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Return To The Reich: A Holocaust Refugee’s Secret Mission to Defeat the Nazis
The remarkable story of Fred Mayer, a German-born Jew who escaped Nazi Germany only to return as an American commando on a secret mission behind enemy lines.
Growing up in Germany, Freddy Mayer witnessed the Nazis' rise to power. When he was sixteen, his family made the decision to flee to the United States—they were among the last German Jews to escape, in 1938.
In America, Freddy tried enlisting the day after Pearl Harbor, only to be rejected as an “enemy alien” because he was German. He was soon recruited to the OSS, the country’s first spy outfit before the CIA. Freddy, joined by Dutch Jewish refugee Hans Wynberg and Nazi defector Franz Weber, parachuted into Austria as the leader of Operation Greenup, meant to deter Hitler’s last stand. He posed as a Nazi officer and a French POW for months, dispatching reports to the OSS via Hans, holed up with a radio in a nearby attic. The reports contained a goldmine of information, provided key intelligence about the Battle of the Bulge, and allowed the Allies to bomb twenty Nazi trains. On the verge of the Allied victory, Freddy was captured by the Gestapo and tortured and waterboarded for days. Remarkably, he persuaded the Nazi commander for the region to surrender, completing one of the most successful OSS missions of the war.
Based on years of research and interviews with Mayer himself, whom the author was able to meet only months before his death at the age of ninety-four, Return to the Reich is an eye-opening, unforgettable narrative of World War II heroism.
Growing up in Germany, Freddy Mayer witnessed the Nazis' rise to power. When he was sixteen, his family made the decision to flee to the United States—they were among the last German Jews to escape, in 1938.
In America, Freddy tried enlisting the day after Pearl Harbor, only to be rejected as an “enemy alien” because he was German. He was soon recruited to the OSS, the country’s first spy outfit before the CIA. Freddy, joined by Dutch Jewish refugee Hans Wynberg and Nazi defector Franz Weber, parachuted into Austria as the leader of Operation Greenup, meant to deter Hitler’s last stand. He posed as a Nazi officer and a French POW for months, dispatching reports to the OSS via Hans, holed up with a radio in a nearby attic. The reports contained a goldmine of information, provided key intelligence about the Battle of the Bulge, and allowed the Allies to bomb twenty Nazi trains. On the verge of the Allied victory, Freddy was captured by the Gestapo and tortured and waterboarded for days. Remarkably, he persuaded the Nazi commander for the region to surrender, completing one of the most successful OSS missions of the war.
Based on years of research and interviews with Mayer himself, whom the author was able to meet only months before his death at the age of ninety-four, Return to the Reich is an eye-opening, unforgettable narrative of World War II heroism.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published October 15, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
March 16, 2020
"I was in awe of him. He was born without the fear gene. He feared nothing." -- former U.S. Army flight lieutenant John Billings, on Sgt. Freddy Mayer
Remember that throwaway line of dialogue in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade where the fictional hero, almost in an aside to the audience, grumbles "Nazis - I hate these guys" ? It gets an easy but knowing laugh from viewers. However, said line popped into my head when reading Return to the Reich because it sounds just like something that would be uttered by this book's main character.
Frederick 'Freddy' Mayer was born in Germany to a Jewish family, and was the son of a decorated German solider from WWI. His family fled their hometown just months before the Nazis closed the borders and ports, and emigrated to New York City. Though not particularly religiously devout nor an exceptional student, Mayer worked as a diesel mechanic for a few years before racing to enlist once America became involved in WWII. He sincerely wanted to serve in the military of his new country, and initially thought he would be accepted for aircraft maintenance. At first he was rejected - since his family had only recently left Germany - but soon he would find himself in an improbable scenario.
Finally accepted into the U.S. Army, Mayer is determined to be an ace candidate for the new Office of Strategic Services, the forerunner to the modern Central Intelligence Agency. (This time it was a big plus being a German native, that and his fluency in French and English.) After an extensive - or seemingly endless - training period, Mayer leads a three-man team on a mission nicknamed 'Gulliver' in early 1945. The squad parachutes into the Alps under the cover of night to begin their espionage.
What Mayer and his two companions (who have interesting backgrounds of their own) accomplish during two months deep undercover in Germany and Nazi-controlled Austria, and what Mayer then ultimately experiences - as he is apprehended by the Gestapo (!) - is the stuff that great non-fiction 'novels' are made of. This is one of those little-known but remarkably true heroic tales that occurred regularly during WWII. Mayer is one plucky hero, and has such a perfect exit line (at the finale of chapter 12) that I hope his story is adapted into a film. I can see actor Ezra Miller - who played chatty young Barry 'The Flash' Allen in the 2017 Justice League superhero movie - as a natural for the role.
Remember that throwaway line of dialogue in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade where the fictional hero, almost in an aside to the audience, grumbles "Nazis - I hate these guys" ? It gets an easy but knowing laugh from viewers. However, said line popped into my head when reading Return to the Reich because it sounds just like something that would be uttered by this book's main character.
Frederick 'Freddy' Mayer was born in Germany to a Jewish family, and was the son of a decorated German solider from WWI. His family fled their hometown just months before the Nazis closed the borders and ports, and emigrated to New York City. Though not particularly religiously devout nor an exceptional student, Mayer worked as a diesel mechanic for a few years before racing to enlist once America became involved in WWII. He sincerely wanted to serve in the military of his new country, and initially thought he would be accepted for aircraft maintenance. At first he was rejected - since his family had only recently left Germany - but soon he would find himself in an improbable scenario.
Finally accepted into the U.S. Army, Mayer is determined to be an ace candidate for the new Office of Strategic Services, the forerunner to the modern Central Intelligence Agency. (This time it was a big plus being a German native, that and his fluency in French and English.) After an extensive - or seemingly endless - training period, Mayer leads a three-man team on a mission nicknamed 'Gulliver' in early 1945. The squad parachutes into the Alps under the cover of night to begin their espionage.
What Mayer and his two companions (who have interesting backgrounds of their own) accomplish during two months deep undercover in Germany and Nazi-controlled Austria, and what Mayer then ultimately experiences - as he is apprehended by the Gestapo (!) - is the stuff that great non-fiction 'novels' are made of. This is one of those little-known but remarkably true heroic tales that occurred regularly during WWII. Mayer is one plucky hero, and has such a perfect exit line (at the finale of chapter 12) that I hope his story is adapted into a film. I can see actor Ezra Miller - who played chatty young Barry 'The Flash' Allen in the 2017 Justice League superhero movie - as a natural for the role.
November 20, 2020
This the true story of Freddy Mayer, a Germany born Jew, who fled his home country just before the Nazi’s began rounding up the Jewish people. His family made their way to the United States and settled in Brooklyn. As America entered the war, Freddy hoped to help his new country defeat the fascists and enlisted. He ended up becoming a commando spy for the newly formed OSS. Pleading for a mission, they teamed Freddy up with another Jewish radio operator and a turned Nazi officer. They were dropped in Austria, 200 miles behind enemy lines. This is their story.
