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  • White Knights in the Black Orchestra

  • The Extraordinary Story of the Germans Who Resisted Hitler
  • Written by: Tom Dunkel
  • Narrated by: Jamie Renell
  • Length: 15 hrs and 34 mins
  • 5.0 out of 5 stars (1 rating)

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White Knights in the Black Orchestra

Written by: Tom Dunkel
Narrated by: Jamie Renell
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Publisher's Summary

They were a small group of conspirators who risked their lives by plotting relentlessly to obstruct and destroy the Third Reich from within. The Gestapo nicknamed this shadowy confederation of traitors the “Black Orchestra.” This is their tension-filled story.

As the “Final Solution” unfolds, a loose network of German military officers, diplomats, politicians, and civilians are doing everything in their power to undermine the Third Reich from the inside: reporting troop movements to the Allies, feeding disinformation to the Nazi high command, plotting to assassinate Adolf Hitler, and more. The Gestapo nicknames this shadowy confederation of traitors the “Black Orchestra.” Its players include Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a dissident Lutheran pastor, and his brother-in-law Hans von Dohnanyi, a staff attorney at the Abwehr, the German military intelligence service.

In this tension-filled narrative, Tom Dunkel traces the perilous movements of these “white knights” as they and their families face constant danger of being exposed and executed. Some act out of moral outrage and patriotism. Some want to atone for their own Nazi sins. When their treasonous activities are finally discovered, Hitler’s SS and the Gestapo are hell-bent on taking bloody revenge as the end of the war rapidly approaches and lives hang in the balance.

White Knights in the Black Orchestra is a tautly written, meticulously reported account of men and women heroically resisting Hitler’s ruthless regime. It packs the punch of the best espionage thrillers, but the cat-and-mouse drama and plot twists are grounded firmly in fact. This is a stirring story of people willing to risk all by doing the right thing in a country gone mad, a story that may prompt listeners to ask themselves “What would I have done?”

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2022 Tom Dunkel (P)2022 Hachette Books
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

What the critics say

White Knights in the Black Orchestra is the absolutely riveting story of what true courage looks like when principled men and women risk their lives to confront evil. What’s more, it is incredibly relevant to our world today.”—Robert J. Mrazek, award-winning author of The Indomitable Florence Finch and A Dawn Like Thunder

White Knights in the Black Orchestra is a much needed book whose meaning runs deep. History doesn’t repeat, but it does rhyme. At a time when everything was at stake in the world, when lies stole truth, when madness became power, men and women of faith and principles fought back. America today is experiencing what I call its ‘Bonhoeffer Moment.’ Read this book and, most importantly, reflect deeply upon it. Tom Dunkel’s account of the Germans who resisted Hitler is not just about then, but also now.”—Jim Wallis, Chair in Public Policy and Director of the Center for Faith and Justice at Georgetown University
“Tom Dunkel has written a timely book about great courage, both moral and physical, in the face of evil government. He has used exceptional research and the gifts of a thriller writer to uncover an important part of the war against Hitler. Both a fast-paced narrative and a moving tribute to some remarkable men and women.”—Richard Cohen, author of Making History and By the Sword

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Stunning revelations

This is such an important book. Like many, I wondered why Hitler was never assassinated. There have been a couple of stories that have emerged over the years, but this, to my knowledge, is the first account of a very large contingent of Nazi conspirators who tried to do just that, multiple times. This began from before WWII started through to the famous failed attempt of the bomb that Hitler survived. Their plans included a shadow government to step in when success was achieved. The brutal retaliation when this group was exposed is laid out here. Miraculously, many of the records survived. I am heartened to learn about these brave souls who never stopped trying to save the world from tyranny. Interesting stuff!

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