Public Libraries of Suffolk County, New York

White knights in the Black Orchestra, the extraordinary story of the Germans who resisted Hitler, Tom Dunkel

eng

Includes bibliographical references (pages 407-440) and index

illustrations

index present

non fiction

White knights in the Black Orchestra

bibliography

Tom Dunkel

the extraordinary story of the Germans who resisted Hitler

"The riveting and tension-filled story of a small group of conspirators who plotted relentlessly to obstruct and destroy the Third Reich from within. Behind the front lines of World War II, a clandestine war within a war was being waged in Nazi Germany. As the "Final Solution" unfolded and fascism swept across Europe, a network of German military officers, diplomats, politicians, and a smattering of civilians were doing everything in their power to undermine the Third Reich from the inside: reporting troop movements to the Allies, feeding disinformation to the Nazi high command, arranging risky evacuations of Jewish citizens, and hatching plots to assassinate Adolf Hitler (including the near-miss "Valkyrie" bombing). The Gestapo had a nickname for this loosely organized, shadowy confederation of traitors--the Black Orchestra. Among the key players in the Orchestra were Dietrich Bonhoeffer, an outspoken Lutheran pastor-turned-government agent, and his brother-in-law Hans von Dohnanyi, an attorney working under fellow conspirator Admiral Wilhelm Canaris at the Abwehr, the German military intelligence service. Motivated by moral and patriotic conviction, some with their own Nazi sins to atone for, these men faced constant danger of being exposed and executed. The book's tension, however, comes not just from watching these "white knights" attempt to derail the Third Reich (and sometimes succeeding), but also from what transpires when their treasonous activities are discovered--and their fates hang in the balance as the end of the war rapidly approaches"--, Provided by publisher

Home and abroad -- The fog of after-war -- Sound and fury -- Church and stateless -- Dangerous situation -- "Thinking with blood" -- Writing down, speaking up -- Tending flcoks -- The party's party -- Enemies of the state -- Crossing the line -- Costly grace -- Meeting of the minds -- Brinksmanship -- "Make it clear that you mean business" -- The big sell -- Getaway weekend -- Umbrella diplomacy -- Czechmate -- "That is a pity" -- God and country -- Safe harbor -- The little Greek -- Dressed to kill -- Unspectacular evil -- Try, try again -- A bust and a boom -- Aftershocks -- Hot and cold -- Case yellow -- Brown birds and other sorrows -- Cities of the dead -- Expendable -- V-Mann -- Sad certainties -- Seeing stars -- Summer lightning -- Final solutions -- War and love -- Orchestrated espionage -- Execution nation -- Turning points -- Special delivery -- Facing the music -- Fighting the dragon -- Something very bad -- Secrets of survival -- Messages -- Sunlight and shadows -- Fire and smoke -- White knights -- Biding time -- Last straw -- Saving souls -- Germs and warfare -- The orchestra plays -- A fine mess -- One week -- The custodian -- Merciless -- Lost and found -- Home prison -- Birthday bombs -- Buchenwald -- Uncertain life -- Bombs and away -- The road to somewhere -- Bombshell -- Flossenbürg -- Paths

Extraordinary story of the Germans who resisted Hitler