Tapping Hitler's Generals

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

It is probably one of the most pleasant duties of an author after completing his assignment to thank those of his friends and colleagues who supported him in his often laborious task.

First of all I would like to express my gratitude to my friend Dr Klaus Schmider for directing my attention to the transcripts and assisting me subsequently during the course of the work.

I should also like to offer special thanks to Herrn Felix Römer. He allowed me access to his partially-complete dissertation on the Commissar Order and helped me greatly to evaluate the written material bequeathed by General Ludwig Crüwell. I thank Dr Bernd Crüwell for placing his father’s notes at my disposal.

Tim Richter and Jörn Hasenclever were generous enough to make available important sources. Drs. Alexander Brakel and Matthias Spreger provided me with many useful references to obscure literary sources. Marcus A König rendered sterling support in my research for the commentary. The typescript was prepared in her usual reliable manner by Frau Gertraud Tinelli.

I am obliged to Professor Rolf-Dieter Müller for his critical reading of the manuscript, and also to my friend Dr Jürgen Förster, with whom I had many conversations about the Trent Park generals. His impressive knowledge of the sources proved very valuable during my research.

I should also like to thank Oberstleutnant Michael Poppe at the Bundesarchiv/Militärarchiv who throughout gave me unstinting help.

I am most grateful to the Propyläen publishing house, particularly to Herrn Christian Seeger, for accepting my manuscript into the publishing programme, and for their outstanding collaboration.

Finally I thank Dr Gundula Bavendamm for her many-sided support and the unwavering understanding she had for me during the work. It cannot have been easy to deal with somebody more mentally present at Trent Park than elsewhere. To her I dedicate this book in gratitude.