Hitler's Espionage Machine: The True Story Behind One of the World's Most Ruthless Spy Networks

From the roots of the German SA, or Stormtroopers, grew an espionage machine that rivaled and vexed the rest of the world through the thirties and right up to the final days of World War II. The SD, Abwehr, Gestapo, and many other units of the German intelligence operations were feared and hated, with good reason. This is the thrilling story of their ascent and demise.

Hitler's Espionage Machine examines in detail the history of each unit-its formation, the missions it carried out, and its importance in the war as a whole. It explores the myths that have grown up around the agencies, including the rumors that many of them are still active. It exposes the competition between the German agencies for Hitler's favor, and analyzes the effect this had on intelligence collection and dissemination, with particular focus on the notorious rivalry between the SS and the Abwehr.

Chapters discuss the foreign operations and counterintelligence methods of the Abwehr, the central military intelligence service; the brutal methods of the Sicherheitdienst (SD), the Nazi Party's inner security apparatus; and the power games of the Gestapo, which controlled resistance within the state. Further chapters evaluate the effectiveness of the naval and air security departments.

Drawing on firsthand accounts from the men who took part, as well as exhaustive research, Hitler's Espionage Machine convincingly argues that Hitler's intelligence apparatus was as intrinsic to his success as to his failure. It is a tour de force of intelligence writing.