Whiting, Charles. Gehlen: Germany's Master Spy. New York: Ballantine Books,
1972. 274 pages.
As Nazi Germany was collapsing, General Reinhard Gehlen, Hitler's chief
of eastern front intelligence, buried his files and waited to be captured.
He felt certain that access to his files was an offer the Americans couldn't
refuse. He was right, of course, partly because the Cold War was already
being planned, and partly because Gehlen's scientific collection and analysis
methods were very effective. He and his staff cut a deal with the CIA and
the Pentagon to absorb his networks and his expertise. As part of the deal,
Gehlen transferred his organization (the "Gehlen Org") to West Germany in
1955. He directed the BND until his retirement in 1968, and died in 1979.
Charles Whiting's book is somewhat sensational in tone and doesn't cite
sources. The author has written numerous World War II military histories of
the same type, judging from their titles. There are altogether too many
exclamation points, along with direct quotes that appear to be added for
effect rather than accuracy. Most of the book concerns Gehlen's career in
Germany, particularly after the war, rather than his associations with U.S.
intelligence.
ISBN 0-345-25884-3
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