Dachau to the Dolomites is the dramatic but little-known story of a group of prominent Nazi SS hostages transported from various concentration camps to a remote Alpine valley in the final days of the Third Reich. Five Irishmen were among the 160 prisoners whom Himmler and other SS leaders attempted to use as barter to save the regime or, as a final resort, themselves. As well as eminent international statesmen, aristocrats and clergy, the group contained opposition German generals and civilian relatives of those who had plotted against Hitler, including the family of Claus von Stauffenberg, who placed the bomb in Hitler's Wolf's Lair. Among the hostages were a number of British officers, survivors of the famous 'Great Escape', and also Colonel John McGrath from Roscommon, a World War I veteran who had left his job as manager of Dublin's Theatre Royal to rejoin the British Army in 1939. They had been held with Russian, Italian and Polish special prisoners as 'Nacht und Nebel' - Night and Fog - prisoners, whose existence was a state secret. They lived in constant danger of execution, a fate some did not escape, including Stalin's son, who died following a fracas with Irish prisoners. It is an astonishing and epic tale encompassing heroic endurance, escape, betrayal, tragedy and love.

This is the third novel in a series following Vienna Police inspector Karl Marbach. This story takes place in the late summer of 1947. With encouragement from US Army Counterintelligence, Marbach is investigating Die Spinne, an escape route out of Germany and Austria for Nazi war criminals. Marbach and CIC major Millican learn about a new escape route called Odessa, a better-financed and more ambitious escape route, and they set out to obtain information about the location of the Odessa relay stations. They also hope to capture travelers on Odessa, including Adolf Eichmann, the architect of what became a mass deportation of Jews to extermination camps. Marbach enlists six men to go with him into the Tyrolian part of Austria to see if they can get the Odessa papersand hopefully also capture Adolf Eichmann. The seven-man team is a collection of men from different countries, including France, Austria, and Poland. At a point where the Odessa papers and Eichmann appear to be within grasp, a large force of Odessa men get into position on the mountain just below Marbachs team, and the only way to avoid getting killed is to climb all the way up to the top of the Dolomites and then down into Italy. A solid bond is forged among the men, who struggle and take risks for each other during the Dolomite climb. During the journey, the men learn a lot about each otherand themselves.

Italy is the world’s best pizza, masterpieces of art and temperamental Italians. But did you know that in this country, there is a place where people speak three languages, masterfully make Knödel and Strudel, drink the difficult-to-pronounce Gewürztraminer and do not show unnecessary emotions? This part of Italy is the birthplace of the legendary mountaineer Reinhold Messner, the Meran Variation of the Semi-Slav defense and the Hugo cocktail. Discover The Other Italy – beautiful South Tyrol.

The notorious Nazi leader’s attempt to take war prisoners hostage at the end of WWII is revealed in this lively and expertly researched history. During the final weeks of the Second World War, Heinrich Himmler assembled the most famous and noteworthy SS prisoners be taken hostage. Himmler’s plan was to use these individuals as bargaining chips to save the Reich—or, failing that, himself. Known as the Prominenten, this group included European politicians and former heads of state, five British survivors of the ‘Great Escape,’ two MI5 agents, and Irish born POWs. This meticulously researched study sheds new light on how the British prisoners came to be integrated with a multinational group of VIPs in Dachau concentration camp, including German family groups of men, women and children; relatives of those implicated in plot to kill Hitler. The lively narrative describes kidnapping, escape attempts, interpersonal conflict, betrayal and comradeship. It also reveals intrigues and love affairs among the prisoners, culminating in their dramatic attempt to free themselves from the SS.

Annotation Switzerland, Germany, Italy, France, Austria -- the Alps extend through them all and this guide shows you how to experience their excitement and beauty. A native of the German Alps, the author explores the history, flora, fauna, people and culture, foods, festivals, adventures. Cortina, St. Moritz, Innsbruck, Chamonix, Milan, Zermatt, Intertaken and Venice are just a few of the magical spots you will visit.

This is the companion volume to Lu Rudel's narrative of his professional life. The stories in this volume focus on Family life in the US Foreign Service and his extensive travels. Included are revealing descriptions of seven short-term assignments in China, Mozambique, Latvia, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, undertaken after his retirement from the Foreign Service. Rudel also presents several highly personalized narratives, some in verse, describing the family's growth and maturation over fifty-three years.

Prison Elite depicts the life of a VIP prisoner in the Nazi concentration camp system, providing a first-hand account of his mental life and coping strategies.