Sunday, January 20, 2008

Nothing Worthwhile

I have been interested in the annals of espionage all my life. Books like The Wilderness of MirrorsThe American Black ChamberThe Bodyguard of LiesReinhard Gehlen are ones I read over and over.

I was re-reading The Bodyguard of Lies and decided to look into Germany's spy chief during World War 2, Wilhelm Canaris, and came across this interesting quote from Hitler's Spiesa book I have yet to read, about his attitude towards official parties.

To spare his strength for his enormous burden of work, he regularly quit the numerous affairs he had to attend at 10 P.M. sharp. Once he explained to a subordinate, "No one says anything worthwhile after ten o'clock anyway." Murmered the officer, "Not before ten, either, Herr Admiral."
Most amusing.

The Jewish Virtual Library gives a short account of his activities during the War, how he saved Jews when he could, and how he died in the Flossenburg concentration camp.

A very interesting man.

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