The Interrogator: The Story of Hanns-Joachim Scharff, Master Interrogator of the Luftwaffe
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Book Overview
Scharff, a German Intelligence Officer, gained the reputation as the man who could magically get all the answers he needed from the prisoners of war. In most cases, the POWs being interrogated never realized that their words, small talk or otherwise, were important pieces of the mosaic Hanns Scharff was constructing for the benefit of Germany's war effort. In the words of one erstwhile POW; "What did Scharff get from me? Nothing, yet there is no doubt he got something. If you talked about the weather or anything else, he no doubt got some information or confirmation from it. His technique was psychic, not physical." Another POW commented, "Hanns Scharff could probably get a confession of infidelity from a Nun " To this day, ex-POWs fret and worry over what they said or even might have implied during their interrogations, and over what use Scharff may have made of their slip-ups. This book delves into the question: What was this magic spell or formula used by Scharff which made prisoners drop their guard and converse with him even though they are conditioned to remain silent? Hanns Scharff's methods broke down barriers so effectively that the USAF invited him to speak about his methods to military audiences in the United States after World War II.
Raymond Toliver is also the author (with Trevor Constable) of Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe (available from Schiffer Publishing Ltd.).
Format:Hardcover
Language:English
ISBN:0764302612
ISBN13:9780764302619
Release Date:December 1997
Publisher:Schiffer Publishing
Length:352 Pages
Weight:1.84 lbs.
Dimensions:1.2" x 6.4" x 9.0"
Customer Reviews
1 rating
Honor in War
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 14 years ago
The Interrogator: The Story of Hanns Scharff, My father was in Germany during WWII... My dad was in charge of over 200 German POWs in Berlin... he told me stories about them and how young many of the German POWs were, 14 to 20 years old; many cried for the mothers. My dad would have enjoyed reading this book as much as I did. He, like Hanns Scharff, treated his prisoners with respect and kindness. My Dad visited the camps and saw the horror that Hitler and his henchmen did to the Jewish people. Yet he knew not all Germans were like Hitler and many Germans that he did meet were honorable people like Mr. Scharff. The book makes it clear that the Germans had an excellent spy ring in England. That news papers from the US and England gave the Germans quite a bit of information. It was amazing how much Hanns Scharff was able to learn from the POWs in his care... He never lifted a finger to threaten or physically harm them in any way... and how Hanns Scharff and his co-interrogators had to worry about the Gestapo themselves... Learn how an honorable man dealt with war.
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