This is a magnificent story of an unsung hero. It reads like a modern day thriller, dripping with danger and suspense. I am so happy I found this gem.
This is a magnificent story of an unsung hero. It reads like a modern day thriller, dripping with danger and suspense. I am so happy I found this gem.
November 29, 2019
I’ve read so much about world war 2 and even the OSS but this story is one I had never heard and it is something out of a movie. In fact if some of the stuff that happens to Fred Mayer came up in a movie I would call it impossible or cliched. This is a true story of what a determined refugee can do, in this case as a prolific spy. Also the luckiest spy, again if what wasn’t recorded from multiple sources I would say it was all a lie.
September 12, 2024
Incredible
This is one of the best historical books about WWII I have ever read.
Impeccably researched with accompanying pictures should a fantastic amount of research.
I can not give a higher recommendation.
This is one of the best historical books about WWII I have ever read.
Impeccably researched with accompanying pictures should a fantastic amount of research.
I can not give a higher recommendation.
May 21, 2020
4.9 🌟 as there are a few words used in quotations. However this was a fascinating story and a must-read for anyone interested in WW II! I never knew so many escaped Germany, fled to America then became US soldiers. It’s sad it took him so long to get on a mission, then to be captured 9 days before Hitler died. Yet he was vital to the surrender in Austria and made a huge impact in the war ending! So amazing this man ended up in West Virginia and lived until 2016!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 11, 2020
Me at 23: Reading about Freddy Meyer.
Freddy Meyer at 23: fled Nazi Germany, returned to fight the Nazis as a OSS spy, covertly skydived into a Nazi stronghold, infiltrated said stronghold, survived Gestepo capture and torture, survived a concentration camp, and persuaded a Nazi commander to unconditionally surrender an entire region to Allied forces. Lived to 94. Legend.
Freddy Meyer at 23: fled Nazi Germany, returned to fight the Nazis as a OSS spy, covertly skydived into a Nazi stronghold, infiltrated said stronghold, survived Gestepo capture and torture, survived a concentration camp, and persuaded a Nazi commander to unconditionally surrender an entire region to Allied forces. Lived to 94. Legend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 30, 2023
Return to the Reich is an engaging and exciting account. Having read a fair number of Holocaust survivor, refugee and resistance fighter memoirs and accounts, each is remarkable and unique but this one was truly unlike any I’ve read before. While the subject matter is harrowing at times, overall the story is ‘easier,’ with less of the gut wrenching horror and hopelessness. The mission is risky. The men determined. The leader clever and fearless to the point of what feels like extreme foolishness but ultimately successful due to remarkable gut instinct and on the fly thinking and adaptation.
An incredible little bit of history that had an important impact on the the final months of the war.
4.25 stars
An incredible little bit of history that had an important impact on the the final months of the war.
4.25 stars
February 18, 2020
I only wish this was longer and that Freddy hadn't passed away before this author could do more interviews.
June 24, 2023
4.5🌟 such a neat story about the Jewish German refugee who had to fight to even be allowed to fight the Germans. I enjoyed hearing about his escapades and his scrappy resilience. I felt like the author did a good job of telling his story without getting too bogged down with details. I liked hearing what happened to many of the different people after the war in the epilogue.
*There was some language, mostly when the author was directly quoting one of the people.
*There was some language, mostly when the author was directly quoting one of the people.
December 27, 2019
‘Return to the Reich” by Pulitzer Prize winning author, Eric Lichtblau is a thrilling and racy account of the extraordinary exploits in subterfuge pulled off by three indomitable men right behind enemy lines. Private First Class Fred Mayer, Sergeant Hans Wynberg and the Wehrmacht deserter Franz Weber, were tasked by the Office of Strategic Services (“OSS”), a wartime intelligence agency of the United States during World War II, and a predecessor to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) , to penetrate German lines in the Tyrolean capital of Innsbruck in Austria. The motive: to garner as much intelligence as possible on the despotic Adolf Hitler’s proposed last and violent stand in the Alps against rapidly advancing Allied Forces. If this resistance, rumoured to be known as the Festung or the ‘fortress’ was to be left unchecked, then there was the unenviable and unsavoury prospect of the World War being prolonged for a few more months, if not weeks.
As Mr. Lichtblau regales us in fascinating detail, Freddy Mayer was one astounding individual. The son of Heinrich Mayer, a decorated German war veteran, and also the recipient of an Iron Cross medal, Freddy’s life is turned upside down with the ascendancy to power of the Nazi Party. The otherwise tolerant and accommodating town of Freiburg becomes a bastion of the Third Reich philosophy. The Mayer family, forced to desert their family home and business, clamber aboard the SS Manhattan and in March 1938 find themselves at New York. The calamitous strike on Pearl Harbour, that sucked America into World War II provided the most appropriate opportunity for Mayer to do his bit in fighting the very forces of evil that had led to his family getting uprooted from their own home. However, Mayer’s application papers get rejected solely on account of the fact that he was a Jew of German descent. A paranoia of “Fifth Column” incursions cast aspersions on both the motive and loyalty of 1.1 million Americans of German, Italian and Japanese descent. However, a paucity of both physical bodies and intellectual information, ensured that Mayer was drafted into the OSS, a brainchild of celebrated World War I hero William Donovan. As Mr. Lichtblau informs his readers, the ambitions of the OSS stretched from training bats to drop bombs and injecting Hitler with female hormones to make him less aggressive.
Hans Wynberg, Mayer’s radio operator and perpetrator-in-crime also had his justified grouse against Hitler and his forces. Hans and his twin brother Luke were dispatched to the United States by his astute father who feared the worst for the Dutch in the event of the country being run over by the Germans. His worse prophesies come true as the Germans not only occupy Netherlands but arrest Han’s parents and his little brother Robbie before putting the trio away at the infamous concentration camp as Auschwitz, where the family perishes.
Franz Weber, a twenty-three-year-old Prisoner Of War (“POW”) inside Camp 209 in Naples was a man nursing a wounded conscience. Although fighting for Hitler, his beliefs were in direct contradiction to that of the brutal Nazis. He was also inextricably bound by Gewissen – his conscience as a Catholic, which prevented him from engaging in unspeakable atrocities, which for his fellow soldiers constituted pleasure and purpose. Hence when Dyno Lowenstein, Mayer’s boss approaches Franz with a proposal to not merely defect but work for the OSS, he agrees immediately.
