L'étrange voyage de Rudolf Hess

by Martin Allen

Dans la nuit du 10 mai 1941, se produisit l'un des événements les plus incroyables et les plus méconnus de la Seconde Guerre mondiale : Rudolf Hess, le bras droit de Hitler, se rendit en Ecosse, seul aux commandes de son avion Messerschmitt, et atterrit près de Glasgow. Jusqu'ici, personne n'avait réellement mis en lumière les véritables raisons de cet acte, qui fut aussitôt considéré, en Allemagne et en Angleterre, comme l'exploit d'un homme atteint par la folie. Rudolf Hess fut désavoué par Hitler, et il garda le silence pendant les cinquante ans d'emprisonnement qui suivirent, jusqu'à sa mort en 1987. Quelle était la vraie raison de cet étrange voyage ? Aujourd'hui, Martin Allen en dévoile les motifs cachés. Il révèle le rôle crucial qu'a joué le SO1, un groupe d'agents secrets chargés par Churchill de mener une guerre psychologique et politique contre Hitler ; leur machination eut un impact décisif sur le bras de fer entre les deux hommes. Un ouvrage passionnant sur le secret le mieux gardé des services de renseignements britanniques pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale.

Genres: History, World War II, Nonfiction, War

419 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published February 1, 2003

Reviews

[Dead John Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

History is basically a fabrication that suits the teller.

I am interested in WW2 especially what it was all about as opposed to who did what, although I’m interested in that too. In my house you will not find huge tables dedicated to the re-enactment of famous battles but in my stream of books there is a subtext of books about WW2.

I suspect that this a book glorifying the Poms when in fact they we not that bright and are probably still not that bright. However, this is a compelling story and fills in a lot of background around the whole event. It details the people operating behind the scenes rather than the main players on the stage.

The basic premise is that Hitler was wrongly advised that the Poms wouldn’t really care too much if he invaded Poland. When the Poms declared war on him for doing so he was taken aback and behind the scenes immediately started seeking a truce with England, something that he continued to do right up to the final moments of the war. He had publicly stated that his territorial ambitions lied to the East and not the West and had no desire for a war with England even though his war machine could kick the living shit out of the Poms if he so chose to do so.

He stormed across Western Europe in a move to show the Poms how pitifully under equipped they were for a full on war with him. He always liked to negotiate from a position of strength. Churchill however had other plans. And so begins this book in detailing the to-ing and fro-ing and scheming.

Well written but not convincing in the basic premise that it was the Poms who were the cleverer of the two. It reads like they were just less stupid rather than being smarter.

On my list but maybe not on yours?

[Parsa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read much about cruelty of war and how it effected people, what happened to whom and likes but I sadly, and like many, did not have much idea about the war. What happened, how did it happened etc. his book gave me a perspective. I DO realize that this book is based on a conspiracy theory which may or may not be true, hence my way way of reading was to take the conspiracy part as fiction [and it did make interesting reading at times] but along with it, taking parts of history and trying to get a very general perspective about history. Reading this book has made me realize that my second attempt to read Mein Kamph may not go in vain, you do need some background of World History to understand writer's point of view.

[Rawaez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting book about a event that did not receive much attention at the time. I started reading about Rudolf Hess when I was reading the book off Albert Speer about his prison time in Spandau. After reading about Hess, I became more interested in why he would cross the English canal when his nation was in was with Great Britain? I know that politics is full of intrigue and deceive, so I was prepared. It came down to the point that the English politicians tricked the German politicians into thinking a peace between the two nations was possible. At the end the sole goal of the English side was to redirect Hitlers focus to the Soviet Union. Fooling him to start a second front war, that at the end destroyed the Third Reich.

[Mark Pack · Rating 1 out of 5]

The "new archival discoveries" the book promises have turned out to be forgeries, with the author a prime suspect for being behind them: https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2008/m...

Without those fake documents, his more dramatic/sensational claims collapse, and they're so central to his work that it's best to look to other books instead.

[Eric Dear · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fascinating book written by Martin Allen analysing the role of British intelligence in using secret peace initiatives by the nazi leadership in 1940-41 to nudge Hitler towards attacking the Sovietunion in 1941, so that he does not turn against British interests in the Middle East. It tends to overestimate, however, the impact of British subterfuge on the Third Reich getting embroiled in a two-front war. Nevertheless, it is worth reading.

[Recato · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was difficult rating this book as I did not know how to decipher between historical fact and myth. But again this book raised alot more questions.

[Sylvia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting reading if you're into First and Second World War History. It really gives a timeline to how things happened.