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White Knights in the Black Orchestra: The Extraordinary Story of the Germans Who Resisted Hitler
They were a small group of conspirators who risked their lives by plotting relentlessly to obstruct and destroy the Third Reich from within. The Gestapo nicknamed this shadowy confederation of traitors the “Black Orchestra.” This is their tension-filled story.
As the “Final Solution” unfolds, a loose network of German military officers, diplomats, politicians, and civilians are doing everything in their power to undermine the Third Reich from the reporting troop movements to the Allies, feeding disinformation to the Nazi high command, plotting to assassinate Adolf Hitler, and more. The Gestapo nicknames this shadowy confederation of traitors the “Black Orchestra.” Its players include Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a dissident Lutheran pastor, and his brother-in-law Hans von Dohnanyi, a staff attorney at the Abwehr, the German military intelligence service.
In this tension-filled narrative, Tom Dunkel traces the perilous movements of these “white knights” as they and their families face constant danger of being exposed and executed. Some act out of moral outrage and patriotism. Some want to atone for their own Nazi sins. When their treasonous activities are finally discovered, Hitler’s SS and the Gestapo are hell-bent on taking bloody revenge as the end of the war rapidly approaches and lives hang in the balance.
White Knights in the Black Orchestra is a tautly written, meticulously reported account of men and women heroically resisting Hitler’s ruthless regime. It packs the punch of the best espionage thrillers, but the cat-and-mouse drama and plot twists are grounded firmly in fact. This is a stirring story of people willing to risk all by doing the right thing in a country gone mad, a story that may prompt readers to ask themselves “What would I have done?”
As the “Final Solution” unfolds, a loose network of German military officers, diplomats, politicians, and civilians are doing everything in their power to undermine the Third Reich from the reporting troop movements to the Allies, feeding disinformation to the Nazi high command, plotting to assassinate Adolf Hitler, and more. The Gestapo nicknames this shadowy confederation of traitors the “Black Orchestra.” Its players include Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a dissident Lutheran pastor, and his brother-in-law Hans von Dohnanyi, a staff attorney at the Abwehr, the German military intelligence service.
In this tension-filled narrative, Tom Dunkel traces the perilous movements of these “white knights” as they and their families face constant danger of being exposed and executed. Some act out of moral outrage and patriotism. Some want to atone for their own Nazi sins. When their treasonous activities are finally discovered, Hitler’s SS and the Gestapo are hell-bent on taking bloody revenge as the end of the war rapidly approaches and lives hang in the balance.
White Knights in the Black Orchestra is a tautly written, meticulously reported account of men and women heroically resisting Hitler’s ruthless regime. It packs the punch of the best espionage thrillers, but the cat-and-mouse drama and plot twists are grounded firmly in fact. This is a stirring story of people willing to risk all by doing the right thing in a country gone mad, a story that may prompt readers to ask themselves “What would I have done?”
464 pages, Hardcover
First published October 11, 2022
About the author
Tom Dunkel
4 books20 followers Tom Dunkel is a Washington, D.C.-based freelance journalist. He has been a contributor to The Washington Post Magazine for more than 20 years. Other credits include The New York Times Magazine, Sports Illustrated, and Smithsonian. He also was a staff features writer at The Baltimore Sun and a contributing editor at George, John Kennedy's genre-bending politics and culture magazine.
His new book, White Knights in the Black Orchestra, will be released October 11 by Hachette. It is narrative nonfiction about some members of the German resistance before and during World War II. The National Endowment for the Humanities awarded him a "Public Scholar" grant in support of this project. The New York Post named White Knights one of the 17 best nonfiction reads for Fall 2022, calling it "a fascinating look at…a loose network of German military officers, diplomats, politicians, and civilians who risked their lives to undermine the Third Reich…”
Dunkel's first book, Color Blind, was released in 2013. It also is narrative nonfiction, the story of an integrated semipro baseball team that played in North Dakota during the Great Depression and whose marquee player was Satchel Paige, star pitcher and folk hero of the Negro Leagues. Booklist named Color Blind one of the Top 10 Sports Books of 2013.