On the 25th of February, 1945, Mayer, Hans and Franz are para-dropped from a B-24 Liberator piloted by the irascible twenty-one-year-old John Billings, to land near the Sultztaler Glacier at an elevation of 10,500 feet. From here begins the unbelievable story of Operation Greenup or Operation Gulliver that has now attained immortality in the lore of espionage. Franz Weber, now calling himself Leutnant Erich Schmitzer, and armed with a Nazi Soldbuch identification, proceeds to Innsbruck. Mayer and Hans are his supposed deferential collaborators. The primary objective of their mission is to glean invaluable information about the German activities surrounding The Brenner Pass. A Pass dividing southern Austria and northern Italy for some sixty miles, The Brenner Pass acted as a veritable lifeline for the Nazis, transporting weapons and troops to the frontline. Any disruption to this line would create havoc for the Nazis sending their supply schedules into a tailspin.
Banking on an incredibly intricate system of covert networking, Mayer seeks out Nazi resisters and disgruntled populace who are more than just eager to see the decimation of the Nazis. Popularly known as “cut outs”, they included Alois Abenthung, a former Burgermeister in Oberperfuss, and Franz’s own fiancé Annie. Hans strings up a communication platform and works from the attic of an allied sympathizer and the trio begin transmitting some extraordinarily delicate & confidential information back to OSS Head Quarters. For example, Mayer, obtaining Nazi uniform and papers surreptitiously, walks in an audacious manner into a barracks for the Nazis and even manages to get an assistant who irons his uniform and shines his boots! Disguised as a Nazi soldier on recuperation, strikes a conversation with a more than just boisterous Nazi officer. Fueled by both pride and copious quantities of wine, the officer, by now garrulous, boasts about the fortification of Fuhrerhauptquartier – Hitler’s underground bunker. The spectacular quality of details divulged include even the precise location of the bunker.
But as Mr. Lichtblau admirably reveals, the most wonderful and material missive of Messrs Mayer, Hans and Franz involved leaking information about a massive caravan of military supplies heading for the front line in Italy. Upon receiving this information, the 15th Air Force sends a reconnaissance mission which corroborates Mayer’s stupendous information. B-17 fighter planes swooping down upon 26 trains of 30 to 40 cars each – and stuffed with ammunition, tractors, anti-aircraft guns, gasoline and light equipment – bomb them with the utmost ferocity before reducing the caravan to a smouldering spectacle of ruin and rubble.
However, Mayer’s egregious attitude and an eagerness that even extended to insubordination brings him right at the door step of death, as after weeks of sabotage, surreptitiousness and secrecy, the truth and the Gestapo finally catch up with him. Mayer is sold out by a mercenary and turncoat, Karl Neiderwanger, a man who had earlier informed Freddy that he could produce five hundred resistance fighters for him, and Hermann Matull a Nazi Radio Operator who defected to the OSS before agreeing to work for the Germans as a double agent. Matull was derisively termed, ‘a real gutter snipe” by his OSS trainer Walter Haass. Walter Guttner, an Obersturmfuhrer, in charge of Mayer’s interrogation employs the most extreme measures to squeeze out information from Mayer. Slapping and punching Mayer, rupturing his right eardrum, knocking out 6 of his teeth, whipping him until his back had deep cuts and waterboarding him were some of the techniques resorted to by Guttner, during Mayer’s seven days of Gestapo custody.
As suddenly as he was arrested, Mayer is released and is escorted to the house of the most powerful Nazi in Tyrol: Gauletier Franz Hofer. In a jaw dropping spectacle of self-professed diplomacy, Mayer convinces Hofer to not exhort his soldiers to fight but to lay down their arms as further encounters would only be futile. Incredulously, Hofer heeds Mayer’s pleas and surrenders to the Allied forces. Innsbruck is thus liberated without a single drop of blood being shed.
As Mr. Lichtblau concludes, the Gulliver mission will go down in the annals of military history as one of the most successful espionage operations engaged in by the Americans. The “Das Verwegene Trio” or the “Three Swashbuckling guys”, not only secured intelligence to bomb Nazi supply trains, but also tracked German troop movements, pinpointed Hitler’s bunker and in a feat of insurmountable stupefaction, arranged the surrender of Innsbruck!
But the core and crux of Mr. Lichtblau’s wonderful book – a monumental testimony to the preservation of humanity – is contained in one of its concluding passages. Mayer’s meets with Guttner, who is now imprisoned, at the end of the war “Do anything you want with me,” Guttner begs, “but don’t hurt my family.”
“Who do you think we are?” Mayer replies. “Nazis?”
Although Freddy Mayer for his show of exemplary and singularly undaunted courage was honoured with the Legion of Merit, the Congressional Medal of Honour was denied to him. One of the banal excuses proffered for this travesty was that, Freddy’s daring acts, did not demonstrate “actual conflict or direct physical contact with an armed enemy.”
But as Mr. Lichtblau beautifully chronicles in this absolute masterpiece, may honours be damned! The honourable will live forever!
As Mr. Lichtblau regales us in fascinating detail, Freddy Mayer was one astounding individual. The son of Heinrich Mayer, a decorated German war veteran, and also the recipient of an Iron Cross medal, Freddy’s life is turned upside down with the ascendancy to power of the Nazi Party. The otherwise tolerant and accommodating town of Freiburg becomes a bastion of the Third Reich philosophy. The Mayer family, forced to desert their family home and business, clamber aboard the SS Manhattan and in March 1938 find themselves at New York. The calamitous strike on Pearl Harbour, that sucked America into World War II provided the most appropriate opportunity for Mayer to do his bit in fighting the very forces of evil that had led to his family getting uprooted from their own home. However, Mayer’s application papers get rejected solely on account of the fact that he was a Jew of German descent. A paranoia of “Fifth Column” incursions cast aspersions on both the motive and loyalty of 1.1 million Americans of German, Italian and Japanese descent. However, a paucity of both physical bodies and intellectual information, ensured that Mayer was drafted into the OSS, a brainchild of celebrated World War I hero William Donovan. As Mr. Lichtblau informs his readers, the ambitions of the OSS stretched from training bats to drop bombs and injecting Hitler with female hormones to make him less aggressive.
Hans Wynberg, Mayer’s radio operator and perpetrator-in-crime also had his justified grouse against Hitler and his forces. Hans and his twin brother Luke were dispatched to the United States by his astute father who feared the worst for the Dutch in the event of the country being run over by the Germans. His worse prophesies come true as the Germans not only occupy Netherlands but arrest Han’s parents and his little brother Robbie before putting the trio away at the infamous concentration camp as Auschwitz, where the family perishes.
Franz Weber, a twenty-three-year-old Prisoner Of War (“POW”) inside Camp 209 in Naples was a man nursing a wounded conscience. Although fighting for Hitler, his beliefs were in direct contradiction to that of the brutal Nazis. He was also inextricably bound by Gewissen – his conscience as a Catholic, which prevented him from engaging in unspeakable atrocities, which for his fellow soldiers constituted pleasure and purpose. Hence when Dyno Lowenstein, Mayer’s boss approaches Franz with a proposal to not merely defect but work for the OSS, he agrees immediately.
