operation paperclip annie jacobsen review

'Throughout, the author delivers harrowing passages of immorality, duplicity and deception, as well as some decency and lots of high drama. Sobering and brilliantly researched.' - Alex Kershaw, author of The Liberator

government recruited the Nazis' best scientists to work for Uncle Sam on a stunning scale. 'Annie Jacobsen's Operation Paperclip is a superb investigation, showing how the U.S. Highly recommended for readers in World War II history, espionage, government cover-ups, or the Cold War.' - Library Journal (starred) Jacobsen's impressive book plumbs the dark depths of this postwar recruiting and shows the historical truths behind the space race and postwar US dominance. 'Chilling, compelling, and comprehensive accounting. Rife with hypocrisy, lies, and deceit, Jacobsen's story explores a conveniently overlooked bit of history.' - Publishers Weekly (starred) Jacobsen persuasively shows that it in fact happened and aptly frames the dilemma. 'As comprehensive as it is critical, this latest expose from Jacobsen is perhaps her most important work to date. Strangelove came to America and thrived, told in graphic detail.' -Kirkus Reviews In this definitive, controversial look at one of America's most strategic, and disturbing, government programs, Jacobsen shows just how dark government can get in the name of national security. Was Operation Paperclip a moral outrage, or did it help America win the Cold War?ĭrawing on exclusive interviews with dozens of Paperclip family members, colleagues, and interrogators, and with access to German archival documents (including previously unseen papers made available by direct descendants of the Third Reich's ranking members), files obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, and dossiers discovered in government archives and at Harvard University, Annie Jacobsen follows more than a dozen German scientists through their postwar lives and into a startling, complex, nefarious, and jealously guarded government secret of the twentieth century. They were also directly responsible for major advances in rocketry, medical treatments, and the U.S. Many of these men were accused of war crimes, and others had stood trial at Nuremberg one was convicted of mass murder and slavery. So began Operation Paperclip, a decades-long, covert project to bring Hitler's scientists and their families to the United States. These were the brains behind the Nazis' once-indomitable war machine. government faced many difficult decisions, including what to do with the Third Reich's scientific minds. In the chaos following World War II, the U.S. The 'remarkable' story of America's secret post-WWII science programs ( The Boston Globe), from the New York Times bestselling author of Area 51.

Operation paperclip annie jacobsen review