His new book, White Knights in the Black Orchestra, will be released October 11 by Hachette. It is narrative nonfiction about some members of the German resistance before and during World War II. The National Endowment for the Humanities awarded him a "Public Scholar" grant in support of this project. The New York Post named White Knights one of the 17 best nonfiction reads for Fall 2022, calling it "a fascinating look at…a loose network of German military officers, diplomats, politicians, and civilians who risked their lives to undermine the Third Reich…”
Dunkel's first book, Color Blind, was released in 2013. It also is narrative nonfiction, the story of an integrated semipro baseball team that played in North Dakota during the Great Depression and whose marquee player was Satchel Paige, star pitcher and folk hero of the Negro Leagues. Booklist named Color Blind one of the Top 10 Sports Books of 2013.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
April 25, 2022
For readers familiar with the history of German resistance, this book will be merely revisiting known territory, but for other readers, especially those with just basic knowledge of the Black Orchestra anti-Hitler circle, Tom Dunkel's book is the best and the one I'd recommend as an introductory book on this event and its protagonists. Let me tell you why.
But first, what was the Black Orchestra? Like good music-loving Germans, the Gestapo had this little idea of their own to name a couple of resistance cells as "orchestras" due to their style of operation, with a "conductor" or ringleader, and "musician" members doing different things with distinct levels of involvement, which they'd give labels such as "pianist," and etc. One was the Rote Kapelle (Red Orchestra), who were the Schulze-Boysen/Harnack circle so called because they were mostly left-leaning and passed on information to the Soviets; and the other was the Schwarze Kapelle (Black Orchestra), the subject of this book. They were a cabal of Wehrmacht and Abwehr officers with the occasional civilian member, whom you might remember from your history lessons as the folks behind the famous bombing of Hitler's bunker by Count von Stauffenberg that almost did the Führer in.
That was the brainchild of the cabal led by Admiral Canaris and Hans Oster, with plenty of recognisable names amongst the conspirators. But it's not the topmost ringleaders, not the uniformed conspirators, who are the main focus in this book but the non-uniformed ones. Men like Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Hans von Dohnányi, and Carl Goerdeler; the civilians, the "white knights" of the title, men of upstanding if sometimes uncomprimisingly rigid moral standards, that joined the circle of military conspirators intent on stopping Hitler.
It's this angle showing the whole of the activities of the Black Orchestra through these men of rectitude what makes Dunkel's book my favourite to recommend as an intro book over others about the same topic, of which there's a few. It's told like a novel, showing things from one of the men's standpoint, with dialogue, and conversationally narrated, including anecdotes and even funny little peccadilloes like how Bonhoeffer's friend got him to approve his driver's licence test. But that colloquiality hasn't sacrificed accuracy, because the book is faithful to the facts and doesn't omit some of the less polished aspects of the "white knights," who may have been morally upstanding men but were no saints, as should be because this is no hagiography. There's admiration and acknowledgement of their courage and principled resistance, but no whitewashing.
I liked Dunkel's style very much, because he could get me interested even though I know the story of the Black Orchestra very well and know there was information missing. This lack isn't diminishing, though, because for a newcomer reader it won't be indispensable. The author never assumes the reader already knows this or that, so he provides the context needed but not too much that it reads like a History PhD candidate's final paper. This dry academicism is usually a killjoy for history-loving readers, hence why Dunkel's easy and amenable style with dialogue and all will be welcome. There's a worthy bibliography at the end if you were to feel like reading more ponderous tomes, too.
Thank you to Hachette Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
But first, what was the Black Orchestra? Like good music-loving Germans, the Gestapo had this little idea of their own to name a couple of resistance cells as "orchestras" due to their style of operation, with a "conductor" or ringleader, and "musician" members doing different things with distinct levels of involvement, which they'd give labels such as "pianist," and etc. One was the Rote Kapelle (Red Orchestra), who were the Schulze-Boysen/Harnack circle so called because they were mostly left-leaning and passed on information to the Soviets; and the other was the Schwarze Kapelle (Black Orchestra), the subject of this book. They were a cabal of Wehrmacht and Abwehr officers with the occasional civilian member, whom you might remember from your history lessons as the folks behind the famous bombing of Hitler's bunker by Count von Stauffenberg that almost did the Führer in.
