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Helmut Ortner

Lone Assassin: The Epic True Story of the Man Who Almost Killed Hitler Hardcover – June 5, 2012

by Helmut Ortner (Author), Ross Benjamin (Translator)

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Living as a carpenter who had spent time working in a watch factory, Georg Elser was just an ordinary member of society living in Munich. That is, however, until he took it upon himself to attempt to assassinate the Führer, Adolph Hitler. Being a common man who opposed the Nazi regime, Elser took the skills from his craft and worked to assemble his own bomb detonator. Every night, he snuck out to the Munich Beer Hall, where he worked on assembling the bomb that he planned to use to kill Hitler.
Hidden in a hollowed-out space near the speaker’s podium, Elser’s bomb went off successfully, killing eight people. Hitler was not one of them.

This is the story, scene by scene, of the events that led up to Georg Elser taking justice into his own hands, his attempt to murder the Führer, and what happened after the bomb went off. The Lone Assassin is a powerfully gripping tale that places the reader in the dark days of Munich in 1939, following Elser from the Munich Beer Hall, across the border, and sadly, to the concentration camp where his heroic life ended.

Print length

192 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Skyhorse
Publication date

June 5, 2012
Dimensions

6 x 0.8 x 9 inches
ISBN-10

1616083832
ISBN-13

978-1616083830
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Perhaps as thorough a study of the people involved and significance of the events as can be constructed.” (Publishers Weekly)

About the Author

Helmut Ortner lives and works as a freelance writer and has published over twenty books, mostly on social topics and on issues of justice. He lives in Darmstadt and Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

Ross Benjamin is a writer and translator. His literary criticism has appeared in The Times Literary Supplement, Bookforum, The Nation and other publications. He lives in Nyack, New York.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Skyhorse; 1st edition (June 5, 2012)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 192 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1616083832
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1616083830
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.7 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.8 x 9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #3,792,318 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2,794 in Historical Germany Biographies
- #6,927 in Jewish Holocaust History
- #8,673 in WWII Biographies

Customer Reviews:
56 ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

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Wendy

I had never heard of the assasination attempt

Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2016

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by Georg Elser on Abolph Hitler's life until I read this book. I found this book very interesting. The author decsribed in detain Georg's life in an attempt give the reader a good understanding of his formative years and personality. I felt that Georg Elser was described well and even more light was shed as the transcripts from his interrogations were quoted throughout the book. Georg Elser came within minutes of impacting history, but Hitler's speech was shorter than usual and the bomb exploded shortly after he left the tavern. If the deed had been completed successfully, WWII probably never would have occurred. I found it suprising that Elser wasn't executed shortly after the assasination plot was perpetrated by a lone German citizen, and not a British or Russian plot. Of course the Reich propagandized the attempt. Georg Elser was instead internned in two concentration camps in barracks for high profile, important men, and was given better food and privaleges. The Reich had intended to use Elser in a staged mock trial after the war, but in the final days of the war, when Germany was sure of losing, the order was given to exterminate Elser. What came as a total shock to me is that even through the 1980s-1990s, a vast majority of German citizens still looked upon Elser as a traitor rather than the brave hero he almost was. I recommend Lone Assasin to all who are interested in true stories of World War II.

5 people found this helpful

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Gene Cisco

Lone Conscience

Reviewed in the United States on May 21, 2015

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What an appropriate title for a story of an insignificant, blue-collar worker (carpenter)George Elser who decides by conscience, not ideology, to remove the evil leadership of the Reich at the top by himself. This thin book begins with Elser's accidental capture at the border near Switzerland within days of his explosion in a meeting hall gathering of Reich functionaries including Hitler. Then, from extensive interrogation notes, Helmut Ortner tells an absorbing story of the making of this reclusive assassin from his humble, ordinary beginnings to his meticulous design and planning of his singular act of conscience. Like "Operation Cicero," (another tale too good to be believed), this is a fascinating account of an extraordinary individual who belies his ordinary beginnings through personal courage, premeditation and deliberation. Unwilling to be led or cajoled into national conformity or to swallow lies by a mob, George Elser rises to the level of a German Thomas Paine without a literary output, but through his explosive act. Not only does Ortner elucidate the origins and thoughts of this lowly, craftsman (George Elser) but he also explains the lost years of Adolf Hitler between 1918 and 1933, explaining the published "paper god" (Hitler) versus the self-perfecting craftsman (Elser) in contrasting detail, like two opposing forces that must collide. This is all good reading for those who believe actions speak louder than words or that nations should not be comprised of sheep.

8 people found this helpful

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Robert Nowell

Unlikely Assassin

Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2017

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This book is a somewhat dry but thorough rendering of the plan and assassination attempt by a lone, blue-collar German carpenter just prior to the outbreak of the Second World War. Unlike many German citizens of the time, and since, Georg Elser recognized the Nazi leadership as the villainous regime it proved to be, and though unsuccessful, he made a valiant effort to do something about it. A very interesting read.

5 people found this helpful

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Ted Day Jr.

More understanding of Nazism and the German mind

Reviewed in the United States on October 16, 2020

Verified Purchase

Historical detail is outstanding. A story that needs to be told widely. A modern movie needs to be made from this book

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Cynthia T Cannon

Interesting story of n event I did not know

Reviewed in the United States on December 20, 2016

Verified Purchase

The courage of this man and his foresight of how catastrophic Hitler would be for Germany provokes me to great respect. Individual courageous effort at this time is amazing. Although his efforts did not work, just having that courage is amazing to me.

2 people found this helpful

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Paul31

Epic work for me, allows the reader to experience ...

Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2016

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Epic work for me, allows the reader to experience the efforts an ordinary German citizen trying to keep his country from falling under the control of Hitler - and coming oh so close to succeeding.

2 people found this helpful

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Onmyown

Extremely interesting and factual.

Reviewed in the United States on July 7, 2016

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I found this book a good read and anyone who is a WWII history buff will surely enjoy. Highly recommended.

5 people found this helpful

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James H Cook

Pass on this

Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2016

Verified Purchase

No review, did not finish, was slow moving, scaping the bottom bucket for Nazi story...

2 people found this helpful

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Richard

Incredible

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 2, 2020

Verified Purchase

The book is well written about a person who acted alone to try and kill Hitler. Very brave man, deserved to succeed. This is his story taken from meticulous research.

Tim Thornby

OK book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 19, 2019

Verified Purchase

Bit boring actually. Stretched out with imagined narrative

Kindle Customer

Facts

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 16, 2018

Verified Purchase

Great book, factual and we'll structured. Georg could have changed the course of 20th century history. Shows that the excuse that the gean people couldn't stand up to the Nazis is an excuse.

One person found this helpful

Mark Brodie

but overall this was a great read with an especially poignant ending

Reviewed in Canada on March 26, 2016

Verified Purchase

The second half of this story is quite gripping. A lot of the detailed information in the first half about Elser's personal life before he planted his bomb is not all that interesting, nor are the numerous lengthy quotations from Nazi propaganda newspapers of the period, but overall this was a great read with an especially poignant ending.

Bruno L. Miraglia

Sensacional!

Reviewed in Brazil on April 28, 2017

Verified Purchase

Excelente relato sobre uma das personalidades mais admiráveis e menos conhecidas da história ocidental. As qualidades de um herói verdadeiro, coragem e determinação a serviço de princípios humanos, estão ao alcance de quem quer ver a realidade além das ideologias.

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