Softly Softly
Capturing Hitler's Spies
Published on 6. March 2024
384 pages
978-1-923004-79-5 (ISBN)
Description
They were doomed from the very beginning.
During the Second World War, it didn't take long for the British Secret Services to discover that Nazi Germany's cohorts of espionage agents - influenced either by the illusionary light of profit or idealism, or the darkness of blackmail and reprisals - were largely comprised of amateurs so grossly inefficient it seemed almost a shame to hang them.
Sourced exclusively from previously highly classified MI5 files, this thought-provoking new book tells the dramatic stories of some of Hitler's so-called spies whose training and credentials as secret agents were so pathetic that it was virtually inevitable they be caught.
Secret interrogation centres, double-cross, international intrigue and deadly, leap-in-the-dark adventures of enemy agents, lie at the heart of every chapter of this captivating, multi-storied book.
From a spy who deliberately jumped out of his aircraft knowing that he would be caught, to a dashing but misguided Errol Flynn look-alike, or a secret agent who had been duped into becoming a diamond courier, Tony Matthews strips back the layers of Nazi espionage to reveal a world of duplicity, stupidity, betrayal and deceit.
A probing exposé into the perilous and inefficient world of some of Hitler's most endangered spies.
During the Second World War, it didn't take long for the British Secret Services to discover that Nazi Germany's cohorts of espionage agents - influenced either by the illusionary light of profit or idealism, or the darkness of blackmail and reprisals - were largely comprised of amateurs so grossly inefficient it seemed almost a shame to hang them.
Sourced exclusively from previously highly classified MI5 files, this thought-provoking new book tells the dramatic stories of some of Hitler's so-called spies whose training and credentials as secret agents were so pathetic that it was virtually inevitable they be caught.
Secret interrogation centres, double-cross, international intrigue and deadly, leap-in-the-dark adventures of enemy agents, lie at the heart of every chapter of this captivating, multi-storied book.
From a spy who deliberately jumped out of his aircraft knowing that he would be caught, to a dashing but misguided Errol Flynn look-alike, or a secret agent who had been duped into becoming a diamond courier, Tony Matthews strips back the layers of Nazi espionage to reveal a world of duplicity, stupidity, betrayal and deceit.
A probing exposé into the perilous and inefficient world of some of Hitler's most endangered spies.
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Person
Tony Matthews is a Welsh?Australian historian and author who has devoted his career to uncovering the hidden stories of Australia's past. Since migrating in 1972, he has written nearly 40 books?including best-selling regional histories and gripping true crime anthologies?and produced more than a dozen documentaries for the ABC and Seven Network, as well as hundreds of radio programs.
Born in Swansea, Wales, and educated at Clevedon College, Tony travelled widely before settling in Australia to pursue his lifelong passion for history. His first book was published in 1986, with many titles since achieving strong sales?most notably Crosses: Australian Soldiers in the Great War, which remained on Queensland bestseller lists for 13 consecutive weeks.
Renowned for his meticulous research and accessible storytelling, Tony brings history to life through compelling narratives and unforgettable characters. His colonial true crime books have been serialised on radio and praised for their vivid, dramatic flair.
Born in Swansea, Wales, and educated at Clevedon College, Tony travelled widely before settling in Australia to pursue his lifelong passion for history. His first book was published in 1986, with many titles since achieving strong sales?most notably Crosses: Australian Soldiers in the Great War, which remained on Queensland bestseller lists for 13 consecutive weeks.
Renowned for his meticulous research and accessible storytelling, Tony brings history to life through compelling narratives and unforgettable characters. His colonial true crime books have been serialised on radio and praised for their vivid, dramatic flair.
