In late December of 1941, two parachutists dropped into occupied Europe on a mission to assassinate Reinhard Heydrich, an SS leader whom one contemporary called "the hidden pivot" of Nazi Germany.
Six months later, they succeeded.
This is the definitive telling of this oft-forgotten story-its fascinating background, its thrilling climax, and its tragic consequences.
In late December of 1941, two parachutists dropped into occupied Europe on a mission to assassinate Reinhard Heydrich, an SS leader whom one contemporary called "the hidden pivot" of Nazi Germany.
Six months later, they succeeded.
This is the definitive telling of this oft-forgotten story--its fascinating background, its thrilling climax, and its tragic consequences. It draws on diverse resources and influences, including Plato's Republic, Dostoyevsky's The Brothers Karamazov, the writings of Czechoslovakian president Tomáš Masaryk, Jaroslav Hašek's The Good Soldier Švejk, Arthur Koestler's Darkness at Noon, and even Camus' The Fall and Bukowski's Ham on Rye. In doing so, it creates something wholly unique--a powerful meditation on the subjective nature of history, and on the ways we distort the past in order to preserve it as memory.
"The central events of the story-the plot to kill [Nazi Reichsprotektor Reinhard] Heydrich, the assassination itself and the staggering reprisals taken by the Nazis-are approached from several different angles, heightening both the tension and the power of the narratives. Brennan's command of facts is absolute and his ear for dialogue is pitch-perfect. The author is unafraid of making readers spend a great deal of time with some very unsavory people...[a]n extremely impressive debut."
- Kirkus Reviews
