By Christopher Miskimon

Admiral Wilhelm Canaris served as Hitler’s chief of military intelligence, leading the Abwehr. Many found him dull and uninteresting, not even a particularly good naval officer. This persona was a creation, however, and concealed a sharp intelligence. Canaris began as an ardent Nazi, believing in what they could do to rebuild Germany and make it great again. When the Third Reich began terrorizing and murdering Jews and others, he turned against them. Canaris used his position to produce false reports and mislead German leaders, harming their cause. He also helped smuggle Jews out of German-occupied territory at significant risk to himself. Canaris even used Jews as agents. Though he should have fled after his dismissal in February 1944, he stayed, was implicated in the plot to assassinate Hitler in July 1944 and was arrested. He died by hanging less than a month before Hitler committed suicide.

This biography of Wilhelm Canaris and his wartime activities reveals how the man used his remarkable intelligence and wits to undermine a criminal regime and help its victims escape when he could. The book is an interesting read; Canaris is usually mentioned only briefly in most histories. The author does creditable work bringing the man’s work to the forefront for modern readers.

Admiral Canaris: How Hitler’s Chief of Intelligence Betrayed the Nazis (David Alan Johnson, Prometheus Books, Essex CT, 2024, 264pp., photographs, notes, bibliography, index, $32.95, HC)

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