by Ian Kershaw
First published 2009
Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg carries a briefcase into Hitler's Wolf's Lair headquarters on July 20, 1944. Inside lies a bomb meant to end the Führer's life and the Nazi regime. Stauffenberg places the explosive device near Hitler's seat during a military briefing, then flies immediately to Berlin to seize command of the German army. But Hitler survives the blast. When Stauffenberg arrives in Berlin, he believes his mission succeeded. Officers loyal to Hitler launch a swift counterattack against the conspirators. The plot crumbles within hours. Stauffenberg and his fellow conspirators face immediate capture and execution by firing squad. The failed assassination triggers brutal purges that claim over five thousand lives as Hitler eliminates all suspected opponents. This gripping account follows the desperate gamble by German officers to save their country from destruction.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, military-fiction, action
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: based-on-true-events, failed-assassination
Setting: Germany, Wolf's Lair
Period: 1944
152 pages · Hardcover · Rebis
Content warnings: violence