The Black Book: The Britons on the Nazi Hit List (Paperback) - Sybil Oldfield

Discover the stories of the heroic individuals singled out for death by the Nazis' plan to invade Britain.

'Oldfield's thoroughly researched and fascinating historical biography explores the lives of many of the 2,600 citizens who attracted Hitler's ire, ranging from high-profile entertainers and writers to those naturalised refugees who doggedly resisted the Nazis from afar' - Observer In 1939, the Gestapo created a list of names: the Britons whose removal would be the Nazis' priority in the event of a successful invasion. Who were they? What had they done to provoke Germany? For the first time, the historian Sybil Oldfield uncovers their stories and reveals why the Nazis feared their influence. Those on the hitlist - many of them naturalised refugees - were some of Britain's most gifted and humane inhabitants. They included writers, humanitarians, religious leaders, scientists, artists, and social reformers. By examining these targets of Nazi hatred, Oldfield not only sheds light on the Gestapo worldview but also movingly reveals a network of truly exemplary Britons: mavericks, moral visionaries and unsung heroes.

About the Author

Sybil Oldfield is half German and half English; her German grandmother was placed under de facto Schreibverbot during the Nazi dictatorship. Oldfield is an Emeritus Reader in English at the University of Sussex and a researcher for The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. She has campaigned for the anti-war movement since the 1960s.