On the 25th of February, 1945, Mayer, Hans and Franz are para-dropped from a B-24 Liberator piloted by the irascible twenty-one-year-old John Billings, to land near the Sultztaler Glacier at an elevation of 10,500 feet. From here begins the unbelievable story of Operation Greenup or Operation Gulliver that has now attained immortality in the lore of espionage. Franz Weber, now calling himself Leutnant Erich Schmitzer, and armed with a Nazi Soldbuch identification, proceeds to Innsbruck. Mayer and Hans are his supposed deferential collaborators. The primary objective of their mission is to glean invaluable information about the German activities surrounding The Brenner Pass. A Pass dividing southern Austria and northern Italy for some sixty miles, The Brenner Pass acted as a veritable lifeline for the Nazis, transporting weapons and troops to the frontline. Any disruption to this line would create havoc for the Nazis sending their supply schedules into a tailspin.
Banking on an incredibly intricate system of covert networking, Mayer seeks out Nazi resisters and disgruntled populace who are more than just eager to see the decimation of the Nazis. Popularly known as “cut outs”, they included Alois Abenthung, a former Burgermeister in Oberperfuss, and Franz’s own fiancé Annie. Hans strings up a communication platform and works from the attic of an allied sympathizer and the trio begin transmitting some extraordinarily delicate & confidential information back to OSS Head Quarters. For example, Mayer, obtaining Nazi uniform and papers surreptitiously, walks in an audacious manner into a barracks for the Nazis and even manages to get an assistant who irons his uniform and shines his boots! Disguised as a Nazi soldier on recuperation, strikes a conversation with a more than just boisterous Nazi officer. Fueled by both pride and copious quantities of wine, the officer, by now garrulous, boasts about the fortification of Fuhrerhauptquartier – Hitler’s underground bunker. The spectacular quality of details divulged include even the precise location of the bunker.
But as Mr. Lichtblau admirably reveals, the most wonderful and material missive of Messrs Mayer, Hans and Franz involved leaking information about a massive caravan of military supplies heading for the front line in Italy. Upon receiving this information, the 15th Air Force sends a reconnaissance mission which corroborates Mayer’s stupendous information. B-17 fighter planes swooping down upon 26 trains of 30 to 40 cars each – and stuffed with ammunition, tractors, anti-aircraft guns, gasoline and light equipment – bomb them with the utmost ferocity before reducing the caravan to a smouldering spectacle of ruin and rubble.
However, Mayer’s egregious attitude and an eagerness that even extended to insubordination brings him right at the door step of death, as after weeks of sabotage, surreptitiousness and secrecy, the truth and the Gestapo finally catch up with him. Mayer is sold out by a mercenary and turncoat, Karl Neiderwanger, a man who had earlier informed Freddy that he could produce five hundred resistance fighters for him, and Hermann Matull a Nazi Radio Operator who defected to the OSS before agreeing to work for the Germans as a double agent. Matull was derisively termed, ‘a real gutter snipe” by his OSS trainer Walter Haass. Walter Guttner, an Obersturmfuhrer, in charge of Mayer’s interrogation employs the most extreme measures to squeeze out information from Mayer. Slapping and punching Mayer, rupturing his right eardrum, knocking out 6 of his teeth, whipping him until his back had deep cuts and waterboarding him were some of the techniques resorted to by Guttner, during Mayer’s seven days of Gestapo custody.
As suddenly as he was arrested, Mayer is released and is escorted to the house of the most powerful Nazi in Tyrol: Gauletier Franz Hofer. In a jaw dropping spectacle of self-professed diplomacy, Mayer convinces Hofer to not exhort his soldiers to fight but to lay down their arms as further encounters would only be futile. Incredulously, Hofer heeds Mayer’s pleas and surrenders to the Allied forces. Innsbruck is thus liberated without a single drop of blood being shed.
As Mr. Lichtblau concludes, the Gulliver mission will go down in the annals of military history as one of the most successful espionage operations engaged in by the Americans. The “Das Verwegene Trio” or the “Three Swashbuckling guys”, not only secured intelligence to bomb Nazi supply trains, but also tracked German troop movements, pinpointed Hitler’s bunker and in a feat of insurmountable stupefaction, arranged the surrender of Innsbruck!
But the core and crux of Mr. Lichtblau’s wonderful book – a monumental testimony to the preservation of humanity – is contained in one of its concluding passages. Mayer’s meets with Guttner, who is now imprisoned, at the end of the war “Do anything you want with me,” Guttner begs, “but don’t hurt my family.”
“Who do you think we are?” Mayer replies. “Nazis?”
Although Freddy Mayer for his show of exemplary and singularly undaunted courage was honoured with the Legion of Merit, the Congressional Medal of Honour was denied to him. One of the banal excuses proffered for this travesty was that, Freddy’s daring acts, did not demonstrate “actual conflict or direct physical contact with an armed enemy.”
But as Mr. Lichtblau beautifully chronicles in this absolute masterpiece, may honours be damned! The honourable will live forever!
November 16, 2025
This book presents the very interesting story of Freddy Mayer, a German born Jew who escaped to the US, and served as a spy for the American OSS in Austria.
The story begins with his life as the child of medaled WWI veteran in the German army. Despite the increasing level of pressure on the Jewish community, his father had the family stay in Germany until it was almost too late. Freddy made it to Brooklyn, NY and enlisted in the Army after Pearl Harbor. Freddy's has stunning self-confidence and after a long wait ends serving with distinction in Austria.
The book is almost half over before the mission reference in the title actually begins. However, Eric Lichtblau does a good job making the background information about the war and the establishment of the OSS interesting to read. He also did well weaving in the family stories of Freddy and his two accomplices. The epilog's treatment of all the characters is interesting and very complete.
This is a fast-paced and interesting story. It is heartwarming to read this story of three special men, none of whom were born in the us, whose efforts had such a postive impact on the fight against the Nazis.
The story begins with his life as the child of medaled WWI veteran in the German army. Despite the increasing level of pressure on the Jewish community, his father had the family stay in Germany until it was almost too late. Freddy made it to Brooklyn, NY and enlisted in the Army after Pearl Harbor. Freddy's has stunning self-confidence and after a long wait ends serving with distinction in Austria.
The book is almost half over before the mission reference in the title actually begins. However, Eric Lichtblau does a good job making the background information about the war and the establishment of the OSS interesting to read. He also did well weaving in the family stories of Freddy and his two accomplices. The epilog's treatment of all the characters is interesting and very complete.
This is a fast-paced and interesting story. It is heartwarming to read this story of three special men, none of whom were born in the us, whose efforts had such a postive impact on the fight against the Nazis.
December 17, 2021
audiobook narrated by Dennis Boutsikaris
My library hold on this audiobook was nearly due to get sucked back into the internet, so I decided to complete a speed listen (2X) through it.
