The Truth About Rudolf Hess

Rudolf Hess’s flight to Britain in May 1941 stands out as one of the most intriguing and bizarre episodes of World War II. In this text, Lord James Douglas-Hamilton explodes many of the myths which still surround the affair. He traces the developments which persuaded Hess to undertake his flight without Hitler’s knowledge and shows why he chose to approach the Duke of Hamilton. In the process he throws light on the importance of Albrecht Haushofer, one-time envoy to Hitler and Ribbentrop and personal advisor to Hess, who was eventually executed by the S.S. for his involvement in the German Resistance Movement. Drawing on released British War Cabinet papers and the author’s access to the Hamilton archives and the Haushofer letters, this book takes the reader to the heart of the Third Reich, combining adventure and intrigue with a scholarly historical approach.