this book was insane for me to read, I didn't realize how many plots there were to kill Hitler. It was clear that the author did his research and was able to compile that information into something that keeps the reader's attention.

This book was very informative. It gave a comprehensive collection on all the attempts on Hitler's life. The book was very well researched, but didn't go into great detail for any of the attempts. I wish there would have been a more in depth look at the different assassination attempts.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book for an honest opinion.

There are so many plots that I'd never read about before, so I'm sure that many of my older students would say the same, even if they've read about WWII. I think that even people who have read quite a bit about WWII will still learn from this book!

‘Plots to kill Hitler’ is an amazingly well-researched book that comprehensively describes the many assassination attempts on Hitler. Most of us are only aware of the failed Operation Valkyrie and the subsequent executions of the many military plotters. There are many little-known failed assassins who have virtually disappeared from history. This book will ensure these brave individuals are wider known to the general public.
Hitler was exceptionally lucky to have survived the many plots against him by a wide cross-section of potential assassins. The author alludes to Hitler having a strange sense of being able to identify impending danger enabling him to change plans at the last moment. Many attempts failed due to bad luck or poor planning.
One of the most intriguing pre-war plots was proposed by a British officer, who was prevented in carrying out the attempt by the British government, who feared ‘upsetting’ the Germans.
From a What-if’ perspective, I wonder what the world would be like now if he had been killed in the early 1930s. Perhaps an even more radical leader would have successfully taken over the Nazi party, or WW2 would not have occurred.
To summarise, a well structured intriguing book which, in particular, will appeal to military buffs.

I find this content fascinating! I really loved reading about all the different people that stepped up and tried to change the course of history. Each chapter follows a different person and the steps they took. This was a great and interesting read!

I received a copy via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

A look at some of the lesser known people who attempted to bring an early end to the Second World War by assassinating Hitler. It was an interesting and informative read - I had no idea there were so many amongst Hitler's own ranks that dissented. Some of the plots were more abstract thoughts than concrete plans, whilst others were given away by poor planning or careless talk, or simply foiled by Hitler's habit of changing his plans at the last moment. One can only wonder how things would now be if one of them had succeeded. 4 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and publishers, Arcturus Publishing, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

The Plots to Kill Hitler: The Men and Women Who Tried to Change History
by
Richard Dargie

3 Stars

The Plots to kill Hitler is an interesting and enjoyable survey of the many attempts that were made on the Nazi leader’s life during the course of his rule. Some of them are well documented, like von Stauffenberg’s Operation Valkyrie bombing. Many others are not well known. While the book doesn’t discuss any of these in great detail (and more detail would have led me to give the book a higher grade), just gathering them all in one place is informative. There were many individuals who were willing to risk their lives to end Hitler’s. Unfortunately, none of them succeeded.

This book was so interesting, as it went into detail about the plots that were concocted to assassinate Hitler that many people, me included, didn't know about. The author obviously spent a lot of time researching this, as the material is detailed and plentiful. I highly recommend this for anyone that is looking for a good read!

This book was fast paced. Hard to put down. It flowed well and it was very well written. It caught hold of me and had me hooked from the start . I was literally on the edge of my seat reading this book.

I found this book very well researched and was quite shocked to discover how many attempts there were on Hitlers life and how many people risked or lost their lives trying to do so.
However, I didn't manage to complete reading this book as found on many occasions I had to reread several pages as it wasn't sinking in.

If you were creating a list of the most hated figures from history, it's safe to say that you'd probably put Adolf Hitler at the top of the list. Responsible for spearheading some of the greatest atrocities that mankind has ever committed and steering the world into war, Hitler's shadow still hangs over the planet to this day, and I suspect it'll be a long time until that fades.

Despite the hatred for Hitler, I feel like I've only ever heard about a few attempts on his life, most notably Operation Valkyrie / 20th July plot (made into the surprisingly good film of the same name). I was surprised, therefore, to find an entire book focusing on the plots to kill Hitler - how much could those few occasions I was aware of be dragged out into a full book?

As it turns out, there were a huge amount of plots in the works to kill Hitler, from forces within the government, army colonels, foreign agents and everyday Germans themselves. These stories, many of which have been woefully neglected, are the basis of this book, and it makes for a fantastic, if often unbelievable read. It's a rip-roaring chronological tour through many examples of the plots against Hitler, combining biographies of the would-be-assassins, an interesting look at the historical context of the time and a real flair for storytelling.

