler's reign, such as radical university student Maurice Bavaud, whose three easily thwarted tries in November 1938 got him guillotined; the efforts of a British group of James Bond–like spies armed with, among other things, "exploding rats"; and the well-known attempts of German officers, such as Hitler's architect Albert Speer. Moorhouse also brings to light little-known would-be-assassins, such as members of the Polish underground. Most of the assassination attempts Moorhouse describes failed because of poor planning; others fell victim to circumstance, while some may simply have been rumors, making for a compelling web of research, intrigue and conspiracy theory. Accessible prose, suspenseful narration and ample historical context make this a page-turner for WWII buffs as well as anyone with a passion for the underbelly of political power in one of the last century's darkest regimes.

March 1, 2006
Although there were probably more than 50 plots to kill Hitler, Moorhouse focuses on eight specific case studies. Each chapter covers either an individual, such as Maurice Bavaud, who was apparently motivated by religious zeal, or a group, such as the conspiracy generated within German military intelligence (the Abwehr). The failure of each plot (although the July 20, 1944, bomb came close) helped reinforce Hitler -s sense that he led a charmed life -indeed, that he was a man of destiny. Describing the workings of Hitler -s own personal security apparatus, Moorhouse presents a picture that agrees with contemporary historiography, revealing a chaotic Nazi bureaucracy beset by overlapping lines of authority. In some cases, Hitler -s security managed to protect him through sheer luck, while in other instances he was saved by the plotters - incompetence. Drawing on archival evidence from German, Russian, and British sources, Moorhouse reminds the reader that Nazi Germany was not a monolithic entity; opposition existed, motivated by diverse ideas ranging from religious principle to political opportunism. Recommended for public libraries and specialized collections." -Frederic Krome, Jacob Rader Marcus Ctr. of the American Jewish Archives, Cincinnati"

Copyright 2006 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2006
Few leaders have been the targets of so many assassinations attempts; German historians have identified 42 plots on Hitler's life. Twenty of the would-be assassins are chronicled here. They range from simple craftsmen to high-ranking soldiers, from the apolitical to the ideologically obsessed, and from enemy agents to his closest associates. Moorhouse writes that, for the most part, they are unknown. One was Maurice Bavaud, who never got close enough to Hitler to shoot him. Bavaud was guillotined in 1941. Georg Elser began to plot Hitler's murder in 1938. In 1939, Elser triggered a bomb that killed eight people and injured 62 others, but Hitler had already left the building. Moorehouse describes the would-be killers' plans, motives, and--inevitably--their failures. The book also tells the story of Hitler's survival. Moorehouse's documentation and analysis of this comprehensive history will keep readers interested to the end. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)