Interesting, fast-paced, biography about a WWII spy; Freddy attributes his ability to do the audacious things he did to chutzpah.
Extra: details some aspect of the torture administered.
My library hold on this audiobook was nearly due to get sucked back into the internet, so I decided to complete a speed listen (2X) through it.
Interesting, fast-paced, biography about a WWII spy; Freddy attributes his ability to do the audacious things he did to chutzpah.
Extra: details some aspect of the torture administered.
October 6, 2020
I felt like the author jumped around a little bit too much for me. But I really liked the story itself!
October 17, 2024
German Jew escapes to America and volunteers for spy mission in Austria as a Nazi and then a French worker. Provided valuable info to allies and helped arrange the surrender of Tyrol without bloodshed.
August 25, 2019
This is such an utterly fascinating account of spy work and the WWII world that it is hard for me to find the right words to review it properly and give it the justice it deserves. First of all, as a book recounting historical events, this is anything but boring. There is something on every page that makes you eager to reads the next one, and before you know it, the book is finished. I was sorry to see it go.
The account of events in that this man and his fellow OSS members lived through is terrifying, exciting and at times, reminded me of a good spy thriller, except it was somehow better knowing the events were true. What courage and desire it must have taken for all the participants involved to operate as they did, knowing that at any moment they could have been (and in at least one case, were) discovered.
If you have not taken the time to reads this book yet, I recommend that you do so. It is an amazingly well-written book, that gives the reader deeper insight into some of the most crucial tactics the US deployed during the war. Prior to reading this, I had no idea how much difference the Gulliver team made to the outcome of the war. It is a thoughtful and enticing account of historical events, brought back to life by a talented author. Definitely a keeper.
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
The account of events in that this man and his fellow OSS members lived through is terrifying, exciting and at times, reminded me of a good spy thriller, except it was somehow better knowing the events were true. What courage and desire it must have taken for all the participants involved to operate as they did, knowing that at any moment they could have been (and in at least one case, were) discovered.
If you have not taken the time to reads this book yet, I recommend that you do so. It is an amazingly well-written book, that gives the reader deeper insight into some of the most crucial tactics the US deployed during the war. Prior to reading this, I had no idea how much difference the Gulliver team made to the outcome of the war. It is a thoughtful and enticing account of historical events, brought back to life by a talented author. Definitely a keeper.
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
November 18, 2019
From not wanting to read about Nazis, I'm suddenly flooded with Holocaust novels. This one is more of a spy on and "thwart the Nazis" novel and its main character, Freddy Meyer has to be celebrated for his bravery and chutzpah. That so many in the Nazi party who "just followed orders" went unpunished makes my blood boil. I suppose stories like Freddy's makes up somewhat for that.
November 15, 2019
My interest in WWII spy stories is minimal at best. But I love narrative nonfiction, especially when a broad story is told through the lens of one person. I found Mr. Lichtblau's book impossible to put down. It's a page turner, both for the plot of the story and the characters themselves.
Freddy Mayer grows up in Germany, but flees with his family in 1938, escaping from Hitler ahead of the Holocaust. Arriving in Brooklyn, he is recruited to the OSS, the predecessor to the CIA. Having escaped Hitler, now he is desperate to go back and defeat him. He and two other men are chosen to parachute into Austria to gather intelligence on troop movements and resources. He's a remarkably effective spy, able to assume identities and insert himself into almost any situation. He becomes, at different times, a German officer, a French POW and a factory worker.
Mayer and his compatriots arrive as the war is coming to a close, and the Nazis are making their last-ditch stand. They are brutal to the end. Mayer is captured and tortured (not a spoiler... this is revealed on the book jacket). It was in this section about the torture that my only doubts about the story surfaced. If he was indeed tortured in the way he says he was, with his physical injuries, I just can't see how two days later, he could be sitting upright in a car being transported to a Nazi official's home and enjoying a fabulous luncheon, all the while acting as an Allied diplomat, urging the official to surrender. I don't know what sources the author relied on for the physical description of the torture, perhaps only Mr. Mayer himself, but to me it sounded somewhat unreal. I got the same feeling when I read parts of Laura Hillenbrand's "Unbroken."
But that's my only caveat about this book. It's a great read, even if your interest in WWII is minimal. It made a good follow-up to another new book that I've read about William Donovan and the creation of the OSS, "Agents of Influence: A British Campaign, a Canadian Spy, and the Secret Plot to Bring America into World War II."
Freddy Mayer grows up in Germany, but flees with his family in 1938, escaping from Hitler ahead of the Holocaust. Arriving in Brooklyn, he is recruited to the OSS, the predecessor to the CIA. Having escaped Hitler, now he is desperate to go back and defeat him. He and two other men are chosen to parachute into Austria to gather intelligence on troop movements and resources. He's a remarkably effective spy, able to assume identities and insert himself into almost any situation. He becomes, at different times, a German officer, a French POW and a factory worker.
Mayer and his compatriots arrive as the war is coming to a close, and the Nazis are making their last-ditch stand. They are brutal to the end. Mayer is captured and tortured (not a spoiler... this is revealed on the book jacket). It was in this section about the torture that my only doubts about the story surfaced. If he was indeed tortured in the way he says he was, with his physical injuries, I just can't see how two days later, he could be sitting upright in a car being transported to a Nazi official's home and enjoying a fabulous luncheon, all the while acting as an Allied diplomat, urging the official to surrender. I don't know what sources the author relied on for the physical description of the torture, perhaps only Mr. Mayer himself, but to me it sounded somewhat unreal. I got the same feeling when I read parts of Laura Hillenbrand's "Unbroken."
But that's my only caveat about this book. It's a great read, even if your interest in WWII is minimal. It made a good follow-up to another new book that I've read about William Donovan and the creation of the OSS, "Agents of Influence: A British Campaign, a Canadian Spy, and the Secret Plot to Bring America into World War II."
September 9, 2021
Author Eric Lichtblau https://ericlichtblau.com published the book “Return to the Reich: A Holocaust Refugee’s Secret Mission to Defeat the Nazis” in 2019. Mr. Lichtblau has published three books.
I received an ARC of this book through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this book as ‘PG’. The target of this biography is Freddy ‘Fritz’ Mayer.
Mayer and his family were among the lucky few German Jews who were able to flee from Germany before the war. Mayer was a teen when they arrived in the US in March of 1938. He tried to enlist after Perl Harbor but was denied because of his German heritage. He was eventually drafted in late 1942.
The extensive training the Army subjected him to was not to Mayer’s liking. He wanted to contribute more to the war effort. He was a leader, but tended to treat rules as suggestions. He was offered the opportunity to join the OSS in late 1943.
Mayer partnered with Dutch Jewish refuge Hans Wynberg. Eventually, a third man, German POW Franz Weber, joined their group. They all parachuted into occupied Austria in February of 1945.