That was the brainchild of the cabal led by Admiral Canaris and Hans Oster, with plenty of recognisable names amongst the conspirators. But it's not the topmost ringleaders, not the uniformed conspirators, who are the main focus in this book but the non-uniformed ones. Men like Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Hans von Dohnányi, and Carl Goerdeler; the civilians, the "white knights" of the title, men of upstanding if sometimes uncomprimisingly rigid moral standards, that joined the circle of military conspirators intent on stopping Hitler.
It's this angle showing the whole of the activities of the Black Orchestra through these men of rectitude what makes Dunkel's book my favourite to recommend as an intro book over others about the same topic, of which there's a few. It's told like a novel, showing things from one of the men's standpoint, with dialogue, and conversationally narrated, including anecdotes and even funny little peccadilloes like how Bonhoeffer's friend got him to approve his driver's licence test. But that colloquiality hasn't sacrificed accuracy, because the book is faithful to the facts and doesn't omit some of the less polished aspects of the "white knights," who may have been morally upstanding men but were no saints, as should be because this is no hagiography. There's admiration and acknowledgement of their courage and principled resistance, but no whitewashing.
I liked Dunkel's style very much, because he could get me interested even though I know the story of the Black Orchestra very well and know there was information missing. This lack isn't diminishing, though, because for a newcomer reader it won't be indispensable. The author never assumes the reader already knows this or that, so he provides the context needed but not too much that it reads like a History PhD candidate's final paper. This dry academicism is usually a killjoy for history-loving readers, hence why Dunkel's easy and amenable style with dialogue and all will be welcome. There's a worthy bibliography at the end if you were to feel like reading more ponderous tomes, too.
Thank you to Hachette Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
November 28, 2022
Ok. I almost downgraded this book for the title. I picked it to read awhile ago so when I turned to it recently, I did not remember what it was about. I decided the Ku Klux Klan invaded a Black musical group in the US. Then I wondered if this was about white people saving black people. Regardless, I think the term "white knight" is outdated and should not be used in the title of a book. It has a weird connotation and when I'm not thinking "Mississippi Klan" I'm thinking, "men with weapons who save maidens in distress" and ew. how sexist. Then there's "Black Orchestra". What the heck did this reference? I wondered. It was not revealed early in the book and I was halfway through when I brought this title up to friends at Thanksgiving. That sounds "racist" "sexist" "weird". was the unanimous conclusion when I juxtaposed the story against the title. Half the people present in that group are Jewish. Around halfway through the book, we learn that the Nazis labeled the group of German resisters to the Hitler regime the "Black Orchestra," i.e., they were the bad guys. The white knights are meant to be all of the characters who made up the "Black Orchestra." I still think the title was a distraction and unfortunate, but I did not downgrade for the title.
Because, Dunkel's well researched, very personal and deeply engrossing tale of the lives, personalities, risks and often deaths of Germans dedicated to overthrowing Hitler is an amazing read. I knew who Dietrich Bonhoeffer is. I knew about the effort to assassinate Hitler that failed. I did not know, in any depth, how a rather large group of conspirators came together in the military intelligence arm of the German government, Abwehr, who then used their ability to travel, forge false papers and spend money to try to involve various outside countries, Britain, the Vatican, the US in their efforts to effect a coup, their big picture work; to undermine various German military projects and activities by either sharing information or directly messing up their instructions in subtle ways, their medium picture actions; and to help at least a handful of Jews and endangered people to leave the country, even after this became nearly impossible to do.
Dunkel chose Dietrich Bonhoeffer as a central figure in the book, then connects him to the wider group of resisters as he gets a "government' job in the Abwehr and works almost exclusively trying to engage British and Vatican sources in their efforts. Bonhoeffer, several members of his family and many of his colleagues at Abwehr end up in prison. The book does a wonderful job highlighting many of the players, the work they ostensibly were doing (prison chaplain, General, pastor) and how they used their knowledge and resources to support resistance. It's history. The ending does not change despite our greatest hopes. We get to know these people and their hearts and then, at best, they suffer. Many die. Some JUST before the allies swarmed in. It is unfair and devastating and beautifully told, along with a wrap up of what happened to families who were punished for their loved one's actions.
