Sisters in resistance : how a German spy, a banker's wife, and Mussolini's daughter outwitted the Nazis / Tilar J. Mazzeo.

By:

Mazzeo, Tilar J

Material type: Text

TextPublisher: New York : Grand Central Publishing, 2022Edition: First editionDescription: xv, 311 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations ; 24 cmContent type:

text

Media type:

unmediated

Carrier type:

volume

ISBN:

9781538735268
1538735261

Other title:

How a German spy, a banker's wife, and Mussolini's daughter outwitted the Nazis

Subject(s):

Contents:

Prologue: The German Spy and Mussolini's Daughter -- The Grand Council -- Tramontana -- Flight to Exile -- Gallo -- Arrest -- The Last Card -- Operation Conte -- Blackmailing Hitler -- The Process of Verona -- Emilio -- Chapter 11: Refuge in Switzerland -- Father Pancino -- Germania -- The Banker's Wife -- The House of Spies -- My New Found Friend -- Lunch at Monthey Station -- The Ciano Diaries -- The Rose Garden -- Epilogue: Into Thin Air.

Summary: "In 1944, the war had reached its climax in continental Europe. News of secret diaries kept by Italy's former Foreign Minister, Galeazzo Ciano, had permeated public consciousness. What wasn't reported, however, was how three women-a Fascist's daughter, a German spy, and an American socialite-risked their lives to ensure the diaries would reach the Allied forces, who would use the papers as key evidence against the Nazis at the Nuremberg Trials. Just a year earlier, Edda Mussolini, Benito Mussolini's daughter, had given Hitler and her father an ultimatum: release her husband, Galeazzo Ciano, from prison, or risk her leaking her husband's journals to the press. Knowing the diaries will expose Nazi lies and create a foundation for a criminal war crimes prosecution, Hitler and Mussolini vow to do everything in their power to see the diaries destroyed-even if it means liquidating Mussolini's daughter. To do this, they ordered Hilde Beetz, a German spy, to seduce Ciano in prison in order to learn the diaries' location. As the seducer becomes the seduced, however, Hilde shifts her loyalties and becomes a double agent, joining forces with Edda to save Ciano from execution. When this fails, Edda flees to Switzerland with Hilde's daring assistance to keep Ciano's final wish: to see the diaries published for use by the Allies. When the head of United States' intelligence, Alan Dulles, learns of Edda's escape, he sends in socialite Frances De Chollet, an "accidental" spy, assigned by chance to a mission that would change her life. Her task is to find Edda, gain her trust, and, crucially, hand the diaries over to the Americans. Against all expectations, what develops is a rich and humanizing friendship between the two women. One step ahead of the Gestapo agents who are hunting Edda, together they succeed in preserving one of the most important historic documents of the Second World War. Drawing from in-depth research and first-person interviews with people who witnessed parts of this true story, Mazzeo gives readers a riveting look into this little-known moment in cultural history and shows how, without Edda, Hilde, and Frances's involvement, certain convictions would never have been possible at Nuremberg. Sisters in Resistance is a powerful look at women's intelligence work during WWII, a moving story of unlikely wartime friendships, and an inspirational investigation into three people who, navigated the place where truth, loyalty, justice, and betrayal collide"-- Provided by publisher.

Average rating: 0.0 (0 votes)

Holdings
Item type	Current library	Collection	Shelving location	Call number	Status	Date due	Barcode	Item holds
Adult Book	Phillipsburg Free Public Library	Adult Non-Fiction	New Books	945.091 MAZ	Available		36748002582650

Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

In a tale as twisted as any spy thriller, discover how three women delivered critical evidence of Axis war crimes to Allied forces during World War II: "A tantalizingly novelistic history lesson" ( Kirkus ).

In 1944, news of secret diaries kept by Italy's Foreign Minister, Galeazzo Ciano, had permeated public consciousness. What wasn't reported, however, was how three women--a Fascist's daughter, a German spy, and an American banker's wife--risked their lives to ensure the diaries would reach the Allies, who would later use them as evidence against the Nazis at Nuremberg.

In 1944, Benito Mussolini's daughter, Edda, gave Hitler and her father an ultimatum: release her husband, Galeazzo Ciano, from prison, or risk her leaking her husband's journals to the press. To avoid the peril of exposing Nazi lies, Hitler and Mussolini hunted for the diaries for months, determined to destroy them.

