From Hitler's Doorstep: The Wartime Intelligence Reports of Allen Dulles, 1942-1945 [Hardcover]

Allen Welsh Dulles (Author), Neal H. Petersen (Author, Editor), United States Office of Strategic Services Bern Office (Corporate Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1996 | ISBN-10: 0271014857 | ISBN-13: 978-0271014852 | Edition: annotated edition

For three years during World War II, future Director of Central Intelligence Allen Dulles commanded the OSS mission in Bern, Switzerland. From Hitler's Doorstep provides an annotated selection of his reports to Washington from 1942 to 1945. Dulles was a leading source of Allied intelligence on Nazi Germany and the occupied nations. The messages presented in this volume were based on information received through agents and networks operating in France, Italy, Austria, Eastern Europe, and Germany itself. They deal with subjects ranging from enemy troop strength and military plans to political developments, support of resistance movements, secret weapons, psychological warfare, and peace feelers. The Dulles reports reveal his own vision of grand strategy and presage the postwar turmoil in Europe.One of the largest collections of OSS records ever published, these telegrams and radiotelephone transmissions from the National Archives provide an exciting account of the course of the European war, offer insight on the development of American intelligence, and illuminate the origins of the Cold War. They will interest diplomatic and military historians as well as specialists on modern Europe. This volume is almost unique as document-based intelligence history and serves as a badly needed bridge between diplomatic history and intelligence studies.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Neal H. Petersen served for over twenty years in the Historical Office of the U.S. Department of State, retiring as Deputy Historian in 1988. He is the author of American Intelligence, 1775-1990: A Bibliographical Guide (Regina Books, 1992). --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 684 pages
• Publisher: Pennsylvania State Univ Pr; annotated edition edition (August 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0271014857
• ISBN-13: 978-0271014852
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,613,954 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars VERY IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS, April 15, 2000

By 

michel sitbon (Paris) - See all my reviews

This review is from: From Hitler's Doorstep: The Wartime Intelligence Reports of Allen Dulles, 1942-1945 (Hardcover)

End 1942 Allen Dulles gets in Switzerland, sent by OSS to set up an office in Berne. Soon after, the invasion of North africa by allies provoqued the invasion of southern France by german troops, and Allen Dulles was isolated in Switzerland, free to accomplish his mission. He began to open talks with german intelligence services - wich ended by building the famous Gehlen org. There is very little doubt that these talks were usefull to save the nazi organisation as well as nazi gold in Switzerland after war. Allen Dulles had no difficulties to get friendly with the nazis, being himself a nazi since before the war, serving german interests as a lawyer in Wall Street, with his brother Foster. What realy were saying Dulles reports to his superiors in the US is clearly interesting to understand at what degree he was building up his own policy or executing the policy of the american government. It is obvious that such documents may appear after being censored. But in any case, they are necessary to get the complete picture of that very important moment of modern history : when the nazis, in fact, won the war.