The Secret Surrender: The Classic Insider's Account of the Secret Plot to Surrender Northern Italy During WWII (Classic Insiders S.) [Paperback]

Allen W. Dulles (Author)

Book Description

Series: Classic Insiders S. | Publication Date: October 1, 2006

The amazing true story of the largest surrender in World War II, as told by America's master spy.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

This is the classic and controversial inside story of Operation Sunrise, which brought about the surrender of a million Nazi and Fascist forces in World War II.

Allen Dulles—who became director of the CIA in 1953—guided the delicate, top-secret negotiations in Switzerland as an officer of the OSS. Dulles now reveals one of the most successful intelligence operations of our time in an immediate, personal, compelling, and suspenseful narrative.

Here he recreates the climate of terror that paralyzed the German top military command and delayed surrender even when all hope of an Axis victory was gone, vividly conveying the hidden antagonisms of important Nazis concerned for their personal safety. He describes the hazards of keeping open the channels of communication with the SS general in Italy who defied Hitler's "scorched earth" command. Finally, he recounts the tension-packed weeks during which Allied support of the surrender plan was secured despite Stalin's plot to wreck the enterprise.
The Secret Surrender conveys the breathless excitement of a fictional thriller. But most important, it furnishes valuable, firsthand insight into the end of World War II and—some have argued—the beginning of the Cold War.

About the Author

Allen W. Dulles served under eight U.S. presidents, from Woodrow Wilson to John F. Kennedy, and was director of the Central Intelligence Agency from 1953 to 1961.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: The Lyons Press; 1st edition (October 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592283683
• ISBN-13: 978-1592283682
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,279,326 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars WOW!, October 5, 2011

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rahmcp - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Secret Surrender: The Classic Insider's Account of the Secret Plot to Surrender Northern Italy During WWII (Classic Insiders S.) (Paperback)

This is a fantastic read. I had never known the secret history of the battle for Italy during WWII and it's one of those cases of Murphy's Law where if anything CAN go wrong it WILL go wrong. Mr. Dulles is just about to accept the surrender of all SS forces in Italy complete with all of the port facilities intact at the end of 1943, when he receives an edict from Washington saying that no negotiations with ANY SS troops or officers is condoned (Washington hadn't realized Dulles was in contact with Karl Wolff, the Supreme SS Commander in Italy, who was trying to find an honorable way to surrender without Hitler knowing about it). How many lives could have been saved if this analyst turned spy-master had been able to affect the surrender of all Nazi forces in Italy in 1943?