Hide & Seek: The Irish Priest in the Vatican Who Defied the Nazi Command

by Stephen Walker

Hide & Seek chronicles the intensely personal war between wartime Rome’s Nazi SS Chief Herbert Kappler and the Vatican’s Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty, a fiercely fought rivalry that culminated in Kappler attempting to kidnap and murder his Irish opponent, who was determined to fight Rome’s Nazi rulers. Called “Ireland’s Oscar Schindler,” O’Flaherty masterminded a large-scale operation from inside the neutral Vatican, to hide and help Jews, downed airmen, and escaped Allied prisoners. Using safe houses and church buildings, the priest sheltered around five hundred Jews in the Holy See and many thousands more Jews and Allied escapees in and around Rome.

After a Resistance bomb killed thirty-two German soldiers, an enraged Hitler ordered revenge. Kappler planned and oversaw the firing squad execution of 335 people in the Ardeatine Caves outside Rome. The massacre became the worst atrocity committed on Italian soil during the war. After the war, the Nazi colonel was found guilty on all the charges relating to the massacre and sentenced to life. Amazingly, O’Flaherty began visiting his former rival in prison, engaging in a long-run conversation that led to Kappler’s conversion—and baptism by the Irish Monsignor.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, World War II, War

354 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 3, 2011

Reviews

[John Nicholl · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read for fans of WW2 history.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read a number of books on the Vatican's actions, or lack thereof, during the Second World War, and most are fairly damning. Many neutral organisations and states failed to speak out against the Nazis, but somehow that failure from the Catholic Church, from men of God, committed to humanity and peace, seems especially reprehensible. However, as this book shows, whilst the Vatican as a collective institution may have failed to act, many individuals within it did, often with the tacit complicity of senior figures within the Church's hierarchy.

This book follows Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty, an Irish priest at the Vatican, who, with the assistance of the British Ambassador and a number of escaped Allied officers, established the Escape Line. They sheltered escape Allied offices within the neutral sanctity of the Vatican, provided them with food, clothing and false papers, hid them in safe houses with willing Italian families, and helped them escape to Allied lines.

Opposing him, always trying to find evidence on the Escape Line and catch O'Flaherty in the act, was Herbert Keppler, the Gestapo Chief in Rome. Whilst within the Vatican O'Flaherty was untouchable, but there were many close shaves when Keppler attempted to have him kidnapped or arrested when out and about within Rome, particularly after Italy had surrendered and Rome was occupied by the Nazis.

This is a real classic espionage story, with two such strongly-drawn opposing characters and a host of escapades almost too tall to be true. Indeed, it would be hard to make up a scene such as that of Keppler converting to Catholicism whilst on trial for war crimes and O'Flaherty serving as the priest who receives him into the Catholic Church! I could hardly put this book down, and I'd definitely recommend it.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the story of Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty's efforts to hide Jews and escaped prisoners of war during WWII. During the 9 months of German occupation in Rome he played a cat and mouse game with Nazi SS Chief Herbert Kappler. Kappler had ordered his troops to shoot Fr. O'Flaherty if he was seen outside of Vatican territory. O'Flaherty managed to sneak out of Vatican City in a variety of disguises. It is also Kappler's story. He eventually was convicted of war crimes.
O'Flaherty was the Nazi's only visitor in prison.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting capsule story, reminds me a bit of Ben Macintyre's books. It would have benefitted from a summary chapter, since a lot of the important information was spread widely.

[Janet Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although parts of this book are very harrowing, dealing with the massacre of 335 Italians, the main theme is the relationship between the Irish priest Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty and the German SS Lt Colonel Herbert Kappler. They played an amazing 'cat and mouse' game throughout the war, and I was particularly interested in their relationship in the after hostilites, and Kappler eventual marriage to a German pen friend.
A very good and fascinating read.

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

We read this as a book club choice by one of our members. As a history of those times it was interesting and a pretty good read. There almost too many characters the book. What they were able to accomplish was pretty amazing. I wish there was more backstory on other people and maybe more story on what happened after the war. It does put the Catholic Church in a slightly different light as to what they were able to do during the war. I can see how conflicted the situation was.

[Tony Lowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing story of an ordinary Irish Priest who goes to the Vatican and then goes from an Anti English Irish Supporter to helping thousands of Allied soldiers escape and hide from the Nazis in Rome while being labelled enemy number 1 for General Keppler commander of the German Army in Rome.

If you have ever watched the film the scarlet pimpernal well read this book as this is the true story

[Liam Ostermann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember reading this book with great enjoyment possibly enjoying learning about the real Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty in contrast to the 'Hollywood' one projected in the 1983 'Scarlet and Black' in which Gregory Peck played him. It was also fascinating reading about the 'sensitivity' of having Monsignor O'Flaherty as the 'star' of an episode of the famous BBC TV series 'This is Your Life' as memories of Irish neutrality in WWII, and possibly latent anti-Catholicism reared their heads. I also thought it was rather sad the way, after a heart attack in 1960, O'Flaherty was 'retired' and, after nearly forty years living and working in Rome, shipped back to his sister in Ireland in 1963. I grew up in and love Ireland but I can't help thinking it must have been a brutal shock to leave Rome and return to an Irish village.