They were able to gather important intelligence and transmit it back to the Allies. Mayer used his fluency in both German and French to his advantage. He audaciously posed as a German officer and a French factory worker. His luck ran out in late April. The Gestapo arrested him. While he was tortured and questioned for days, he gave up nothing. With the end of the war looming ahead, he persuaded the Nazi commander of the Tyrol area to surrender.
I enjoyed the 6+ hours I spent reading this 318-page WWII history. This true story reads more like fiction than history. It is very readable. While the book is over 300 pages, the story is contained in the first 60%. The rest is all references. The selected cover art is an interesting choice. I give this book a 4.3 (rounded down to a 4) out of 5.
You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).
I received an ARC of this book through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this book as ‘PG’. The target of this biography is Freddy ‘Fritz’ Mayer.
Mayer and his family were among the lucky few German Jews who were able to flee from Germany before the war. Mayer was a teen when they arrived in the US in March of 1938. He tried to enlist after Perl Harbor but was denied because of his German heritage. He was eventually drafted in late 1942.
The extensive training the Army subjected him to was not to Mayer’s liking. He wanted to contribute more to the war effort. He was a leader, but tended to treat rules as suggestions. He was offered the opportunity to join the OSS in late 1943.
Mayer partnered with Dutch Jewish refuge Hans Wynberg. Eventually, a third man, German POW Franz Weber, joined their group. They all parachuted into occupied Austria in February of 1945.
They were able to gather important intelligence and transmit it back to the Allies. Mayer used his fluency in both German and French to his advantage. He audaciously posed as a German officer and a French factory worker. His luck ran out in late April. The Gestapo arrested him. While he was tortured and questioned for days, he gave up nothing. With the end of the war looming ahead, he persuaded the Nazi commander of the Tyrol area to surrender.
I enjoyed the 6+ hours I spent reading this 318-page WWII history. This true story reads more like fiction than history. It is very readable. While the book is over 300 pages, the story is contained in the first 60%. The rest is all references. The selected cover art is an interesting choice. I give this book a 4.3 (rounded down to a 4) out of 5.
You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).
November 12, 2019
For more reviews and bookish posts please visit: http://www.ManOfLaBook.com
Return to the Reich: A Holocaust Refugee’s Secret Mission to Defeat the Nazis by Eric Lichtblau tells the true story of Fred Mayer, a Jew born in Germany and returns as an American agent behind enemy lines. Mr. Lichtblau is a Pulitzer Prize winning author.
This book is a compilation of excellent research and first hand interviews, which met the author a few month before his death. The outcome is the fascinating Return to the Reich: A Holocaust Refugee’s Secret Mission to Defeat the Nazis by Eric Lichtblau tells the true story of Fred Mayer, a book which brings history to life.
This was a very exciting book, following Mr. Mayer from his childhood in Germany, to his training in the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), an onto his missions behind enemy lines. The writing is simple, but exciting, it’s a difficult book to put down.
The first part of the book talks about the lives before World War II. Jewish refugees fleeing to America. The next part tells of the difficult training and how Mr. Mayer and his friend found their way to the OSS and how they handled difficulties. These two parts made the personalities real, which made me feel as if I had a stake in their success and survival.
Mr. Mayer must have had balls of steel, he seem to have never inherited the protective gene of fear. Whether it is to fly a B24 without training, or jump out of it over the Austrian Alps – for the first time. It is difficult to believe that all these adventures actually happened, and to one person at that.
This is a story worth telling, a fascinating tale which is difficult to believe. Even though this is a short book, it is a good story and a real page turner.
Return to the Reich: A Holocaust Refugee’s Secret Mission to Defeat the Nazis by Eric Lichtblau tells the true story of Fred Mayer, a Jew born in Germany and returns as an American agent behind enemy lines. Mr. Lichtblau is a Pulitzer Prize winning author.
This book is a compilation of excellent research and first hand interviews, which met the author a few month before his death. The outcome is the fascinating Return to the Reich: A Holocaust Refugee’s Secret Mission to Defeat the Nazis by Eric Lichtblau tells the true story of Fred Mayer, a book which brings history to life.
This was a very exciting book, following Mr. Mayer from his childhood in Germany, to his training in the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), an onto his missions behind enemy lines. The writing is simple, but exciting, it’s a difficult book to put down.
The first part of the book talks about the lives before World War II. Jewish refugees fleeing to America. The next part tells of the difficult training and how Mr. Mayer and his friend found their way to the OSS and how they handled difficulties. These two parts made the personalities real, which made me feel as if I had a stake in their success and survival.
Mr. Mayer must have had balls of steel, he seem to have never inherited the protective gene of fear. Whether it is to fly a B24 without training, or jump out of it over the Austrian Alps – for the first time. It is difficult to believe that all these adventures actually happened, and to one person at that.
This is a story worth telling, a fascinating tale which is difficult to believe. Even though this is a short book, it is a good story and a real page turner.
May 17, 2020
From the first glance, the title of Eric Lichtblau’s latest book, “Return to the Reich: A Holocaust Refugee’s Secret Mission to Defeat the Nazis,” seems intriguing, yet serious. But the wonderful nonfiction book hardly reads as a tome, but more as a breezy mystery. In fact, it would be hard to believe that a story like this one will not eventually be ticketed for the silver screen.
Chock full of heroism, Eric Lichtblau, has given Frederick Mayer’s character and story the accolades it deserves, drawing on a masterful, rich trove of research from surviving witnesses and their families. Lichtblau's research is second to none, especially when you consider that he was only afforded a single interview with the protagonist before Frederick Mayer passed away in 2016 at the age of 94. Lichtblau, a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner as a former reporter of The New York Times, is a wonderful storyteller and his prose provides details about the former spy that are both astonishing and mesmerizing.
At certain moments in the book, you might think that Mayer was enough of a hero just for going back to Nazi Germany, from where he had escaped with his family as a child, to fight as an enlisted United States Army soldier and spy. But Mayer is in fact part Houdini, part James Bond, absolutely fearless in taking heroism up several notches. Mayer, as he was portrayed in the book, was a great actor who seemingly wore many hats while continuing to exude modesty. Mayer never lost sight of why he had gone back to Germany during World War II, even though on several occasions his daring maneuvers brought him perilously close to losing his life.
“Return to the Reich” is one of the best books I have read in years. I have little doubt that you will disagree if you too choose to read it.
Chock full of heroism, Eric Lichtblau, has given Frederick Mayer’s character and story the accolades it deserves, drawing on a masterful, rich trove of research from surviving witnesses and their families. Lichtblau's research is second to none, especially when you consider that he was only afforded a single interview with the protagonist before Frederick Mayer passed away in 2016 at the age of 94. Lichtblau, a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner as a former reporter of The New York Times, is a wonderful storyteller and his prose provides details about the former spy that are both astonishing and mesmerizing.