Hilde Beetz, a German spy, was deployed to seduce Ciano to learn the diaries' location and take them from Edda. As the seducer became the seduced, Hilde converted as a double agent, joining forces with Edda to save Ciano from execution. When this failed, Edda fled to Switzerland with Hilde's daring assistance to keep Ciano's final wish: to see the diaries published for use by the Allies. When American spymaster Allen Dulles learned of Edda's escape, he sent in Frances De Chollet, an "accidental" spy, telling her to find Edda, gain her trust, and, crucially, hand the diaries over to the Americans. Together, they succeeded in preserving one of the most important documents of WWII.

Drawing from in‑depth research and first-person interviews with people who witnessed these events, Mazzeo gives readers a riveting look into this little‑known moment in history and shows how, without Edda, Hilde, and Frances's involvement, certain convictions at Nuremberg would never have been possible.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 257-297) and index.

"In 1944, the war had reached its climax in continental Europe. News of secret diaries kept by Italy's former Foreign Minister, Galeazzo Ciano, had permeated public consciousness. What wasn't reported, however, was how three women-a Fascist's daughter, a German spy, and an American socialite-risked their lives to ensure the diaries would reach the Allied forces, who would use the papers as key evidence against the Nazis at the Nuremberg Trials. Just a year earlier, Edda Mussolini, Benito Mussolini's daughter, had given Hitler and her father an ultimatum: release her husband, Galeazzo Ciano, from prison, or risk her leaking her husband's journals to the press. Knowing the diaries will expose Nazi lies and create a foundation for a criminal war crimes prosecution, Hitler and Mussolini vow to do everything in their power to see the diaries destroyed-even if it means liquidating Mussolini's daughter. To do this, they ordered Hilde Beetz, a German spy, to seduce Ciano in prison in order to learn the diaries' location. As the seducer becomes the seduced, however, Hilde shifts her loyalties and becomes a double agent, joining forces with Edda to save Ciano from execution. When this fails, Edda flees to Switzerland with Hilde's daring assistance to keep Ciano's final wish: to see the diaries published for use by the Allies. When the head of United States' intelligence, Alan Dulles, learns of Edda's escape, he sends in socialite Frances De Chollet, an "accidental" spy, assigned by chance to a mission that would change her life. Her task is to find Edda, gain her trust, and, crucially, hand the diaries over to the Americans. Against all expectations, what develops is a rich and humanizing friendship between the two women. One step ahead of the Gestapo agents who are hunting Edda, together they succeed in preserving one of the most important historic documents of the Second World War. Drawing from in-depth research and first-person interviews with people who witnessed parts of this true story, Mazzeo gives readers a riveting look into this little-known moment in cultural history and shows how, without Edda, Hilde, and Frances's involvement, certain convictions would never have been possible at Nuremberg. Sisters in Resistance is a powerful look at women's intelligence work during WWII, a moving story of unlikely wartime friendships, and an inspirational investigation into three people who, navigated the place where truth, loyalty, justice, and betrayal collide"-- Provided by publisher.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

Cast of Characters (p. vii)
Preface: The Inferno (p. xiii)
Prologue: The German Spy and Mussolini's Daughter (p. 1)
Chapter 1 The Grand Council (p. 17)
Chapter 2 Tramontana (p. 27)
Chapter 3 Flight to Exile (p. 38)
Chapter 4 Gallo (p. 48)
Chapter 5 Arrest (p. 60)
Chapter 6 The Last Card (p. 77)
Chapter 7 Operation Conte (p. 90)
Chapter 8 Blackmailing Hitler (p. 103)
Chapter 9 The Trial of Verona (p. 119)
Chapter 10 Emilio (p. 134)
Chapter 11 Refuge in Switzerland (p. 142)
Chapter 12 Father Pancino (p. 155)
Chapter 13 Germania (p. 168)
Chapter 14 The Banker's Wife (p. 179)
Chapter 15 The House of Spies (p. 188)
Chapter 16 My New Found Friend (p. 196)
Chapter 17 Lunch at Monthey Station (p. 212)
Chapter 18 The Ciano Diaries (p. 224)
Chapter 19 The Rose Garden (p. 239)
Epilogue: Into Thin Air (p. 253)
Acknowledgments (p. 255)
Endnotes (p. 257)
Index (p. 299)

