Hitler's German Enemies: The Stories of the Heroes Who Fought the Nazis

This deeply stirring book honors Germans who risked their lives by defying Nazi tyranny. Snyder ( Hitler's Elite ) has collected documents about 15 citizens of the Third Reich from military, political, diplomatic, academic, legal, aristocratic and journalistic circles who became ``martyrs for the sake of humanity'' by obeying conscience rather than following the dictates of the Nazi state. Among them are Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer who, with his brother-in-law, legal expert Hans Dohnanyi, carried proposals for peace terms with the allies; General Ludwig Beck, chief of the army general staff, who openly defied Hitler; Count Claus von Stauffenberg, a leading figure in the July 1944 assassination attempt on the Fuhrer; and siblings Hans and Sophie Scholl, Munich Univeristy students who waged a leaflet campaign against the regime. (Apr.)