At certain moments in the book, you might think that Mayer was enough of a hero just for going back to Nazi Germany, from where he had escaped with his family as a child, to fight as an enlisted United States Army soldier and spy. But Mayer is in fact part Houdini, part James Bond, absolutely fearless in taking heroism up several notches. Mayer, as he was portrayed in the book, was a great actor who seemingly wore many hats while continuing to exude modesty. Mayer never lost sight of why he had gone back to Germany during World War II, even though on several occasions his daring maneuvers brought him perilously close to losing his life.
“Return to the Reich” is one of the best books I have read in years. I have little doubt that you will disagree if you too choose to read it.
July 10, 2024
The 3 star is for the writing, not the story. Spoilers ahead.
Amazing story, also amazing that I've never heard of it before despite having read many WW2 stories/books. And amazing that this story isn't more widely known. On the internet, I read about the Luftwaffe pilot who wouldn't shoot the damaged US bomber or the time the German Army unit allied with the US unit to fight the SS. Maybe this story will be more widely known too now.
This is the story of a German-Jewish refugee who made it to the US before the war and then joined up when US was drawn into the war. Because of his knowledge of German he joined the OSS, then a new organization.
After a lot of training, he was finally sent into Europe he had to wait a long time before jumping into Austria. Once on the ground, he somewhat blended in and transmitted a lot of useful information. Near the end of the war he was finally captured by the Gestapo and put under torture.
However even the Gestapo knew the end was near and he was saved because the Gauleiter of Austria thought he could make a deal with the US using Mayer. This is where it gets incredible. Mayer was able to broker a ceasefire and save a lot of lives. And Mayer was merely a sergeant at that point and without the authority to really do so.
To be honest, I'm not sure if the story could be better written but it sorta lacked good flow. Perhaps the writer didn't have the necessary raw material. Either way, I'm glad to have read this book which was a recommendation from my library.
Amazing story, also amazing that I've never heard of it before despite having read many WW2 stories/books. And amazing that this story isn't more widely known. On the internet, I read about the Luftwaffe pilot who wouldn't shoot the damaged US bomber or the time the German Army unit allied with the US unit to fight the SS. Maybe this story will be more widely known too now.
This is the story of a German-Jewish refugee who made it to the US before the war and then joined up when US was drawn into the war. Because of his knowledge of German he joined the OSS, then a new organization.
After a lot of training, he was finally sent into Europe he had to wait a long time before jumping into Austria. Once on the ground, he somewhat blended in and transmitted a lot of useful information. Near the end of the war he was finally captured by the Gestapo and put under torture.
However even the Gestapo knew the end was near and he was saved because the Gauleiter of Austria thought he could make a deal with the US using Mayer. This is where it gets incredible. Mayer was able to broker a ceasefire and save a lot of lives. And Mayer was merely a sergeant at that point and without the authority to really do so.
To be honest, I'm not sure if the story could be better written but it sorta lacked good flow. Perhaps the writer didn't have the necessary raw material. Either way, I'm glad to have read this book which was a recommendation from my library.
October 13, 2019
There have been many books written about WW2, and some of the most interesting are those that feature clandestine operations. In his book, "Return to the Reich", author Eric Lichtblau looks at a young German Jew who had fled Germany for New York in the last years before the war. Freddy Mayer wanted to repay his new homeland for providing refuge and he became involved with the newly formed OSS under General William Donovan. He was chosen along with fellow refugee, Hans (Henry) Wynberg (who was to see later action with movie star Elizabeth Taylor) and a third man, Franz Weber, to parachute into Austria on a sensitive mission in 1944. You'll have to read Lichtblau's excellent book to find the details. My only problem with the book is that it's perhaps too long.
Freddy Mayer is one of many German Jews who fled the country before the war and returned to fight for their adopted countries. Another excellent book you should look at is "Hans and Rudolf", by Thomas Harding, a British historian. It's the story of Hans Alexander, who fought for the British during the war and then returned to Germany as a Nazi-tracker. He tracked down and arrested Rudolf Hoss, the commandant of Auschwitz. Both Harding and Lichtblau's books are worth reading.
Freddy Mayer is one of many German Jews who fled the country before the war and returned to fight for their adopted countries. Another excellent book you should look at is "Hans and Rudolf", by Thomas Harding, a British historian. It's the story of Hans Alexander, who fought for the British during the war and then returned to Germany as a Nazi-tracker. He tracked down and arrested Rudolf Hoss, the commandant of Auschwitz. Both Harding and Lichtblau's books are worth reading.
December 28, 2022
I just finished reading Return to the Reich: A Holocaust Refugee's Secret Mission to Defeat the Nazis by Eric Lichtblau. A more fascinating page-turner is hard to find. There were many disturbing nuggets on information; without shouting, the author points ferrets out much information about U.S. complicity in the Nazi enterprise. This was not limited to the well-known refusal to admit Jewish immigrants; the subject of the book, Freddy Mayer, had his own efforts to fight in a more vigorous manner "slow-walked" almost to death. The Army kept him in pointless "training" exercises rather than putting his proposed infiltration unit to work.
I will save, for readers, the many stories of heroism, courage and accomplishment once he and two other fighters were allowed to parachute beyond enemy lines to disrupt Nazi activities in Austria. This being said, without coming out and saying it it seems there was almost a "gentleman's agreement" with the Nazis to dawdle and eventually reach a "Versailles" solution. As it is, when unconditional surrender arrived, as the book lays out, many Nazi monsters were permitted a graceful exit, while not al the soldiers and espionage combatants were well-treated.
I will save, for readers, the many stories of heroism, courage and accomplishment once he and two other fighters were allowed to parachute beyond enemy lines to disrupt Nazi activities in Austria. This being said, without coming out and saying it it seems there was almost a "gentleman's agreement" with the Nazis to dawdle and eventually reach a "Versailles" solution. As it is, when unconditional surrender arrived, as the book lays out, many Nazi monsters were permitted a graceful exit, while not al the soldiers and espionage combatants were well-treated.
March 12, 2020
Just when you think you've read all the stories you want to read about World War II, another one comes along to catch your interest. "Return to the Reich" is one of those books. It tells the untold story about an Austrian-born Jewish refugee in the United States who becomes a spy in Germany during the last days of the war. It's hard to imagine that these individuals were able to accomplish so much with so little training. For example, the main character, Freddy Mayer, manages to parachute into the Austrian Alps during the night without ever having actually jumped from a plane during his training. The fact that he was able to amass so much intelligence about German military convoys and aviation jet production is incredible since he was basically making up his cover story as he went.
Yes there are some parts of the story that lag, but sometimes life lags especially if you are in a holding pattern such as preparing to enter a war zone. This may be the biggest distinction between non-fiction and historical fiction. Nevertheless, this is an incredible story and I'm grateful that author Eric Lichtblau has taken he time and effort to tell it.
