The Hunt for Martin Bormann: The Truth

The true story of the biggest manhunt for the second most powerful man of the Nazi regime, Martin Bormann.

This is the perfect read for fans of Volker Koop, James McGovern, Damien Lewis, and Ian Kershaw.

On May 1, 1945, the Führer was dead, and Nazi Berlin lay under siege by the victorious Russian army. As bombs rained down and soldiers advanced, the remaining loyal staff and party members sheltering in the chaotic Führerbunker prepared their next moves. Among them was the most powerful man in Germany after Hitler, Martin Bormann. Leaving the bunker in a desperate attempt to break through Russian lines, he was last seen running for his life.

Charles Whiting analyses what happened next. Using extensive evidence, reported sightings, his own correspondence, and face-to-face interviews with all key witnesses, he pieces together the events of this remarkable manhunt. This includes interviews with surviving prominent Nazi Party members Otto Skorzeny and Karl Dönitz, and those personally involved in the protracted search. Throughout his account, Whiting presents a fascinating insight into the man who shunned the limelight but became ‘the power behind Hitler’s throne.’

Bormann was the last high-ranking Nazi to be accounted for. Sentenced to death in absentia at the Nuremberg Trials of 1945-46 for war crimes and crimes against humanity, he was sought by many to be brought to justice. This is the story of what really happened to Martin Bormann after May 1, 1945.