Monsignor O'Flaherty did wonderful things and saved many lives but what he, and many others did, to aid those in danger from the Nazis, was done in spite of, not with the encouragement or help of the Vatican. But after WWII the work of O'Flaherty and others was usurped by the Vatican into a spurious narrative of 'unofficial' Vatican aid and support and trumpeted as proof of the Vatican's and more particularly pope Pius XII anti-Nazi credentials. That the work of good people like O'Flaherty was used to whitewash a shoddy reality is something outside the remit of this book. But it must be born in mind.

I didn't know as much as I do now about how compromised the catholic church was in this period and I don't know if I could read this book with the same enjoyment now. Which is unfortunate because in many ways the truth only reflects more credit on those like Monsignor O'Flaherty who did what was right.

[Kevin de Ataíde · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice short history of the last years of the German occupation of Rome, featuring in detail the escape network established by the Irish priest Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty and his co-workers to protect potential victims from the Nazi tyranny. The book introduces both the antagonists in this struggle, Father Hugh and the wretched Colonel Herbert Kappler, who as head of the German police in Rome was busy with the torture and imprisonment of local resistance fighters and of the Allied troops that were appearing in increasing numbers at the gates of Rome, as refugees from failed invasions. It was these and such other unfortunates as the Roman Jews that were protected by those among the Catholic churchmen who still dared. There is much information about Father Hugh, his origins, his ministry in Rome, his return to Ireland after the War due to ill-health and his death there. There is a great focus on the most wicked of Kappler's acts - the coordinated massacre of hundreds of Italians outside Rome, in the Ardeatine caves - which led to his imprisonment in Italy for some thirty years afterwards. I'd first got this book after watching the popular film, the Scarlet and the Black, which like all films doesn't have the time to go into great detail. The book fills in the gaps. Four stars.

[Sandie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The intertwined stories of the golf-loving Irish Monsignor, Hugh O'Flaherty, who ran a rescue network to save Roman Jews and downed Allied Airmen from inside the Vatican, and Herbert Kappler, the Gestapo Chief who terrorized occupied Rome and was in charge of the notorious massacre in the Ardeatine caves, is the stuff of a Hollywood film. In fact, Gregory Peck played the priest opposite Christopher Plummer's Nazi overlord. in The Scarlet and the Black.The Monsignor balanced the neutrality of Ireland and the Vatican to save lives while the Holy See looked the other way, as he and the Britsh Ambassador, Sir D'Arcy Osborne, ran their escape line. This is a formidable story told in a straightforward narrative that lacks the suspense and color of Ben MacIntyre's espionage books.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hide and Seek is the true story of the Vatican's response to war and to the German occupation of Rome. A Vatican Irish priest, an English ambassador and a very small few individuals secretly ran a large scale operation to save thousands of escaped POWs and Jews from German capture. They were hidden in safe houses, churches and even in parts of the Vatican. This is an amazing portrayal of true heroism but also a true depiction of what Kappler and the Germans did during the occupation. The book continues after the liberation of Rome and tells the aftermath of each individual....including Kappler's escape from prison and Hugh O'Flaherty, an everyday hero.

[Godowd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book as I had read about the topic before but this one followed on and gave us a bit more information about Kappler after Hugh O'Flaherty died. Both this and the PJ Gallagher books are worth a read as they complement each other well.

Great story and the real heroes are not just Hugh O'F but also the British ambassador and to a lesser role in this book the US ambassador but I have read his role was more than just a money provider in other books.

If you enjoyed this you should read 'Hitler's Pope' as this covers the Pope's actions around the same period.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

After watching "The Scarlet and the Black" I wanted more information on the occupation of Rome. The book went in-depth to develop the relationship of the Nazi regime and the Vatican.

[Dei Mur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Da iawn. Yn aml mae'r eglwys Gatholig yn cael ei beirniadu'n llym am beidio gweithredu'n erbyn y Natsiaid yn ystod yr Ail Ryfel Byd. Wel, mi roedd rhai aelodau'n weithgar iawn...

[Elizabeth Swift · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another story of amazing courage from WWII. Fr O'Flaherty's basic goodness and Catholic faith made it impossible for him to not help escaped Allied soldiers and Jews hide from the Nazi's in Rome.

[Colleen Steele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing story of two unlikely friends

This is an unbelievable story of faith, mercy and redemption in World War II in Rome, I highly recommend it.

[Marta Coffer · Rating 3 out of 5]

The actual story itself is exciting, almost to the point of being unbelievable. Unfortunately, Walker reduces its impact with passive writing.

[Cassandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

An accessible read that gives a glimpse into a part of WWII history previously unknown to me.

[Paulh1944 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book about a incredible brave Irishman who took on the head of Gestapo in Rome and help save and protect hundred if not thousands of lives.

[Lance · Rating 3 out of 5]

intriguing. I've read more true history books in past few months and though not my favorites, Hide and Seek was very tense and satisfying

[E R · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bhain mé sult mór as. Scéal an-simúil atá ann.