
The Hitler-Hess Deception
British Intelligence's Best-Kept Secret of the Second World War
Martin Allen(Author)
HarperCollins (Publisher)
Published on 16. February 2004
Book
Paperback/Softback
352 pages
978-0-00-714119-7 (ISBN)
Description
At last, new archival discoveries reveal the truth about the German Deputy-Fuehrer's incredible solo flight to Britain in May 1941, and explain the British government's sixty-year silence as to what the Hess mission was all about.
On the night of 10 May 1941, in one of the most extraordinary and bizarre incidents of the Second World War, a Messerschmitt-110 crash-landed on a remote Scottish hillside. Its pilot, who had parachuted to safety, was Rudolf Hess, the Deputy-Fuehrer of the German Reich. Hess's remarkable solo flight was immediately dismissed in both Britain and Germany as the deranged act of a disordered mind. He was disowned by Hitler, and Winston Churchill's government insisted that his unexpected arrival on British soil was of no lasting consequence.
Nevertheless, the mysterious circumstances of the flight, and Hess's unbroken silence during fifty subsequent years of imprisonment, have led to endless speculation as to his true motives. Until now, no one has found the crucial pieces of evidence which prove that a small group of men within the British government and intelligence services were in fact conducting a brilliantly clever plot which was not only to lead to Hess's flight, but would also have a decisive impact on the course of the war.
Martin Allen's researches in archives in Britain, Germany and the United States have unearthed many documents previously undiscovered by historians. The details they reveal are explosive, and alter our perception not only of the conduct of the Second World War, but of the secret forces which shaped post-war Europe and global politics.
On the night of 10 May 1941, in one of the most extraordinary and bizarre incidents of the Second World War, a Messerschmitt-110 crash-landed on a remote Scottish hillside. Its pilot, who had parachuted to safety, was Rudolf Hess, the Deputy-Fuehrer of the German Reich. Hess's remarkable solo flight was immediately dismissed in both Britain and Germany as the deranged act of a disordered mind. He was disowned by Hitler, and Winston Churchill's government insisted that his unexpected arrival on British soil was of no lasting consequence.
Nevertheless, the mysterious circumstances of the flight, and Hess's unbroken silence during fifty subsequent years of imprisonment, have led to endless speculation as to his true motives. Until now, no one has found the crucial pieces of evidence which prove that a small group of men within the British government and intelligence services were in fact conducting a brilliantly clever plot which was not only to lead to Hess's flight, but would also have a decisive impact on the course of the war.
Martin Allen's researches in archives in Britain, Germany and the United States have unearthed many documents previously undiscovered by historians. The details they reveal are explosive, and alter our perception not only of the conduct of the Second World War, but of the secret forces which shaped post-war Europe and global politics.
Reviews / Votes
`A fascinating explanation of a secret which the [British] government hoped Hess had taken with him to the grave' Graham Ball, Sunday Express`Martin Allen has turned up hitherto hidden documents which make an enormous contribution to our understanding of the British deception operation preceding Rudolf Hess's flight to Scotland in May 1941. The outlines of the intrigue have been evident for some time; Allen's sleuthing brings the personalities and the methods into sharp and sensational focus. This must surely be the final blow to those historians who have doggedly stuck to the authorised version of a crazy exploit by a madman' Peter Padfield, author of Hess: The Fuehrer's Disciple.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
HarperCollins Publishers
Product notice
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Paperback (UK-B)
Illustrations
16 b/w plates (16pp)
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 129 mm
Thickness: 27 mm
Weight
271 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-00-714119-7 (9780007141197)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Martin Allen
The Hitler-Hess Deception
E-Book
06/2014
1st Edition
HarperCollins
€7.68
Available for download
Person
Martin Allen was born in Caerphilly, South Wales, and spent his childhood in Cornwall before attending King's College, Cardiff in the 1970s. He is the author of Hidden Agenda: How the Duke of Windsor Betrayed the Allies (Macmillan 2000).