Between 1942 and 1945 the British Intelligence Service undertook an extraordinary surveillance operation. In the sedate surroundings of Trent Park, a large mansion with extensive grounds in North London, they used state of the art bugging equipment to listen in on the private conversations of captured high-ranking German officers. Unlike the countless postwar interrogations, these were unstructured conversations held freely among the officers, during which they touched upon the most sensitive issues. The officers discuss the July Plot of 1944, the failed attempt to assassinate Hitler, collaboration with the enemy, and their experience of German war crimes. In this major new work Professor Neitzel has examined these incredible transcripts in depth for the first time. His findings address important questions regarding the officers' attitudes towards the German leadership and Nazi policies: How did the German generals judge the overall war situation? From what date did they consider it lost? How did they react to the attempt on Hitler's life in July 1944? What knowledge did they have of the atrocities, either through their own experiences or based on the reports of others? Includes biographies of all the German officers who appear in the transcripts. This research is a must for any serious scholar of the period and anyone interested in exploring the truth behind the image of an 'unblemished Wehrmacht'. - Jacket cover.