Book received from NetGalley.

This is an older book on what most people know as Operation Valkyrie. I had known just the basics prior to reading this book and I actually learned quite a bit. While it is a reprint and there are multiple newer books on the subject, I think this one had quite a bit of information on the subject and I will hopefully be adding it to my history bookshelf.

This book is a re-release by Endeavor Press of a book with an original publication date of 1956. As a result, it does contain some eyewitness accounts of the events around the plot to kill Adolf Hitler, although many of the original cast of characters did not survive the war.

Constantine FitzGibbon gives as accurate account of events, although I suspect more information may have come to light in the last 60 years. The book primarily concentrates on the plot of July 20, 1944, although other conspiracies are also discussed.

=== The Good Stuff ===

* While we may never know the exact events, and certainly the exact motivations that were involved, the author does a nice job of inferring what happened both from published and unpublished accounts and from reasonable assumptions based on those accounts.

* FitzGibbon makes an attempt at explaining why the plot ultimately failed. Mostly he blame it on a lack of “charismatic leadership” among the plotters. Given that we are talking about the same generals that defeated France is a month, this seems surprising, but FitzGibbon makes a strong case. Personally I believe he is being somewhat charitable, and the real problem was that most of the plotters tried to sit on the fence until they saw what side was going to win, but we may be saying the same thing.

* The book also discusses many of the details that influenced the plot, both from within and externally. For example, General Rommel, who may have provided some of the needed “charisma” was injured in an air attack just days before the assassination attempt, an unfortunate break. Also, the Allied “unconditional surrender” policy came into play, and FitzGibbon considers whether the Churchill and Roosevelt would have risked a separate peace leaving out the Soviet Union.

=== The Not-So-Good Stuff ===

* As the author explains, there are no references or footnotes included in the work, which was done in the interests of readability. While I seldom read every footnote in a historical work, I do usually spot check them to get a feel for the integrity of the work. FitzGibbon forces you to take his work on faith, although I noted no obvious errors.

* The author devotes quite a bit of the text to examining the “morals and principals” of the plotters, seeking to understand and explain their conflicting loyalties to the German people, the Nazi party, their own morals and the various oaths they had taken It either comes across as interesting detail, or filler, depending on your viewpoint. Personally, I find most of the moralizing somewhat self-serving on the part of men who wanted to have a seat at the table in case the plot succeeded, but without risking their necks in case it failed. In the end, few of them survived.

* Finally, the book stops short of what I think is the most interesting question of all. Could the Nazi government have been overthrown even after Hitler survived the assassination attempt? Given the chaotic nature of 1944 Germany, and realization that defeat was only a matter of time among many senior officers, and the loathing between Hitler and many of his generals, it was possible. With a little more organization and “charisma”, it is not hard to speculate on what might have been.

=== Summary ===

I enjoyed this book, and it is certainly and interesting look at some very strange events. In some ways the book does an excellent job, especially since in 1956 these events were still fresh, and some of the eyewitnesses were still alive. On other aspects, the book comes up a bit short.

Still, despite its age, I would recommend it for anyone seeking a better understanding of the events surrounding the attempts made on Hitler’s life and the potential to overthrow the Nazi government.