This is a beautifully written book, NEVER boring, always bringing more and more humanity to the resisters and more and more context to the German offensive, without it being a play by play of WWII. We all know there was a Russian front and Russia moved into Germany. Now, we know that Bonhoeffer's fiancé lived on an estate that was vulnerable to the Russian invasion and of her family's evacuation. We know Berlin was bombed thoroughly, but we live through that period through the lives of the resisters and their families. We know there were many political prisoners in Germany and that Hitler was ruthless, but now we can put names and faces to these people. This is a history I will remember because of Dunkel's presentation. Highly Recommend.
Because, Dunkel's well researched, very personal and deeply engrossing tale of the lives, personalities, risks and often deaths of Germans dedicated to overthrowing Hitler is an amazing read. I knew who Dietrich Bonhoeffer is. I knew about the effort to assassinate Hitler that failed. I did not know, in any depth, how a rather large group of conspirators came together in the military intelligence arm of the German government, Abwehr, who then used their ability to travel, forge false papers and spend money to try to involve various outside countries, Britain, the Vatican, the US in their efforts to effect a coup, their big picture work; to undermine various German military projects and activities by either sharing information or directly messing up their instructions in subtle ways, their medium picture actions; and to help at least a handful of Jews and endangered people to leave the country, even after this became nearly impossible to do.
Dunkel chose Dietrich Bonhoeffer as a central figure in the book, then connects him to the wider group of resisters as he gets a "government' job in the Abwehr and works almost exclusively trying to engage British and Vatican sources in their efforts. Bonhoeffer, several members of his family and many of his colleagues at Abwehr end up in prison. The book does a wonderful job highlighting many of the players, the work they ostensibly were doing (prison chaplain, General, pastor) and how they used their knowledge and resources to support resistance. It's history. The ending does not change despite our greatest hopes. We get to know these people and their hearts and then, at best, they suffer. Many die. Some JUST before the allies swarmed in. It is unfair and devastating and beautifully told, along with a wrap up of what happened to families who were punished for their loved one's actions.
This is a beautifully written book, NEVER boring, always bringing more and more humanity to the resisters and more and more context to the German offensive, without it being a play by play of WWII. We all know there was a Russian front and Russia moved into Germany. Now, we know that Bonhoeffer's fiancé lived on an estate that was vulnerable to the Russian invasion and of her family's evacuation. We know Berlin was bombed thoroughly, but we live through that period through the lives of the resisters and their families. We know there were many political prisoners in Germany and that Hitler was ruthless, but now we can put names and faces to these people. This is a history I will remember because of Dunkel's presentation. Highly Recommend.
September 26, 2022
My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Hachette Books for an advanced copy of this history of the efforts against Nazism and the many brave people who did what they could.
A quick look at Twitter and well for some a glance out of the window is enough to show that there seems to be a darkness that is gathering again, a darkness that doesn't even know enough about history to know that we are repeating something that has happened in living memory. Tales about resistance, tales about people looking at events and going, oh this is not good, or even worse, well this won't do anything to my life, let me go back to my interests are important. Reading about people brave enough not only to say hey this is not right, and courageous enough to risk everything to fight is something, and I include myself in this, that not many people have. White Knights in the Black Orchestra: The Extraordinary Story of the Germans Who Resisted Hitler by Tom Dunkel is a history of brave men and women who fought and died in many cases for what they believed morally and physically was right.
As Hitler was beginning to solidify power, fooling those who thought they were smarter, more politically astute, or just had the feeling that it can't happen here, not all Germans were willing to march or even goose step to Hitler's tune. A group, made of diplomats, retired and current military leaders, spies and civilians began at first a quiet resistance, to jam the machine, slowing down efforts here and there. Later their efforts began to expand to getting Jewish targets evacuated or across the border to safety in any way possible, even the attempted assassination of Hitler. The story is told focusing on two men Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a Lutheran pastor who loved jazz music and his brother-in-law who worked with Admiral Wilhelm Canaris, head of German Military Intelligence, who set up the idea of the Black Orchestra and tried to stop Hitler.
