Secret Service Against the Nazi Regime

Secret Service Against the Nazi Regime written by Edward Harrison and

published by Pen & Sword Books - £25 - Hardback - Pages 256

An edited collection of peer-reviewed articles using newly-released sources - British,

German and Italian - integrated to form a fascinating narrative of the intelligence-led

fight of the British Secret Service in the existential struggle with Nazi Germany. The

main sections are: British Secret Warfare and the Nazi Challenge; Counter-

Intelligence Against Axis Spies; and Hugh Trevor-Roper and Secret Service. An

inside and authentic story with original and little-known but vital themes including the

British Military Mission to Poland, the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) in

Poland, British subversion in French East Africa, 'on secret service for the Duce',

British Radio Intelligence, and J C Masterman and the Security Service. This is a

uniquely human story of survival with all the drama of power struggles, personality

clashes, errors, heroism, human intelligence.

This is an excellent book that looks at the secret service operations and plans to try and hinder the Nazi regime around Europe and Northern Africa. It’s a fascinating collection of works that really draws the reader into various worlds of danger, extremism and bravery. The members of the secret services had to show great bravery and skill as the possible end result would have been certain death. To think many of these agents were having to work secret so if anything went wrong, then everything would have been denied.

I really enjoyed this book, an ideal read for those that write about spy dramas and

espionage as this book shows exactly how it would have been. A book that they say

would be hard to put down. Well written and captivated the reader. Pen & Sword have

really got me into this spy world and espionage, with great books about some great

intelligence agencies.

Britain's Plot to Kill Hitler

Britain’s Plot to Kill Hitler - The True Story of Operation Foxley & SOE

written by Eric Lee and published by Greenhill Books - £20 - Hardback - Pages 216.

Operation Foxley was the name of the secret plan supported by Winston Churchill to

assassinate Hitler in 1944-45. More than 75 years after its conception, the assassination

plan remains shrouded in mystery. Eric Lee’s new book is the product of painstaking

research and sheds more light on this plan. Lee also asks what would have happened if

Foxley had been executed successfully.

Concocted in 1944 by the British Special Operations Executive (SOE), Foxley’s objective was to kill Hitler and any high-ranking Nazis or members of the Fuhrer’s entourage who might have been present at the time.

Different methods of assassination had been considered by the SOE, but were ultimately deemed too complicated. These methods included derailment and destruction of the Hitler’s personal train, the Fuhrerzug, by explosives, and also clandestine means such as slipping a tasteless poison into Hitler’s drinking and cooking water. Some of the ideas were considered quite bizarre, including one scheme to hypnotise Rudolf Hess and return him to Germany to kill Nazi leaders. The Americans and Soviets had their own plans to kill Hitler too, with some equally strange ideas (including injecting female hormones into the Fuhrer's vegetables).

Eventually, after intel gathered revealed that Hitler took a routine, solitary walk every morning to the Teehaus on the Mooslahnerkopf Hill from the Berghof residence, a plan was created to assassinate Hitler using a sniper rifle fitted with a silencer.

A perfect investigation for readers who enjoy reading about modern history, and the Second World War in particular. It is also tailored to those with an interest in the “secret war”, covering topics like the SOE, and military intelligence.

This is quite an intense feeling book from the start as the reader learns about various plots and plans not just from the British side and SOE, we also learnt that there were schemes to assassinate Hitler by the Americans & Soviets too. I understand there had to be lots of secrecy and deviance, but I did think as it seemed many were looking to assassinate Hitler, could there not have been some plotting between interested sides. I enjoyed the way this book was presented as the first half is written by the author but the second half contains photocopies of the various sources of information and files/documentation which kind of made it feel even more realistic as you were reading through the info that was being passed around at the time. Although I must admit there were only a couple I found weren’t that easy to read.

I really enjoyed this book as it felt as if it was half story and half fact. I quite enjoy the author’s

writing and really enjoyed his previous book Night of the Bayonets, his writing feels very well

explained but to the point. I’ve taken notes of some of the excellent books from the bibliography,

and I’ll be reading these in the near future hopefully. Overall, I would happily recommend this

book for anyone into their World War II history.

Agent Provocateur for Hitler or Churchill?

Agent Provocateur for Hitler or Churchill? written by David Tremain and published

by Pen & Sword Books - £25.00 - Hardback - Pages 304

There have been many remarkable women who served British Intelligence during the Second

World War. One whose dubious claim to have worked for them is a fascinating tale involving

three marriages – the first, to a spurious White Russian prince; the second to a

playboy-turned-criminal involved in a major jewellery robbery in the heart of London’s Mayfair

in the late 1930s. After the war, she became romantically involved with a well-known British

Fascist, but finally married another notorious criminal whom she had met earlier during the war.

The descriptions variously ascribed to her ranged from ‘remarkable’ and ‘quite ravishing’ to ‘…a woman whose loose living would make her an object of shame on any farmyard.

Until now, very little has been recorded about Stella Lonsdale’s life. She doesn’t even merit a mention in the two official histories of MI5, even though she managed to tie them up in knots for years. This book will explore the role this strange woman may or may not have played in working for British Intelligence, the French Deuxième Bureau, or the Abwehr – German military intelligence – during the Second World War, using her MI5 files as a primary source.

I should probably admit that I had never heard of Stella Lonsdale, but in a way, I can see why and why not. In a fascinating book that delves deep into the story and the circumstances involved, the information is a lot and very comprehensive. Hopefully, this isn’t spoiling it for anyone but this book clears her name of being any sort of spy for Nazi Germany. Although her lifestyle and friends might not have been to everyone’s taste, this book digs deep and does a lot of research to vindicate her and is very comprehensively written. I think this book could deter some readers because there was a lot of detail and information, but I pushed on through and in the end, it was a good read. Certainly one for those that love their spy game type reads.