Selling Hitler – Robert Harris

Selling Hitler – Robert Harris                 9/10

A non-fiction account of how a plucky con man (Konrad Kujau) and an inept journalist (Gerd Heidemann) managed to fool some of the biggest players in the world news market into thinking they had Hitler’s personal diaries for sale in 1983.

I’m a really big fan of Robert Harris. I might even go so far as to say that he is my favourite novelist. I find his fiction books consistently gripping and, after reading some encouraging reviews of this non-fiction book, I thought I’d give it a go to see if it was as enjoyable. I’m pleased to say that I was not disappointed.

Almost 30 years after the event it is difficult to imagine such an incredible error generating as much interest today, yet you can hardly credit it being allowed to occur then. Harris paints an intricate picture that covers several levels of ineptitude at the Stern office, the German publishers that ran the ‘scoop’. 

In fact, what Harris manages to do so well here is almost turn this into a novel. He intimates early on that his source is very close to the action, we never find out who it is, but I think a fair assumption is one of the major players in the tale. The levels of accuracy are perhaps not so important though, as the finished result is less serious historical document and more salacious gossip column and that’s what makes it so exciting to read.

Harris could well be accused of character deformation, especially of Gerd Heidemann who is portrayed as falling into a progressively deeper obsession with Nazism, whilst repeatedly making incompetent decisions. His continued belief that Martin Boorman is alive and somehow directing the events, is a great example of this. To cap it off, he is accused of some serious criminal activity.

Regardless of how true to the actual events the book is, what Harris has done is create a rollicking tale that is as both fascinating as it is absurd. His treatment of the British Nazi expert, Hugh Trevor-Roper is a great political indictment and all the episodes involving Rupert Murdoch particularly stand out. The way he crafts the characters involved into caricatures of their own personalities adds to the farce, and what the reader is left with is a mixture of amusement and astonishment.

I’d certainly recommend this book to anyone. I think Harris has done a great job of livening up the whole event in both an accessible, yet intelligent way.