With exemplary scholarship the authors address an obscure …

With exemplary scholarship the authors address an obscure incident in the German resistance to Hitler and in the revelation of Nazi plans for the Final Solution. In July 1942, a prominent German industrialist passed on to Allied intelligence officers the first solid evidence that the Nazi regime was already implementing plans for the eradication of European Jewry. The identity of the mysterious messenger, Edward Schulte, was not discovered until 1983. The authors are equally adept at discovering the secrets of Schulte’s clandestine activities and at describing the grim background of wartime conditions. The one piece missing is the riddle of Schulte himself; his personality and motives remain a mystery. This impressive book, written with a rare combination of precision and passion, is recommended for academic and public libraries. History Book Club and Jewish Book Club alternates.