General Reinhard Gehlen

Lacking an espionage apparatus in Eastern Europe during the early Cold War, the U.S. turned to General Reinhard Gehlen, former chief of Eastern Front Intelligence for Hitler. This highly controversial gamble paid off handsomely as Gehlen, assisted by virtually the same staff that served him during WW II, provided U.S. Army Intelligence and the CIA with reliable information about the Soviet arms buildup. In a coolly objective and well-researched study, Reese reveals the close association between Gehlen and CIA director Allen Dulles and describes how Gehlen's organization ultimately became the official intelligence service of the West German government until 1963, when Soviet agent Heinz Felfe succeeded in wreaking the same sort of havoc that Kim Philby caused British intelligence at about the same time. By the author of Breaking Cover , this authoritative book emphasizes Gehlen's uncanny ability to trim his sails to whatever political breeze was blowing in Germany. (Sept.)