Yes there are some parts of the story that lag, but sometimes life lags especially if you are in a holding pattern such as preparing to enter a war zone. This may be the biggest distinction between non-fiction and historical fiction. Nevertheless, this is an incredible story and I'm grateful that author Eric Lichtblau has taken he time and effort to tell it.
February 13, 2025
Freddy Mayer was an amazing man and his story is vividly retold here. What a character and what a life! If this was turned into a movie, I would be rolling my eyes at parts of the plot going "yeah, right" but it is all true! This book also highlights the importance of capturing people's voices while we still can...Freddy passed away before the author could finish interviewing him, but fortunately a lengthy interview with him had been recorded previously.
One gripe I had with this book is that it could be a bit simplistic at times, glossing over some details, and not providing adequate sources. Some things I wanted to learn more about (like the moving bridges) I can't find mention of. As for sources, Lichtblau also seemed to frequently vote Erik Larson. While Larson writes highly engaging books, I would be more inclined to track down his sources than cite him directly, as he does seem to introduce a lot of speculation and infer things for the sake of a more readable history.
I also wish the author wouldn't insert his commentary into Freddy's story. Yeah. Gulliver's travels. We get it.
Overall though, definitely a worthwhile read, and remember, Freddy's story is true!
One gripe I had with this book is that it could be a bit simplistic at times, glossing over some details, and not providing adequate sources. Some things I wanted to learn more about (like the moving bridges) I can't find mention of. As for sources, Lichtblau also seemed to frequently vote Erik Larson. While Larson writes highly engaging books, I would be more inclined to track down his sources than cite him directly, as he does seem to introduce a lot of speculation and infer things for the sake of a more readable history.
I also wish the author wouldn't insert his commentary into Freddy's story. Yeah. Gulliver's travels. We get it.
Overall though, definitely a worthwhile read, and remember, Freddy's story is true!
May 10, 2020
Eric Lichtblau’s Return to the Reich is the true story of German Jew Fred Mayer and his struggle against the Nazis. It’s a proper adventure story, almost in the you-couldn’t-make-it-up category.
Fred’s family fled Germany in 1938 when he was sixteen and had seen enough of the Nazi’s actions against the Jews to instil a bitter hatred and a determination to fight Hitler’s regime with all the resources at his disposal. Turned down when he tried to enlist because of his German citizenship, he was selected by the US secret services and sent out to Austria, from where he sent back regular reports.
It’s an adventure story packed with twists and turns. Fred’s character and enormous qualities come through and it was almost a real page-turner. I say “almost” because I found the writing a little slow and repetitive at times, although the story itself was enough to carry the book. I thoroughly enjoyed it, both as a story and as a historical record.
Thanks to Netgalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.
Fred’s family fled Germany in 1938 when he was sixteen and had seen enough of the Nazi’s actions against the Jews to instil a bitter hatred and a determination to fight Hitler’s regime with all the resources at his disposal. Turned down when he tried to enlist because of his German citizenship, he was selected by the US secret services and sent out to Austria, from where he sent back regular reports.
It’s an adventure story packed with twists and turns. Fred’s character and enormous qualities come through and it was almost a real page-turner. I say “almost” because I found the writing a little slow and repetitive at times, although the story itself was enough to carry the book. I thoroughly enjoyed it, both as a story and as a historical record.
Thanks to Netgalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.
January 1, 2020
Recently the author of this book gave a talk at the Vail Symposium in Colorado where I live. I downloaded the book the next day and finished it in two days. What an amazing perspective Mr. Lichtblau offers and in a day and age where all the issues he addresses remain important eighty years after the events that he retells originally occurred. The book is about Freddy Mayer, an unsung hero of World War II whose family escaped from Nazi Germany and who became a secret agent in Austria at the end of the war. Mr. Mayer is a resilient and daring man whose ability to navigate all the dangers that face him is mind boggling. His passion for giving back to America, the country that had saved him and his family from death by the Nazis, is truly inspirational. The author's deep research that produced this story is very impressive. Not only is the book a great story but its messages are so important to current times.
October 16, 2019
Return to the Reich is the tale of the real inglorious bastards. The story describes the OSS and their efforts in Austria.
Freddy Mayer, the main character, is as heroic, cunning and smart as anyone there was in the war. His story from being a German Jew and fleeing to the US and then returning to Austria as a naturalized American spy is an extremely riveting and daring story.
I have seen the interview mentioned in the book of Freddy Mayer and Hans Wyberg , Freddy’s radio man, and this book I believe is the best depiction of what they went through I’ve read.
I highly recommend this book! Lovers of WWII will find this book hard to put down and will have you wondering how this man never received the Medal of Honor for what he did.
Freddy Mayer, the main character, is as heroic, cunning and smart as anyone there was in the war. His story from being a German Jew and fleeing to the US and then returning to Austria as a naturalized American spy is an extremely riveting and daring story.
I have seen the interview mentioned in the book of Freddy Mayer and Hans Wyberg , Freddy’s radio man, and this book I believe is the best depiction of what they went through I’ve read.
I highly recommend this book! Lovers of WWII will find this book hard to put down and will have you wondering how this man never received the Medal of Honor for what he did.
November 3, 2019
Return to the Reich is the tale of the real inglorious bastards. The story describes the OSS and their efforts in Austria.
Freddy Mayer, the main character, is as heroic, cunning and smart as anyone there was in the war. His story from being a German Jew and fleeing to the US and then returning to Austria as a naturalized American spy is an extremely riveting and daring story.
I have seen the interview mentioned in the book of Freddy Mayer and Hans Wyberg , Freddy’s radio man, and this book I believe is the best depiction of what they went through I’ve read.
I highly recommend this book! Lovers of WWII will find this book hard to put down and will have you wondering how this man never received the Medal of Honor for what he did.
Freddy Mayer, the main character, is as heroic, cunning and smart as anyone there was in the war. His story from being a German Jew and fleeing to the US and then returning to Austria as a naturalized American spy is an extremely riveting and daring story.
I have seen the interview mentioned in the book of Freddy Mayer and Hans Wyberg , Freddy’s radio man, and this book I believe is the best depiction of what they went through I’ve read.
I highly recommend this book! Lovers of WWII will find this book hard to put down and will have you wondering how this man never received the Medal of Honor for what he did.
January 9, 2020
When Fritz Mayer and his family left their home near the Black Forest, he never expected to return. All his German patriotism had turned to bitterness. Little did he know that as a member of OSS, he would lead a party of three on a parachute jump into Tyrol, where--among other things--he would disguise himself as a German officer and venture into the Officers' Club to get information on troop movements and--disguised as a French electrician--he would work in a German factory committing sabotage. But his greatest achievement was to use his persuasive force--as a Gestapo prisoned--to convince the headman of South Tyrol to surrender to the invading American forces without any blood being shed. As exciting as fiction.
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