A fascinating book with a nice way of telling the story that keeps everything moving even as it moves around in time when needed. Dunkel tells a story of brave men doing brave things, but really fills his cast out with little things that make the author feel that they know this men. Describing Bonhoeffer's time in New York going to African American churches, and getting an appreciation for jazz and gospel music. Little things make the character interesting and sets him apart from the Nazis not only morally, but in the fact the Nazis hated jazz music. The sourcing is very good and I really enjoy how the story was presented and told. I was familiar with the ideas of German resistance and about Bonhoeffer but I learned and cared far more than I thought I would about this people and the risks they undertook. Dunkel has a real skill explaining events, interlinking them with other actions in a way that never gets lost, long or uninteresting.
A very good book about a dark time in history, something that very few people know about, or sadly might not care to find out about. This is the first work by Tom Dunkel I have read and enjoyed it quite a bit and even more learned a lot. Recommended for readers of World War II, people who enjoy stories about inspirational people fighting great odds, and for politicians who refuse to say anything or even worse do anything.
A quick look at Twitter and well for some a glance out of the window is enough to show that there seems to be a darkness that is gathering again, a darkness that doesn't even know enough about history to know that we are repeating something that has happened in living memory. Tales about resistance, tales about people looking at events and going, oh this is not good, or even worse, well this won't do anything to my life, let me go back to my interests are important. Reading about people brave enough not only to say hey this is not right, and courageous enough to risk everything to fight is something, and I include myself in this, that not many people have. White Knights in the Black Orchestra: The Extraordinary Story of the Germans Who Resisted Hitler by Tom Dunkel is a history of brave men and women who fought and died in many cases for what they believed morally and physically was right.
As Hitler was beginning to solidify power, fooling those who thought they were smarter, more politically astute, or just had the feeling that it can't happen here, not all Germans were willing to march or even goose step to Hitler's tune. A group, made of diplomats, retired and current military leaders, spies and civilians began at first a quiet resistance, to jam the machine, slowing down efforts here and there. Later their efforts began to expand to getting Jewish targets evacuated or across the border to safety in any way possible, even the attempted assassination of Hitler. The story is told focusing on two men Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a Lutheran pastor who loved jazz music and his brother-in-law who worked with Admiral Wilhelm Canaris, head of German Military Intelligence, who set up the idea of the Black Orchestra and tried to stop Hitler.
A fascinating book with a nice way of telling the story that keeps everything moving even as it moves around in time when needed. Dunkel tells a story of brave men doing brave things, but really fills his cast out with little things that make the author feel that they know this men. Describing Bonhoeffer's time in New York going to African American churches, and getting an appreciation for jazz and gospel music. Little things make the character interesting and sets him apart from the Nazis not only morally, but in the fact the Nazis hated jazz music. The sourcing is very good and I really enjoy how the story was presented and told. I was familiar with the ideas of German resistance and about Bonhoeffer but I learned and cared far more than I thought I would about this people and the risks they undertook. Dunkel has a real skill explaining events, interlinking them with other actions in a way that never gets lost, long or uninteresting.
A very good book about a dark time in history, something that very few people know about, or sadly might not care to find out about. This is the first work by Tom Dunkel I have read and enjoyed it quite a bit and even more learned a lot. Recommended for readers of World War II, people who enjoy stories about inspirational people fighting great odds, and for politicians who refuse to say anything or even worse do anything.
