Coffee with Hitler: The British Amateurs Who Tried to Civilise the Nazis

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David Lloyd George (right, with Winston Churchill in 1922) became a key figure in the Anglo-German Fellowship. Coffee With Hitler offers a rare glimpse into a motley crew who would provide the British government with better intelligence on the horrifying rise of the Nazis than anyone else.

All this naturally supports the view of unsatisfactory outcome of the Treaty of Versailles and the effect on German social and economic state that ultimately led to the rise of the Nazis and the creation of the Third Reich. How wonderful, for instance, that when Sir Anthony Eden finally met Hitler (for one of the many coffees the book describes) his main observation concerned the quality of Hitler's tailoring. Drawing on newly discovered primary sources, Charles Spencer sheds light on the early career of Kim Philby, Winston Churchill’s approach to appeasement, the US entry into the war and the Rudolf Hess affair, in a groundbreaking reassessment of Britain’s relationship with Nazi Germany. One, this is a segment of a much larger story and there are elements about which we still know little and, perhaps, that will always be the case about such a controversial area of British History. And so, the stage is set for confidences, twists, dramas, alliances, broken promises, miscommunication, and double-bluffs.The story of Tennant, Conwell-Evans and Christie and their historical journey is an absorbing one, which casts light on many aspects of the period… They deserve the rehabilitation that Charles Spicer has eloquently accorded them. A truly illuminating, humane and sophisticated book - and, one hopes, the first of many by an exciting new talent on the historical scene.

Choice Magazine 'Spicer, who has given close, neutral and unerring scrutiny of the sources, proves to be a brisk, fair-minded and authoritative revisionist. As a lesson of history, this excellent book is a sober reminder to policymakers to look at the evidence in plain sight. Both appeasers and civilisers overrated their own abilities and underestimated the evils to which they – largely unwittingly – played handmaiden. ABSOLUTELY OUTSTANDING - a major and unique contribution to the body of evidence / information on a vital period of European history.Coffee with Hitler should make it impossible to continue to lampoon the Fellowship as an unsavoury gang. Photograph: PA View image in fullscreen David Lloyd George (right, with Winston Churchill in 1922) became a key figure in the Anglo-German Fellowship. Charles Spicer has achieved something rare, a book that is entertaining and informative whilst also being an important piece of scholarship. Darren O'Byrne, History Today 'This compelling book captures the double-edged nature of "one mainstay of British values" - giving "even the most blatantly disgusting people the benefit of the doubt. Coffee with Hitler tells the astounding true story of a handful of amateur British intelligence agents who wined, dined and befriended the leading National Socialists between the wars.

The reason why this may be important is that Goering's planned trip to the UK, which was cancelled because the war broke out, was arranged by MI6. Daily Telegraph 'This engaging book offers a warning from history that remains terrifyingly relevant today. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Spicer’s book is a resounding success, retelling the fascinating history of the Anglo-German Fellowship. Charles Spicer reveals the bold attempt of a handful of British intelligence agents to infiltrate and civilise the Nazi hierarchy.Entwined within story is of course, the known expeditions of the British Government and in particular Neville Chamberlain, so often portrayed as the naive fall guy.