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

State secrets, atrocities, spies, double agents: this backdrop forms the real-life entanglements of this biograpby by Mazzeo (Irena's Children). At the center of this web is the daughter of Benito Mussolini, Edda Mussolini Ciano, and her husband, Galeazzo Ciano. While Galeazzo is a foreign minister and son-in-law to Mussolini, he also becomes disenchanted by fascist Italy and Nazi Germany's crimes. His diaries become sought-after documents by both his enemies and his allies. Readers enter Mussolini's inner circle, where politics has devolved into a deadly game of risk. There is the notoriously cruel Joachim von Ribbentrop of Hitler's administration, one that the Ciano couple distrust. There is also the seductive spy Hildegard Burkhardt Beetz, who becomes a double agent against Germany. Galeazzo turned on Mussolini in 1943, and he paid for it with his life. However, his wife Edda had a plan for revenge herself. She would get Ciano's papers, which detailed Hitler and Mussolini's secret plans, to the Allies. The style is energetic yet informative. VERDICT A nail-biting account of state crimes and secrets, real world action pitting spy versus spy and diplomat versus diplomat.--Jeffrey Meyer

Publishers Weekly Review

University of Montreal literature professor Mazzeo (Eliza Hamilton) unravels a tangled knot of Fascist intrigue and family infighting in this riveting WWII history. At the center of the story are Italian foreign minister Galleazzo Ciano and his wife, Edda, Benito Mussolini's favorite daughter. In 1943, Ciano voted with the Fascist Party's Grand Council to oust Mussolini. His replacement was Ciano's archrival, Pietro Badoglio, who, in a bid to solidify his power, put Ciano under house arrest. This prompted Edda to approach a group of Nazi officials with a proposal: if they helped the Cianos flee to Spain, Edda would hand over her husband's diaries (which contained state secrets and unflattering depictions of Italian and German officials) so they could further their own aims with Hitler. After striking a deal, the family was betrayed and ended up in Germany, where S.S. agent Hilde Beetz fell in love with Ciano while seducing him into revealing the whereabouts of his diaries. Hitler eventually returned Mussolini to power and sent the Cianos back to Italy, where Ciano was executed in 1944. Soon after, Beetz brokered a deal between Edda and U.S. intelligence, which wanted Ciano's diaries for evidence against the Nazis in postwar trials. Mazzeo efficiently relates these complex events and renders empathetic portraits of the story's main players. WWII buffs will be enthralled. (June)

Booklist Review

The story Mazzeo (The Hotel on Place Vendôme, 2014) tells here reads like a John le Carré novel, too incredible to be true--and yet it is. At the height of WWII, Mussolini's son-in-law, Galeazzo Ciano, voted to oust il Duce from the Fascist Party. Ciano was eventually imprisoned and executed. The Nazis knew he kept diaries full of incriminating information. Edda, his wife, knew too, and hid them to be used as leverage to get her family safely out of the country. S.S. agent Hilde Beetz, who interrogated Ciano in prison, fell in love with him and became a double agent. She helped get Edda out of Italy, and brokered a deal with the Allies to publish the diaries. To accomplish this, an American socialite and sometime spy, Frances de Chollet, befriended Edda and obtained the diaries, which were eventually used as evidence in the Nuremberg trials. This little-known but very important WWII story has the pacing of a thriller novel with the research acumen expected from this excellent writer.

Kirkus Book Review

A distinguished cultural studies scholar explores the web of intrigue surrounding the infamous Ciano Diaries. Before he became famous for condemning the Third Reich and its leaders, Galeazzo Ciano (1903-1944) was better known as Mussolini's playboy son-in-law and foreign minister. In her latest elegant book of European cultural history, Mazzeo offers a colorful account of Ciano and Mussolini, the affairs and double-crosses that surrounded the diaries, and the courageous women whose efforts saved the manuscripts for posterity. Ciano began keeping diaries about Hitler's inner circle in 1939, the year he started to question the war in Europe and the Third Reich's alliance with Italy. Though in the service of a dictator, Ciano realized Mussolini's involvement with Germany would be Italy's downfall. So he turned to his journals, where he expressed his virulent disgust with the Third Reich and recorded "the political squabbles" between men like Himmler and Goebbels who "vied for power and influence with Hitler." By 1943, the foreign minister, who gossiped shamelessly about his diary, had become a liability to the Third Reich. The Germans then sent a beautiful, young, married spy to learn the location of the journals, which Ciano had hidden before using them as collateral for a passage into exile. Little went according to plan. The spy fell in love with Ciano and turned double agent for the Allies. In that role, she developed an unlikely alliance with Ciano's wife, Edda, and an American socialite to protect as much of Ciano's manuscript--portions of which still ended up in German hands--for postwar publication in the U.S. Intelligent and compelling, Mazzeo's probing book delves intriguingly into the "moral thicket" into which a group of strangers found themselves plunged during the long, dark days of World War II. A tantalizingly novelistic history lesson. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.