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The Traitor of Arnhem

WWII’s Greatest Betrayal and the Moment That Changed History Forever

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The Traitor of Arnhem

By: Robert Verkaik
Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble
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About this listen

 Sunday Times Bestselling author of The Traitor of Colditz Robert Verkaik reveals the incredible never-before-told story of the role played by the Cambridge Spies in the British defeat at Arnhem

'A breath-taking review of WWII's greatest betrayal and the moment that changed history forever.' Sunday Post

"A bombshell book." Daily Mail

"Original, thought-provoking and exceedingly well written." Robert Kershaw

"Sensational." Daily Express

"Robert Verkaik's best book yet, a testament to his investigative skills, journalistic nous for a compelling story, and impressive understanding of the spy world." Richard Kerbaj

***

The end of the Second World War is in sight.

Following the overwhelming victory on D-Day, Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin all seek to shape the global future to their own ends and win the race to Berlin.

The British launch Operation Market Garden, the greatest airborne operation the world has ever seen. It is a bold roll of the dice, which, if successful, will end the war in weeks. But behind the scenes, spies are working, and plans are betrayed, the operation fails and thousands of Allied soldiers die.

The Traitor of Arnhem tells a never-before-told story of this iconic operation, and of the very different figures working in secret to cause the catastrophic defeat. One traitor a terrifying giant of a man, a supposed hero of the resistance who sent hundreds of fellow freedom fighters to torture and death, the other an aristocrat and an English gentleman, working from inside the heart of the Allied war effort in London. Both of them working for the Russians.

Drawn from unseen records and shedding fresh light on the operation and the spies responsible for its failure, this is an incredible account of the battle that would go on to shape the twentieth century.

***

"Breathtaking." Sunday Post

"This history book serves as a powerful and timely reminder of how the failure to tackle Joseph Stalin's threat to the West at the end of World War 2 has forced the free world to face up to the aggression of Vladimir Putin today." Bill Browder, author of Red Notice and Freezing Order

"Excellent ... a remarkable answer through considerable research to the vexed question: why were the Nazis unexpectedly lying in wait?" The Jewish Chronicle

"The strongest point of the book is the story about 'Josephine'. We will probably never be sure who 'Josephine' was, if it even was a person, but... Robert proves the case as far as circumstantial evidence allows one." Bob de Graaff, Holland's foremost expert on intelligence and the official historian of the Dutch intelligence services.

"I have not read such a convincing portrayal of the German intelligence war in Holland ... A worthwhile read." Robert Kershaw, author of It Never Snow In September©2024 Robert Verkaik (P)2024 Welbeck Publishing Group 20th Century Espionage Military Military & War Modern True Crime World War II War Exciting Stalin Imperialism Winston Churchill Russia

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All stars
Most relevant  
Well worth a listen. Well narrated and informative. Many facts I was previously unaware of.

Detailed and dramatic

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Well presented and argued. The cover up over Anthony Blount was thoroughly explored. The role of those in power in avoiding embarrassing facts shout one of their own is clearly illustrated.

A good summary of the Arnhem betrayal

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narrator was excellent and story very interesting. I've read lots on Arnhem and always wondered why the SS division was there. I always believed it was an intelligence leak.

Brilliant, well constructed in 3 parts to make excellent points on something I didn't know

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A very interesting story with lots of complexity and double dealing. Then central thesis sounds plausible and sadly true.

Complex story

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This book will blow everything you know about the military defeat at Market Garden, out of the water! Truth is often wilder than fiction, and the author unravels a tangled web of treachery and subterfuge at the very heights of the British intelligence services. I was gripped the entire time I listened to it.

They better make it a movie!

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A thoroughly well written, well read book Having a great deal of interest in The Battle for Arnhem this flips the story, well worth it

Well defined book

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I had never realised the full extent of the defeat of Market Garden or the consequences of the treachery of the spies who enabled it. This historical writing is superb exposing what really happened. The story captivated me and educated me to the facts and Jonathan’s narration was as ever excellent. Thank you.

Treachery Exposed

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A forensic dissection of the greatest military and political betrayal in modern history, the aftershocks of which are still causing international damage today.

A wartime spy scandal that changed geopolitics for ever

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My father fought at Arnhem and became a POW, eventually returning severely disturbed. This take on the event made me increasingly angry that these spies may well have been responsible for many deaths and POWs and traitors to their country.
A brilliant and thought provoking listen.
It needs the book to get the details. GP-K

What a revelation

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A well researched book covering some history of the resistance in The Netherlands and Belgium, covering especially aspects related to Operation Market Garden, and the relevant players in the Dutch resistance, SIS, SD and Gestapo, as well as the role played by the Cambridge Five. The book makes a convincing case of treason being behind the reason for the failure of Market Garden, with huge consequences in terms of extending the war beyond Christmas 1994, the death of thousands of allied soldiers and the enabling of an earlier Russian conquest of Berlin, shaping the future of Europe until almost the end of the 20th century. It also considers the different possibilities for the identity of Josephine, the spy who seems to have had a major role in disclosing high level allied information to the Germans.
The book is well written and the narration is very good, adding an additional factor of interest to the book. It is an easy recommendation.

Worth a listen

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