How might the British have handled Hitler differently?” remains one of history’s greatest “what ifs." Perhaps the peak of British-German positive relations under this “amateur diplomacy” came in September 1936 when Philip Conwell-Evans accompanied David Lloyd George, a former PM much admired by Hitler, on a trip to Berchtesgaden. There Hitler discussed with Lloyd George his well-known Faustian pact; in return for his recognizing the vital interests of the British Empire, England should accept German hegemony on the continent, which was necessary for her to maintain a “proper standard of life for her people.” As with earlier British visitors, Hitler fixated on the “disintegrating force” of Bolshevist ideology which threatened the existence of the nations states of Europe, comparable to the Muhammadan invasion. Every time Russia had been mentioned Lloyd George later told another associate, Hitler’s “lips began to twitch convulsively,”and soon he would be “shouting again, all but foaming at the mouth.” Their continued presence at these events gave Himmler and Ribbentrop a reassuring picture of the potential opposition

An essential account of a chaotic administration that, Woodward makes painfully clear, is incapable of governing. His meticulously researched, vividly written book takes 'civilising rather than appeasing as its central theme.' This is a complex tale, but as skillfully narrated by Spicer, it moves along briskly. His main characters are not easy to characterize either, but he brings them to life, with all their contradictions." An insider’s account of the rampant misconduct within the Trump administration, including the tumult surrounding the insurrection of Jan. 6, 2021.A lively study of the “amateur British intelligence agents who…hoped to avert a second war in Europe by building rapport with the Third Reich politically, economically and socially.” The fascinating story of how an eccentric group of intelligence agents used amateur diplomacy to penetrate the Nazi high command in an effort to prevent the start of World War II. How might the British have handled Hitler differently?” remains one of history’s greatest "what ifs."

Charles Spicer's meticulously researched, fresh-thinking, calm, and empathetic book dispels the smog of misunderstanding that has enabled members of the Fellowship as 'Nazi-friendly.' Spicer, who has given close, neutral, and unerring scrutiny of the sources, proves to be a brisk, fair-minded, and authoritative revisionist." Times Literary Supplement Richard Davenport-Hines A book that looks at a little known aspect of the run-up to WW2, about the activities of the Anglo-German Fellowship, an organisation that sought to promote good relations between Nazi Germany and the UK. It’s a pretty interesting account. I listened to the audiobook version narrated by Simon Vance. When Hitler rose to power in the early 1930s, public reaction in Britain was not that of unalloyed horror. Instead, it lay somewhere between disinterest, snobbish, if inaccurate, contempt (“the man’s a house painter!”), and, in some circles, quiet satisfaction that a vigorous reformer had shaken up his country in an apparently effective and forward-looking fashion. The evils of the Nazi regime were obvious to anyone with either a social conscience or a knowledge of history, but it was more convenient either to ignore them, or, in the case of a group of well-meaning but misguided society figures, to attempt to mitigate them by means of the so-called Anglo-German Fellowship. That thing in the air that is deadlier than even your “strenuous flus”? Trump knew—and did nothing about it.

How the British might have handled Hitler differently remains one of history's greatest ';what ifs'... In this very well-researched and well-written work of historical revisionism, Charles Spicer reminds us of the important fact that not every Briton who wanted better relations with Nazi Germany did so from malign motives. Some were Germanophile, myopic, naïve, and amateur, but essentially well meaning. Understandably, they were incapable of believing—until it was almost too late—that Adolf Hitler was as evil as we, with our total historical hindsight, know him to have been.”

At the heart of the story are a pacifist Welsh historian, a World War I flying ace, and a butterfly-collecting businessman, who together offered the British government better intelligence on the horrifying rise of the Nazis than any other agents. Though they were only minor players in the terrible drama of Europe’s descent into its second twentieth-century war, these three protagonists operated within the British Establishment. They infiltrated the Nazi high command deeper than any other spies, relaying accurate intelligence to both their government and to its anti-appeasing critics. Newly available primary sources, including the previously unseen papers of Conwell-Evans, show that the intelligence supplied to the British government by Tennant, Conwell-Evans, and Christie was superior to that delivered by professional diplomats and MI5. Spicer makes a strong case that the AGF men offered a reasonable alternative to Chamberlain’s policy of appeasement. Readers will make up their own minds as to whether it's realistic to think that Hitler, or any other tyrant, could be tamed." Booklist The maiden effort by historian Spicer (based on his eight years of dissertation research) corrects long-standing misinterpretations of the work of the Anglo-German Fellowship: an interwar diplomacy program in which amateur British intelligence agents socialized with and befriended leading political figures of Nazi Germany, as part of an attempt to influence and "enlighten" Nazi officials and head off a war. The British leaders of the fellowship—which had its heyday from 1934 to 1938, shut down in 1939, and disbanded in 1949—have often been described as Nazi appeasers, but Spicer argues that most weren't interested in appeasement. Instead, they saw their mission as civilizing, building on centuries-old ties between Germany and Britain, and promoting amity, trade, and prosperity. The spokesmen of the Anglo-German Fellowship were a left-wing Welsh historian, a butterfly-collecting businessman, and a World War I air ace. And yes, they drank coffee with Hitler. They also attended Nazi rallies, but they spoke against persecution of Jewish people. When it became obvious to Britain that peace with Hitler was a lost cause, members of the fellowship—at great personal risk—began sussing out German military secrets and connecting with dissenters inside Germany. VERDICT The escalation of Nazi violence, Edward VIII's unexpected abdication, an unprepared Britain, and a government ignoring the danger signs of war all make for a heady brew and an exciting read. Will be easy for history lovers to enjoy. —David Keymer Library JournalThis book “Coffee With Hitler” by Charles Spicer is an interesting narrative of the “amateur British intelligence agents who…hoped to avert a second war in Europe by building rapport with the Third Reich politically, economically and socially.” In this refreshingly objective book, Charles Spicer looks at the Anglo-German Fellowship, a group founded by British Germanophiles in 1935 to further good relations between the two countries. Many Britons, especially those who had fought in the Great War or had been bereaved during it, remained hostile to the Germans, while people on the Left (and indeed some on the Right) of British politics disliked the Third Reich for its fascism and racism. Coffee with Hitler tells the astounding story of how a handful of amateur British intelligence agents wined, dined, and befriended the leading National Socialists between the wars. With support from royalty, aristocracy, politicians, and businessmen, they hoped to use the recently founded Anglo-German Fellowship as a vehicle to civilize and enlighten the Nazis. Hitler had an odd obsession with another former PM Stanley Baldwin. The PM would never agree to visit Germany during or after his tenure. A cabal of pacifist lords led by Londonderry tried to get Baldwin to go to propose peace terms in 1939, to no avail. Howmight the British have handled Hitler differently?”remains one of history’s greatest "what ifs."