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The Secret Surrender The Classic Insider's Account of the Secret Plot to Surrender Northern Italy During WWII
The Secret Surrender The Classic Insider's Account of the Secret Plot to Surrender Northern Italy During WWII
Author: Allen Dulles
Condition: Like New
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Allen W. Dulles's The Secret Surrender is a first‑person account of a daring OSS operation in early 1945 aimed at precipitating the collapse of German command in northern Italy. Set against the final months of the Italian front and intelligence work run from neutral Switzerland, the narrative traces back‑channel diplomacy, clandestine meetings and espionage that exploited paralysis and paranoia within Wehrmacht and SS leadership to secure a negotiated capitulation in Italy before Germany's general surrender, illuminating how intelligence and negotiation shaped the war’s end in the Mediterranean theater.
This Lyons Press reprint (ISBN 9781592283682) is presented as a prose narrative grounded in contemporary reports and intelligence documents—a primary‑source memoir by a senior OSS officer—and is classified as campaign‑level political‑military and intelligence history covering OSS Bern operations and Allied–Axis negotiations. Listings emphasize narrative and analysis rather than extensive illustrative material; specific claims of maps or photographs are not confirmed in accessible descriptions, but the book’s insider perspective and documentary basis make it a valuable resource for students of WWII diplomacy and intelligence.
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Keywords, content and topics in this Book
Keywords, content and topics in this Book
Title / Author / Edition
"The Secret Surrender"
Author: Allen W. Dulles
ISBN: 9781592283682 (Lyons Press edition)
Type of Book
First‑person account by senior intelligence officer
Intelligence / diplomatic history
Campaign‑level political–military history
Non‑fiction, primary source narrative
Theater(s) of War Covered
Mediterranean Theater of Operations
Swiss neutral territory as intelligence base (Bern)
Operations / Campaigns / Events
Endgame of the Italian Front (1945)
Collapse of German command structure in Italy
German capitulation in Italy prior to general German surrender
Main Nations and Alliances Involved
Germany (Wehrmacht, SS leadership in Italy)
United States (Office of Strategic Services – OSS)
Italy (Northern Italy under German occupation and RSI authority)
Switzerland (location of OSS Bern station and negotiations)
Allies vs. Axis
Focus / Subject Matter
Back‑channel diplomacy between Allied and German officers
High‑level secret negotiations and espionage
Political and military decision‑making at war’s end
German military and SS leadership in Northern Italy
Internal crisis and disintegration of Nazi command
Institutions / Organizations
Office of Strategic Services (OSS)
U.S. intelligence community in WWII
German Wehrmacht command in Italy
Schutzstaffel (SS) leadership negotiating surrender
Key Historical Figures Featured
Senior German commanders in Italy (e.g., SS and Wehrmacht leadership involved in surrender talks; discussed as negotiating partners)
Allied political and military leaders as recipients/overseers of the negotiations (discussed in context of approval and strategy)
Weapons / Vehicles
Form and Features
Prose narrative with historical analysis
Based on contemporary reports and intelligence documents
Lyons Press reprint of a classic WWII intelligence memoir
Descriptions emphasize narrative and analysis; specific claims of extensive photos, maps, or diagrams are not confirmed in accessible listings
Themes and Descriptive Keywords
World War II endgame in Europe
German surrender in Italy
Secret diplomacy
Back‑channel negotiations
Intelligence gathering in neutral Switzerland
Espionage and counterintelligence
High‑level political intrigue
Nazi regime collapse
Allied–German contacts before final surrender
Spy memoir / intelligence insider account
WWII Mediterranean theater diplomacy
Negotiated capitulation of Axis forces
Clandestine meetings and intermediaries
Classification Aids (for cataloging)
WWII – Italy – 1943–1945
WWII – Diplomatic history
WWII – Intelligence services – United States
OSS operations in Europe
Germany – Armed Forces – surrender in Italy
Cold War–era intelligence leader’s WWII memoir (Allen Dulles)
Book Condition: Like New
Book Condition: Like New
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New: Fresh Out of Bootcamp
Flawless and untested. This book is in pristine, new condition and ready for its first assignment.
Like New: Light Combat Experience
Almost new and in great shape. It has clearly been read before and is ready to fight again, but it shows very little wear from its time in the field.
Good: A Few Scars or Shell Shock
A reliable veteran. The book might have some bent corners or a dust cover with a few scratches, but it’s still sturdy and standing tall.
Fair: Battle-Hardened
Visible signs of a long campaign. Expect some stains, bent pages, and perhaps some minor tears on the cover. It’s seen the trenches, but the intel inside is still solid.
Poor: Survived Iwo Jima
This one has been through the meat grinder. It carries noticeable damage, heavy staining, or significant wear—but like any old soldier, it would love to be read one last time before it retires.
