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Valkyrie: The Story of the Plot to Kill Hitler, by Its Last Member Audiobook
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(3.08) - 111 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
When World War II erupted, Philipp von Boeselager, son of an aristocratic Catholic family, fought enthusiastically for his country as a cavalry lieutenant. But in the summer of 1942, when he witnessed the regime's criminal brutality toward Jews and Gypsies, his patriotism quickly turned to disgust, and he joined a group of officers intent on killing Hitler.
After one aborted attempt—in which Boeselager was assigned to shoot both Hitler and Heinrich Himmler—it was decided that a bomb would be used to assassinate the Führer. Boeselager delivered the explosives and then led his unwitting men toward Berlin in order to carry out the coup d'état. When the bomb failed to kill Hitler, the SS launched a terrifying purge of senior army officers. Boeselager managed to return his units to the front before, one by one, the other conspirators were rounded up, tortured, and executed. None of them betrayed Boeselager.
In his unvarnished, harrowing testimony, Philipp von Boeselager—who died on May 1, 2008—gives eloquent voice to the courageous spirit of these men whose profound sense of honor could not be dimmed by the diabolical propaganda of the Third Reich.
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"Not my normal genre of reading, but very good and detailed account of a German WWII soldier and his inner circle of fellow soldiers and higher up commanders and their plot to assassinate Hitler. Any one interested in the WWII era will enjoy this!"
— Colby (5 out of 5 stars)
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A one-of-a-kind eyewitness account.
— Kirkus Starred Review
Valkyrie Listener Reviews
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" Read after reading Diary of Ann Frank... "
— Daryl, 9/26/2013 -
" I am over half way through with this book and just can't go on. I enjoy history, especially about this period, but this book is poorly written, dull, and confusing. "
— Kiessa, 10/3/2012 -
" Memoirs of Philip Freiherr Von Boeselager which he wrote shortly before his death in 2008 in his eighties. He was a survivor of the plot to kill Hitler and overthrow the Nazi regime. "
— Patty, 7/1/2012 -
" Very intersting. I listened to the audiobook. Some very brave men! "
— Beth, 6/15/2012 -
" Most of us know something about the attempt on Hitler's life but this book puts it all in a new light - von Boeselager gives us the full story. Once I started reading I could not stop. "
— Gerry, 4/16/2012 -
" Great read, short and incredibly interesting view of the European theater of war. "
— Bill, 8/7/2011 -
" This gave me a intriguing insight to the valkyrie plot that i never knew through any other material "
— Chathura, 7/27/2011 -
" A great book , with a great plot. Great for history buffs. "
— Klemense, 10/26/2010 -
" Fascinating look at someone on the inside of a horrible regime trying to keep his troops alive while plotting to rid the world of a truly evil monster. "
— Steven, 9/1/2010 -
" I am a huge history buff and World War II buff, so I really enjoyed this book. It is a memoir from a German solider. It really gives a glimpse into what was going on for the German soldiers during World War II. "
— Amy, 4/5/2010 -
" I saw the movie and was interested in reading the book. This was an interesting account of one of the failed plots to assassinate Hitler; first-hand from the only living survivor. "
— Amy, 8/22/2009 -
" I was expecting a book of details about the plotting, etc, but it's more of a biography of the sole remaining member of the conspiring group. It's interesting, just not really what I was expecting, or maybe hoping, it would be. "
— Anders, 8/18/2009 -
" Would they have wanted to kill hittler if the germans were winning the war!!!! "
— Shane, 7/14/2009 -
" This was a fairly interesting book. It wasn't the greatest writing--maybe because it's a translation, but it was interesting, and it always makes me feel better about humanity when I read about people willing to stand up for what they believe in. "
— Jessica, 6/14/2009
About the Authors
Philipp Freiherr von Boeselager was born in Bonn, Germany, in 1917, the fifth of nine children. He was raised with a liberal education, strong moral and religious values, and a love of hunting. In 1938, he enlisted and was placed in the cavalry regiment. He rose to the rank of commanding lieutenant, only to join the German resistance in 1941. His participation in Valkyrie went undetected, and he lived to be the last surviving member of the plot. In 2003, France awarded von Boeselager the Legion of Honor. He died on May 1, 2008.
Florence Fehrenbach is the granddaughter of Karl von Wendt, a coconspirator and close friend of Philipp von Boeselager. She and her husband, Jérôme Fehrenbach, convinced Boeselager, at the age of eighty-nine, to recount his experience.
Jérôme Fehrenbach is the husband of Florence Fehrenbach, the granddaughter of Karl von Wendt, a co-conspirator and close friend of Philipp von Boeselager. Together, they convinced Boeselager to recount his experience in the failed attempt to assassinate Hitler.
About Michael Prichard
Michael Prichard is a Los Angeles-based actor who has played several thousand characters during his career, over one hundred of them in theater and film. He is primarily heard as an audiobook narrator, having recorded well over five hundred full-length books. His numerous awards and accolades include an Audie Award for Tears in the Darkness by Michael Norman and Elizabeth M. Norman and six AudioFile Earphones Awards. He was named a Top Ten Golden Voice by SmartMoney magazine. He holds an MFA in theater from the University of Southern California.