The Devil's Doctor: Felix Kersten and the Secret Plot to Turn Himmler Against Hitler (Hardcover)

by John H. Waller (Author) "FELIX KERSTEN, a practicing physical therapist in The Hague, had since 1928 made a good professional reputation for himself by ministering to nobles and notables,..." (more)
Key Phrases: postwar interrogation, postwar memoirs, peace feelers, Western Allies, United States, Third Reich (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The Devil's Doctor

The true story of one mans courageous fight against unspeakable evil

In May 1940, as Nazi panzers overran the Netherlands, Felix Kersten received a summons he dared not refuse. A successful and prosperous physical therapist who had ministered to the Dutch royal family, Kersten was "asked" to forsake his adopted home in the Netherlands and become personal physician to Nazi Reichsführer Heinrich Himmler. While others might have spent the ensuing years paying fearful obeisance to this monstrous and unpredictable master, Kersten discovered that he had both the means and the courage to manipulate the surprisingly naïve Himmler. In doing so, he saved thousands of lives and actually persuaded Himmler to join in a plot to overthrow Himmlers hero, Adolf Hitler.

The Devils Doctor tells the incredible true story of how one brave man did everything he could, and more than he ever imagined, to turn the corrupt and maniacal Nazi power structure against itself and prevent the slaughter of thousands. This riveting and compelling tale will convince you that one persons courage and determination truly can make a difference.

Praise for John Wallers The Unseen War in Europe

"Superb.... Mr. Waller knows his territory." —The Washington Times

"One of the most readable histories ever published of espionage, conspiracies, and intrigues that formed the backdrop against which the wars military campaigns were fought. . . . John H. Waller writes credibly and authoritatively on his subject." —Cleveland Plain Dealer

From the Inside Flap
You may not be familiar with the name Felix Kersten, but after reading The Devil’s Doctor you will never forget it. Prepare to meet one of the most unlikely and little-known heroes in the fight against Nazi atrocities–a talented and very successful middle-aged physical therapist who, under threat of harassment, was drawn into the corrupt power center of the Third Reich.

Acclaimed historian and former OSS officer John Waller tells a vivid tale of treachery compounded by moral depravity; of the failing loyalty of high-ranking Nazi zealots; and of one man’s efforts in the face of grave personal danger to hasten the defeat of Hitler’s Reich, thereby saving thousands of Nazi concentration-camp inmates condemned to die.

Heinrich Himmler, Hitler’s most trusted acolyte and the man in charge of carrying out the Holocaust, suffered excruciating attacks of stomach pain, which only Kersten’s "magic hands" could relieve by their remarkably effective massages. Pressed into service as Himmler’s personal medical adviser and physical therapist, Kersten found himself in a unique position from which to gather information to be passed on to the U.S. Office of Strategic Services (OSS). More importantly, he discovered that he could manipulate Himmler’s psyche as well as ease his chronic pain. And, by exploiting Himmler’s addiction to astrology and appealing to his sense of survival as Nazi Germany faced certain defeat, Kersten could steer Himmler toward high treason against his Führer.

The Devil’s Doctor tells the amazing story of how Kersten convinced Himmler to resist Hitler’s plan to enslave 8 million recalcitrant Dutch and Flemish citizens and ultimately resettle them in a conquered Eastern Europe. It reveals the details of a conspiracy in which Kersten convinced Himmler to plot to overthrow Hitler, after which he would surrender German troops to British and American forces while leading Germany in a continued war against the Russians in the East. And it recounts Kersten’s finest moment when, with the war’s end just weeks away, he saved the lives of more than 60,000 Jews in concentration camps by persuading Himmler to disobey Hitler’s direct order to kill them all.

With this inspiring story of the victory of one man’s humanity over the depraved barbarity of history’s worst criminals, Waller convincingly shows that the name Kersten should be enshrined alongside those of Wallenberg, Schindler, and Sugihara.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (February 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471396729
• ISBN-13: 978-0471396727
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #423,977 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating Look at Nazis through Man with Intelligence Ties, April 11, 2002

By	Roy K. JONKERS (McLean, VA) - See all my reviews

John Waller has done a great job of giving us an insiders look at the Nazi government at the top. His 'vehicle' is a fellow by the name of Felix Kersten, who. by one of those strange twists of history, became Heinrich Himmler's indispensable personal masseur. In that position Kersten, with connections to OSS and British intelligence, was able to influence Himmler. It is an outrageous story that provides exceptional insight in the personalities at the top of the Nazi machine.
The story has a particular relevance to this reviewer, as Kersten played a role in preventing the resettlement of millions of "irreconcilable" Dutchmen to Eastern Poland and the Ukraine in 1941 and 1942. The Dutch hated the Nazi occupiers, and their opposition and riots in 1941 had enraged Hitler. Kersten saw the documentation, was appalled, and adopted the strategy of convincing Himmler that his health would be at serious risk if he undertook such a demanding task. Himmler finally decided to persuade Hitler that Germany's logistical system would be over-taxed by mass-moving people across the continent while fighting the war on the Eastern front. The operation was postponed till after the war. This tale was thoroughly investigated by the Dutch Government after the war, and validated. Kersten was appropriately honored.
This vignette is only one of the many in the book. It was November 11, 1941, that Himmler emerged from the Fuhrer's presence and announced that the "destruction of the Jews is being actively planned." The occupied eastern territories "are to become free of Jews." These wartime orders in 1941 went well beyond the earlier decree in January 24, 1939, which intended to solve the 'Jewish question' by emigration and evacuation. Hitler's outbursts of temper and raving and ranting were often interpreted by his lieutenants as policy edicts to be carried out literally. The more one reads of what went on at the human level at the Nazi top, the more one is reminded of an insane asylum. How this Austrian misfit, Adolph Schickelgruber Hitler, unemployed in Vienna in 1913, cast into - and surviving - the traumatic trench warfare mass murder cauldrons of World War I, absorbing and caricaturing the prevailing cultural theories of racial blood purity, cranium indices denoting superior intelligence, and terror bombing (Douhet), and could then exploit the crisis of capitalism and the threat of communism by rising to the leadership of the German Reich -- and then driven by powerful paranoias, bring such misery to millions, particularly Poles, Russians, Germans, and others, and the Jewish compatriots that lived among them, defies staggering odds. I highly recommend this book. John Waller is a immensely respected OSS and CIA veteran, and author, who writes beautifully and with care, on a topic we should not forget.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Devil's Doctor, February 22, 2002

By A Customer

Dr. Felix Kersten is a true World War II hero. Through his assigned job of being physical therapist to Heinrich Himmler, one of the most notorious, evil Nazi's of the war, read this fascinating true story of courage and manipulation. Kersten pounced on Himmler's naivete and prevented the persecution of thousands. Any history or war buff would love this book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting book about an interesting man, July 25, 2006

By	Thomas W. Robinson (Dayton, VA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Waller, known for his works on espionage during WWII, has written an easy readable, fast paced look at Felix Kersten and the plot to turn Himmler against Hitler. It is not so much a biography of Kersten as it is a detailed account of how Kersten, and also Schellenberg, attempted to get Himmler to disobey orders and even attempt to overthrow Hitler to make peace with the Western Allies. The book is a fascinating look at the in-fighting that occurred within the Nazi party structure and gives a good look at the resistance movement within Nazi Germany. The epilogue gives a good look at the post-war life of Kersten and some of the other key players.

The only negative is that the book is marred with typographical and grammatical errors which at times can make the read frustrating. Beyond that, well worth the read.