January 18, 2023
Being a lover of History, and having lived in Southern Germany for three years, my husband a West Point Graduate, who had a nuclear Command in the heart of Nazi territory many years in the past, I assure you I found the blurbs to this book fascinating. In reality, my opinion has been formed, my prejudices evident while reading these men's stories, due to living in the area, not far from Dachau, and how shockingly close houses were to the gas ovens! I had German neighbors whose attitudes were still align with Hitler, schoolchildren laughing after seeing a film within the vile walls of a building where so many died, our own house close to a deep wooded site that I chanced upon while walking my dog, it was eerily quiet, nothing moved, no leaves stirred in the air, no squirrels running up trees, desolate, haunted, and still as death, I found out from an officer who worked under my husband after some digging around, that even in early 1945, BMW had brought Jewish slaves, for that is what they were, had been brought to this isolated area, penned up like cattle and starved to death! I cannot respect these men at all, their stories are like most Germans that we met, if you are losing the war, then choose the winning side! I honestly feel that's exactly what these men did. Maybe, because I am a Christian married to a man with Jewish ancestry, whose Great Aunt, Uncle, and two children were stripped of their affluent business, their home confiscated, and murdered in Poland after digging their own graves! I believe these men could have and should have done more before it got to the point that it did, they had fourteen years, as Hitler rose to power, and blaming the Jews for all the ills that were affecting Germany, then is when they should have stood up, spoke out, and yes, go to jail if necessary, at least I would look at them as being part of the human race.
Thank you, #Netgalley #RandomHouse
Thank you, #Netgalley #RandomHouse
January 4, 2023
Tom Dunkel has achieved the all but impossible task of a writer: to compile a staggering amount of research delving not only into the stuff recorded in history books but the actual lives of the people engaged in the dangerous and often deadly resistance to Hitler, and then creating a book that reads like a gripping novel. His mastery of language is evident throughout the book, making events and characters come to vivid life.
The photos above, showing my sticky notes and dog-eared pages, are an indication of how substantial this book is, and the surprises it contains.
A colleague of mine once assured me that what happened in Nazi Germany could never happen here, because of the supposed superiority of the American character and morals. I assured them that they were quite wrong. It can happen here. And it IS happening here. Dunkel was wise to include lines from a poem by W.H. Auden, "Evil is unspectacular and always human / and shares our bread and eats at our table." Indeed.
As a side note, it is worth mentioning Dunkel's treatment of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was one of the members of the resistance and also a Lutheran pastor and theologian. I was familiar with Bonhoeffer from studying his theological writings. Although I was aware that he had resisted Hitler and been executed, this book gave me an added insight into the inseparability of his theological beliefs and his personal actions---his lived theology.
This is one of those rare books that will stay with me for a long, long time. I will undoubtedly return to its dog-eared pages from time to time and ponder the difficult choices of heroism and sacrifice, and wonder if I would be capable of even the slightest of them.
The photos above, showing my sticky notes and dog-eared pages, are an indication of how substantial this book is, and the surprises it contains.
A colleague of mine once assured me that what happened in Nazi Germany could never happen here, because of the supposed superiority of the American character and morals. I assured them that they were quite wrong. It can happen here. And it IS happening here. Dunkel was wise to include lines from a poem by W.H. Auden, "Evil is unspectacular and always human / and shares our bread and eats at our table." Indeed.
As a side note, it is worth mentioning Dunkel's treatment of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was one of the members of the resistance and also a Lutheran pastor and theologian. I was familiar with Bonhoeffer from studying his theological writings. Although I was aware that he had resisted Hitler and been executed, this book gave me an added insight into the inseparability of his theological beliefs and his personal actions---his lived theology.
This is one of those rare books that will stay with me for a long, long time. I will undoubtedly return to its dog-eared pages from time to time and ponder the difficult choices of heroism and sacrifice, and wonder if I would be capable of even the slightest of them.
December 28, 2022
This book is so timely, given the current political upheaval in the U.S. It's so unreal that so much of this story can be seen in today's political landscape. Excellent telling of just how bad things can get if everyone looks away. The brave men and women discussed in the book should not be forgotten for their courageous acts. The cast of characters is daunting, but the author managed to keep me on track with who was who in a very readable narrative. I learned a lot, and his research was clearly meticulous and very thorough. Will certainly be passing this book along to my history buff friends.
Thanks to Hachette Books for this book won in a goodreads giveaway.
Thanks to Hachette Books for this book won in a goodreads giveaway.
