Subtitled ""The Life and Death of an Officer/15 November 1907-20 July 1944,"" this is the first book-length biography of the principal actor in the last major attempt by Germans to rid themselves of Adolph Hitler's regime. It is also more than likely to remain the only biography of this man; the Gestapo did their work efficiently, and the sources remaining are pitifully slim. The events which concluded tragically on July 20, 1944, amounted to much more than a mere unsuccessful assassination plot. The ""Valkyrie"" Plan involved a daring, well-worked-out coup d'etat, which very narrowly misfired. Count Claus von Stauffenberg was the epitome of German aristocracy, according to all credible surviving accounts: devout Catholic, sincere patriot, dedicated soldier, above all man of action.