THE BARBAROSSA SECRET
MURDER, INTRIGUE AND CONSPIRACY: THE GREATEST SECRET OF WWII IS LAID BARE IN KERR’S MODERN-DAY THRILLER
Author: Christopher Kerr Publisher: The Book Guild Price: £10.99 Released: Out Now
Why did Hitler’s deputy, Rudolf Hess, really fly to the UK in 1941? Did the Führer really die in the bunker in 1945? Is there a secret web of neo-nazis still functioning across the world, hidden in plain sight in positions of power and influence? Along with a myriad of other famous puzzles, conspiracy theories and legends from the global cataclysm that was the Second World War, Kerr weaves together a story bursting with half-clues, secret intelligence plots and geopolitics to draw the reader into a shadow world where rogue agents, killers and neo-nazi sympathisers try to cover up the biggest secret of the war, a secret that could bring down the British monarchy and a host of governments across the West, and even lead to war with Russia.
The story centres on Hans Schirach, a German journalist working for a semifictional magazine, as he uncovers the truth about his father and his family history, and its roots in Nazi Germany.
Kerr’s thriller jumps between its genesis in the 1930s and the run up to war, and its modern-day repercussions in 2020. The parallel storytelling could be confusing for readers, but Kerr handles it well, ensuring the narrative builds as the book goes on, with enough revelations throughout to satisfy anyone instead of opting for a ‘big bang’ climax that would almost certainly be too overwhelming. Kerr’s research shines through, painting a vivid and believable picture for the reader to add weight to the often-incredible secrets the book tumbles out.
Author: Jonathan Dimbleby Publisher: Viking Price: £9.99 (Paperback) Released: Out now
Hitler’s ill-fated decision to invade Russia in June 1941 changed the entire course of the Second World War. The geographical extent and logistical demands of campaigning hundreds of kilometres deep into Russian territory undermined the Wehrmacht’s skill at launching shock attacks within limited confines. Nazi Germany’s greatest advantage until that time was its ability to overwhelm the enemy before its own supplies began to run out and its war machine slowed down.
Jonathan Dimbleby narrates the story of how the Russian campaign cost Germany any real chance of winning the war. He contends that the last six months of 1941, until the crushing defeat of Germany’s invading force, changed the course of history and stand as a greater moment than any other period in the 20th century. The author’s thesis is substantiated by meticulous research into hitherto unseen archival material, including previously untranslated Russian sources. It is important to note, as Dimbleby makes clear, that Operation Barbarossa did not take place in an historical vacuum. The invasion was not quarantined from what was becoming a global conflict, which is the crucial context in which the operation is framed. Within hours of the news of the offensive, Britain and the US declared their unequivocal support for the Soviet cause, thus engulfing Hitler in a two-front war he was doomed to lose.
Altogether 15 million Soviet citizens died as a direct result of Hitler’s attempt to obliterate the Soviet Union. It is only fair to mention, as Dimbleby emphasises, that this represented but one side of the prevailing barbarism of that time. The six million civilians killed under Stalin’s dictatorship far exceeded the numbers slaughtered by the Nazi regime before Hitler launched Operation Barbarossa.