June 25, 2023
A truly amazing nonfiction narrative walk through the German resistance movement starting in the early 1930s through the Allied invasion and subsequent German defeat. The efforts made by citizens, government officials, military leaders and clergy to build a massive web of resistance to Hitler’s evil Nazi regime is absolutely amazing!
The creative and innovative ways in which prisoners and family members were able to pass messages, reveal information and lend encouragement in the face of certain death speaks to the shear force of the human spirit.
A really intriguing read about the German resistance movement against Hitler and his brutally evil regime.
The creative and innovative ways in which prisoners and family members were able to pass messages, reveal information and lend encouragement in the face of certain death speaks to the shear force of the human spirit.
A really intriguing read about the German resistance movement against Hitler and his brutally evil regime.
November 2, 2022
Wow! A tremendous book! It's a history of the plot to topple Hitler that centered on the German Abwehr and the extended Bonhoeffer family, the plot that eventually morphed into the July 20th plot. It is a great introduction to Wilhelm Canaris, Hitler's intelligence chief, who sabotaged Hitler's plans from the get go and who aided and abetted the conspirators, and to Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a Lutheran pastor who resisted Nazi attempts to stifle his religious work. It's a history that reads like a thriller. Highly recommend!
June 29, 2024
Very interesting read about committed heroes who went against the rising tide of fascism in Nazi Germany. Many of these people were killed in the concentration camps or the kangaroo courts that Hitler installed to kill off his enemies and Dunkel humanizes them and their struggle very well. Their stories needed to be preserved and the research is solid. The book does drag at times in the narrative, as there is some facets of the storyline that are heavy with detail, but the author does well to keep everything in context.
October 25, 2022
A fine work on the German resistance which vividly illustrates the blackened world in which these people found themselves and unravels the intertwining threads of their lives. Tom Dunkel tells the story with the voice of an expert journalist and makes the world come alive for the reader, complete with its joys and challenges. The detailing which the author provides in these pages is precise and admirable. It is a joy to read.
January 8, 2023
A breezy, journalistic account of the various anti-Hitler plots, centering on Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Hans von Dohnanyi. They weren’t the prime movers in any of the conspiracies; rather, they were more important as moral exemplars.
The book is a useful introduction for those unfamiliar with the opposition to the National Socialist regime. The story is told with an emphasis on human interest, and could inspire the reader to engage in further research.
The book is a useful introduction for those unfamiliar with the opposition to the National Socialist regime. The story is told with an emphasis on human interest, and could inspire the reader to engage in further research.
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January 16, 2023If you want a more detailed and instructive book than most histories of German resistance to Hitler this book is a fine choice! The author also presents more information on Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer, his family and other dissidents he associated with, than I have seen in other works. The author writes extremely well and keeps the reader's interest throughout. I will be looking into the author's other works!
January 17, 2023
Tom Dunkel explanations of the intellectual resistance fighters was exceptional. Dunkel made it readable sharing many phases of Bonhoeffer and Dohnanyi’s actions against Hitler and the Nazis. It is clear that the Abwehr was a front for the management of the Resistance fighters. It is also compelling to understand the amount of people that were involved in deceiving the Nazis and the number of times a plan for an assassination of Hitler was botched. This is a great read!!!!
May 20, 2023
A good history book reads like a novel. This book is clunkier than that. The storyline and character development is somewhat fragmented and confusing at times. I have read multiple books on most of the different veins described. The other books were clearer and more interesting. But some new info here and some interesting parts. The Germans who resisted even unto death were certainly admirable men.
December 27, 2022
A fascinating read even for the non-World War II historian. It is an enlightening true story of extraordinary people who follow their conscience with disregard for popular systems of belief and their own best interests.
January 25, 2023
I’m not an avid reader, but this 400ish page book was a great introductory piece about the “black orchestra”. This book taught me a lot about the background stories and parallel paths that happened during WW2 that I was not aware of. I would recommend this book for anyone interested in WW2 history.
March 8, 2023
Well researched and very well written by Tom Dunkel.
If you are a student of WWII Germany, some of this you will know but much will be new. Following the Bonhoeffer family through the ordeals, heartbreak and loss caused by the Nazi regime is gripping and sad.
