This book or group of essays, was interesting from a history standpoint. But after the first couple I had to break from the book and come back later. I know it was not designed to be a work of fiction so it did get dry at parts so I decided to break it up. After that it was okay for me.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley.

This is a thorough book of 6 essays written about 6 different insights to the Nazi’s. Only one was really about a traitor but he was also just playing both sides. All in all, the book does a good job with compiling first hand accounts and fitting into puzzle pieces of the time period.

This book is a collection of essays (5 or 6) about various individuals and plots against Hitler. Some were more interesting that others. However, readers could easily choose which topics they prefer and read only those essays. I found the last one the most interesting. It was an analysis of a nonfiction best seller that was quickly published after Hitler's death.
The essays are well-researched if a bit dry. An extensive list of references and bibliography is included at the end.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The first chapters on Hess and the count are interesting and informative. However, after those chapters, the book moves completely off topic with a controversy about crucifixes in schools, the compromises the churches made during Nazi rule, and finally the book becomes about a historian who wrote about Hitler’s last days. It would have been better to stick with telling about the traitors against Hitler in the party rather than digressing.

A remarkable insight into the resistance to the NAZI regime and against Hitler himself. Some of the leaders of the resistance were against the national socialist movement in the first place while the majority supported Hitler and his policies in the 20’s and 30’s then became disillusioned. This pattern is not unusual with extreme regimes as has been evident during past and recent history however, this book shines a new light on this aspect of WWll in stark detail. What is also shows is the brutal retaliation that is meted out when the opposition is discovered as was meted out after the failed assassination attempt on Hitler in July 1944.
A fascinating addition to any WWII historian’s library.

Mr Harrison has written a remarkable book that is very interesting . I have been a student of history for many years and the information in this book was new to me!. The fact that Hitler had enemies is not all that well known IMO, There were many attempts on his life. He felt he was divinely guided and the fact he escaped so many attempts on his life is one of the reasons his followers thought he was more than just a political leader. I found two aread of this book to be remarkable, Not that all of it isnt relevant to the history o the war but the information on Hess and his flight to England was very well put together and gives some things to think about. I have always doubted we knew the whole truth behind his flight but as with so much of history the winner tells the tale. The second area which was extremely interesting to me was the death of Hitler and the work of Trevor-Roper and his interviews of the people at the Chancellery at the end. There were many stories about his death and this book tells a tale that Ive never heard before. It is no wonder that the Allies wondered if he lived to see the war end. All in all a very worthwhile read and a great addition to WW2 history.

Looks at those German Resistance to Hitler' that didn't actually start out that way. Why didn't I learn about this in school?

Hitler's Traitor by Edward Harrison is a collection of essays and is a scholarly work, nearly a quarter of the book is notes, references etc., and not a historical narrative as has become more common in non fiction works.
There is a lot of information presented here and some of it is fairly new or unfamiliar to me so I will most likely spend a few months digging deeper into it.
Thank you to #NetGalley, and #Pen&Sword for the ARC of #Hitler'sTraitors.

Thank you for the opportunity to read Hitlers Traitors by Edward Harrison. It is a very well written and interesting insight in to the people who went against Hitler and how

This book isn't about the history of the resisters and opponents to Hitler as a whole but a collection of six essays dealing with this interesting topic. The first essay is about Rudolf Hess, the first high profile traitor to the Nazi cause, and the second essay about Count von H, who went from Nazi party bigwig to conspirator in the 20 July plot to assassinate the Führer.

So far, the first two essays do fit the title and stated aims of the book as per the blurb, but the thrid and fourth aren't about "treason" proper but about the opposition by the Catholic Church to Nazi policies, namely euthanasia, which they were able to stop thanks largely to von Galen's denunciations from the pulpit, and the prohibition of crucifixes in schools alongside the dissolution of the monasteries, where the Nazis had somewhat more success. However, since those in the receiving end were never Nazi party members and supporters, I'm not sure the term "traitors" applies to them, unless we're talking about Germans opposing a totalitarian regime that would label their objections as high treason. I don't believe "Hitler's Traitors" quite fits this second batch of essays, and it's rather objectionable given that we're talking about opposition from people that were opposed in principle from the start and didn't do an about-face towards the opposite side later ahead, like Hess or von Helldorf. The Church might've been seen as a thorny opponent and considered "traitors" by the Nazis, but their opposition didn't come from the same place that by the former supporters and initial accomplices did.

The last two essays, whilst very intriguing and thought-provoking, are even less suitable for the book's tile. How would Trevor-Roper qualify as a "traitor" in this context? He worked to clarify Hitler's end and put to rest the gossip and conspiracy theories about his surviving the bunker that the Soviets were playing with for their own ends. His work can't be understood in the context of treason to the Nazi cause in any reasonable way that I can see.

So, I would say this is a good collection of essays, the ones on Trevor-Roper being the best in my opinion, mostly because of original analysis and depth, followed by the two on the religious opposition. But, I should say the book's title really does it a disservice and should be reconsidered, more so because out of 6 essays, only 2 have to do with the topic of treason to Hitler's cause, and also because there's another book with this exact same title ("Hitler's Traitors" by Susan Ottaway) that also deals with this subject, which would lead to much confusion once published. I would highly encourage a title change, therefore, and am going to clarify that my 4-star rating goes for the essays I've mentioned rather than the book as a whole.

248 Pages

4 stars

Let me start out with saying that I learned a great deal from this book. I found the stories fascinating. I am an avid follower of WWII history, and this book adds so much to my store of knowledge.

I have always been fascinated by the assassination attempts against Hitler. (Too bad none of them succeeded.) There were so many, but the dictator seemed to be lucky beyond measure.

The bungled interrogation of Rudolf Hess was very interesting. The British government missed a great opportunity to perhaps sow the seeds of doubt among the German citizens.

I hadn't heard of the second person in the series of stories. For me Count Wolf-Heinrich von Helldorf was a completely new character in the Nazi saga. von Helldorf was a mixed bag. One has to wonder at his ultimate motive. He went from a fervent, even fanatical supporter of Nazism to a plotter and resistor.

Baronet Waldemar von Knoeringen was another person I haven’t heard about. He was an idealist in stark contrast to von Helldorf, who was a selfish libertine. He was a follower of the Bavarian Social Democracy movement. He was with this group for more than thirty years. He violently opposed the Nazi regime from the beginning. He was dedicated to his cause and provided education and support for those who believed as well.

Mr. Harrison goes on to explain the “crucifix crisis” and the defeat of the supporters of crucifixes in Catholic and Protestant churches and schools. The Nazis demanded that they be removed.

Mr. Harrison closed his book with an extensive discussion on Hugh Trevor-Roper’s investigation into Hitler, Bormann and others deaths. This I found very interesting too.

What I was disappointed about the book was there was no discussion about the other attempts on Hitler’s life. I had to go back and read the title again. Oh, I thought, it says nothing about the plots on Hitler’s life. Mea Culpa.

I want to thank NetGalley and Pen & Sword/Pen & Sword Military for forwarding to me a copy of this book for me to read, enjoy and review. The opinions expressed here are solely my own.

***This book is not yet available on GoodReads or BookBub to review.

I absolutely loved this book. The best of nonfiction. It was engaging and informative. History at its finest!

This is a fascinating account which shows just how extensive Hitler’ s control and reach were. As readers will have come to expect from this publisher, this account is thoroughly researched and presented in a very readable, engaging way.

Really enjoyed reading this book. It’s quite different from other historian books. It was fascinating. I definitely learned from this book. Definitely worth a read. It was very well written