Nazi Connection

by F.W. Winterbotham

F.W. Winterbotham's The Ultra Secret, which described his role in the breaking and use of the top-secret German code during World War II, was a sensational best seller that made newspaper headlines. In this equally exciting book, Winterbotham reveals his hitherto secret activities as a British spy in the early years of Hitler's Third Reich. Even before the Nazis came to power in the 1930s, Frederick Winterbotham was sent by British Intelligence to Germany to befriend the Nazi leaders and learn as much as he could about their plans.

Genres: History, World War II

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1978

Reviews

[Lewis Weinstein]

A penetrating look at the work of a British spy in Germany during the years 1933 to 1938. Winterbotham was a spy in plain site, shown things by the Germans in order to try to convince Britain to remain neutral in the coming invasions of Russia and France. I learned many things about specific information sought, and some things about means for obtaining that information, that will be useful as I write about Berthold Becker's efforts to carry out similar activities in the sequel to A Flood of Evil. Also helpful was an introduction to Desmond Morton who was an important conduit of intelligence information to Churchill during the 1930s when Churchill was not in the government.

[Allan]

A masterful account of just how unwilling Great Britain was to acknowledge the power of Nazi Germany to wage total war in the 1930's. Appalling.

[KOMET]

Highlights the life and career of F.W. Winterbotham (1897-1990), a former WWI fighter pilot (who had been shot down in July 1917 and made a POW; he spent the remainder of the war learning German, which would later pay dividends for him in his future career between the wars, when he spent a considerable amount of time in Germany, where he got to know personally many of the country's political and military leaders, including Adolf Hitler) and intelligence agent with the Air Section of MI-6 during the 1930s.

[Marc Therrien]

Quite instructive as to how members of secret services operated in the 1920s and 1930s, and enlightening as to how the politics of England and French closed their eyes on the threat of nazism even as it grew right in front of them.

[Tim]

Very interesting. This guy is very prejudiced against Germans, but I can see what led to that. It's amazing what he was able to find out and sad that England turned a blind eye to the information.

[Mike]

A fascinating book, a shame many of the warnings were ignored. A must read for anyone interested in pre WWII politics.

[Rosie]

3.5 ⭐
Interesting.

[Darrel]

Details his service in the Air Section of the British Secret Service MI6 from 1929 through 1939. He was responsible for determining what the Germans plans were for their Air Force and its use in their military operations. He was able to develop a relation with various high level officials in the NAZI party which led to a good understanding of their plans and the new military tactics they were developing. He also helped develop an early high altitude aerial photography capability which allowed images of a great number of German and Italian military bases and factories before the war started and provided a basis for their future aerial photography recon. In about 1937/8 R.V. Jones (The Wizard War) was attached to his operation to handle scientific and technical intelligence. This book ends at the point where he starts his ULTRA/enigma duties.
This book apparently provides the detail that is somewhat glossed over in his later autobiography (The Ultra Spy). However this book only mentions his family once, in two paragraphs, and ends in 1940.

[Bill]

Read in middle school, this book recalls one man's account of Hitler's rise to power from the view of a British spy. Definitely one of the more interesting non-fiction "novels" I've read.

[Josh]

it was a good book