What really stands out from this book is the sheer amount of luck that Hitler had on his side. The amount of seemingly minor decisions, changes of plan and delays that separated Hitler from an early grave are insane. Whether it was a staffer, regularly in contact with Hitler, who was barred from the room owing to his rank on the day he'd decided to assassinate Hitler, the bomb which froze during a flight and therefore didn't detonate as planned, or a speech cut short by train schedules which meant that a bomb detonated just moments after Hitler left. Hitler, in a typically megalomaniacal way, attributed this to the fact that he had a 'destiny' or a 'purpose' and wouldn't be harmed until he was able to bring this to fruition.

Owing to the various amount of historical documentation available, the stories do vary between incredibly detailed and really quite sparse. Some of the characters introduced have great backstories and biographies, with detail on their careers, motivations and the plots themselves, whereas others only receive a paragraph or two on the entire tale. This is likely as much to do with the sources available, but it does leave the pacing a little disjointed at times.

One of the most interesting elements of the book is the way that the author touches on the ways that plots to assassinate Hitler were variously exaggerated or covered up by various players. For instance, many who had fled the Third Reich, upon arriving in the UK or US, found themselves in desperate need of money, and what better way to make some money than writing a shocking 'real-world' tale of the time you were involved in a plot to try and assassinate the Fuhrer. Similarly, the Nazi leadership were sometimes keen to exaggerate plots in order to create more mystique or 'righteousness' around Hitler and his mythos. Whether these were made up or simply exaggerated, it's an interesting wrinkle that has to be considered when thinking about these plots and just how close they all came to succeeding.

I fear that my favourite story from the book falls afoul of this very issue. It's the tale of an SA officer who, deciding to assassinate Hitler, decided to wait in the wilderness beside the as-yet-unpaved road into his mountain retreat, armed with a gun that he'd use to take out the Fuhrer as he returned to the premises. The author does a brilliant job of building up the tension, and the moment that the car draws near, the assassin spots the tell-tale moustache of the Fuhrer in the back of the car, steps forward and shoots him dead. It's only as the car continues to speed away that the shooter realises it's not Hitler in the back. Hitler's actually driving the car, having offered to drive the return journey when his chauffeur fell ill, leaving the poor driver to be shot dead in his place. The tale sounds absolutely unbelievable, and the author does raise the fact this it could be exaggerated (as it was told in a very commercially successful memoir), but it's a gripping story nonetheless, and just one of many in the book.

In conclusion, then, this is interesting but very readable commercial history done right. It's a powerful hook used to give insight into a much wider subject, and, at least for this reviewer, gives a whole new perspective on a well-trodden area of history that could've easily fallen into the trap of being just another World War 2 history tome. As it is, though it might be a little light for avid history-lovers, it's a riproaring tour through the remarkable luck of Hitler and a reminder of the many tiny ways that history could've been changed forever with the slightest tweak.

From Georg Elser, who missed killing Hitler by a manner of minutes to the famous Valkyrie plot, this book is a deep dive into all the various people & groups who plotted to assassinate Adolf Hitler.

Spoiler: unfortunately, none of these plots succeeded.

Interesting read which taught me a few details I was previously unaware of.

*Many thanks to Richard Dargie, Arcturus Publishing and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
I found this book informative as it presents I believe the most comprehensive collection of attempst on Hitler's life, Some attempts were aborted before they were carried out, and some most known were carried out, however, as we know, they failed to meet the target. The Author mentions individuals from all walks of life, who tried to kill Hitler on their own, as well as the groups of conspitators, who also failed and who, in most cases paid the highest price for the wish to rid Germany of the dictator.
I highly recommend this title as it is written for an average reader, not necessarily with extensive background knowledge. Mr Dargie describes the political and social aspects of the moment when the plot was conceived, which is helpful to understand each particulat assassination attempt.

A fascinating look at the various plots to assassinate Hitler. Going into this book, I was only familiar with one of the assassination attempts on Hitler so I was interested to find out how many there had actually been (or that we can know of). The book is filled with incredible close calls that Hitler had with death and you follow the men and women who risked their lives to try to stop him. The book was well-researched and it was fascinating to learn about all the resistance to Hitler from both outside and inside the Nazi government. I think this book would be a great read for anyone interested in World War II and the resistance to Hitler.