This is an excellent book which reads easily and never bores. The format of the book is well thought out, with many pictures, quotes, and sub-stories. The author's writing style is engaging and I could not put the book down once I started. The book's main focus is on the leading figures of the Gestapo to include Goring, Himmler, Heydrich and Kaltenbrunner and on the interagency politics between the Abwehr, SD, SS, and the Wehrmacht. Butler certainly pulls no punches, revealing the brutality of the Gestapo and the depravity of the mass murderers who led this twisted organization. While this book is well done, it is not an authoritative work and does not address Gestapo activities in areas such as the eastern front, the Baltics, and the Balkans. However, what the book does cover, it covers well. If you want a solid foundation on the Gestapo's activities in WWII then this is the book for you. I am glad I bought it and will retain it in my collection.