If you are a student of WWII Germany, some of this you will know but much will be new. Following the Bonhoeffer family through the ordeals, heartbreak and loss caused by the Nazi regime is gripping and sad.
March 30, 2024
A written book with a trove of information and fascinating insight into the world of Nazi Germany and the many attempts to overthrow Hitler. Also a sad tale of the West's many missed opportunities to have helped the conspirators and brought the war to an end.
March 4, 2023
A spectacularly-reported dive into the incredible world of those who bravely sought to rid German of Nazism and Adolph Hitler from within. Wonderful narrative.
May 2, 2023
Remarkable book. Well written, it kept my attention throughout. Makes me contemplate if I would be so brave in the same situations. Could I be so resilient?
December 12, 2023
This book provided fascinating details about Germans who watched Hitler rise to power and the quiets ways they offered resistance. I literally could not put the book down.
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January 31, 2024Excellent non-fiction book about resisting Hitler and the Nazi's. Shows the true horror of an authoritarian government. Highly recommend for everyone in today's world.
January 31, 2024
Incredible heroes.
March 29, 2024
Stunning revelations
This is such an important book. Like many, I wondered why Hitler was never assassinated. There have been a couple of stories that have emerged over the years, but this, to my knowledge, is the first account of a very large contingent of Nazi conspirators who tried to do just that, multiple times. This began from before WWII started through to the famous failed attempt of the bomb that Hitler survived. Their plans included a shadow government to step in when success was achieved. The brutal retaliation when this group was exposed is laid out here. Miraculously, many of the records survived. I am heartened to learn about these brave souls who never stopped trying to save the world from tyranny. Interesting stuff!
This is such an important book. Like many, I wondered why Hitler was never assassinated. There have been a couple of stories that have emerged over the years, but this, to my knowledge, is the first account of a very large contingent of Nazi conspirators who tried to do just that, multiple times. This began from before WWII started through to the famous failed attempt of the bomb that Hitler survived. Their plans included a shadow government to step in when success was achieved. The brutal retaliation when this group was exposed is laid out here. Miraculously, many of the records survived. I am heartened to learn about these brave souls who never stopped trying to save the world from tyranny. Interesting stuff!
July 25, 2024
A moving read about people in different walks of life who went out of there way to help people who were being persecuted by Hitlers regime, how they tried to stop it. Hitler was a nut job.
January 15, 2023
As a self proclaimed history nerd, this was a great book. Really well written and full of so much information. I am not a WWII expert, so I appreciated the level of research and detail that went into this book. I learned so much and really enjoyed it.
October 10, 2022
There were good Germans in World War II! This book proves it!
White Knights in the Black Orchestra (one of the best titles I've seen lately) by Tom Dunkel is an amazing book. It tells the story numerous members of an anti-Nazi group in Germany from the rise of the Third Reich to the end of World War II. As you may expect, there is a lot of sad outcomes, but I will avoid spoiler territory even if this all happened decades ago. Needless to say, a "happy ending" is not something you would expect if you lived in Germany during World War II.
Dunkel's style is one of the most important aspects of the book. He deftly handles dozens of characters without leaving your head spinning. He cuts up chapters to keep everything in perspective and the focus on specific people without expanding the scope too much. Most importantly, he has an eye for the details which leaves a reader wanting more and desperately hoping the conspirators make it out alive. Even someone who doesn't normally read history will love this book.
White Knights in the Black Orchestra (one of the best titles I've seen lately) by Tom Dunkel is an amazing book. It tells the story numerous members of an anti-Nazi group in Germany from the rise of the Third Reich to the end of World War II. As you may expect, there is a lot of sad outcomes, but I will avoid spoiler territory even if this all happened decades ago. Needless to say, a "happy ending" is not something you would expect if you lived in Germany during World War II.
Dunkel's style is one of the most important aspects of the book. He deftly handles dozens of characters without leaving your head spinning. He cuts up chapters to keep everything in perspective and the focus on specific people without expanding the scope too much. Most importantly, he has an eye for the details which leaves a reader wanting more and desperately hoping the conspirators make it out alive. Even someone who doesn't normally read history will love this book.
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