Cracking the Nazi Code

February 26, 2024
Philosopher Bell debuts with a gripping investigation of the secret role Canadian-born British spy and philosopher Winthrop Bell (no relation to the author) played in sounding the alarm about the Nazi threat—not once, but twice. The author learned about Winthrop in 2008 when he was doing research on German phenomenology and stumbled upon Winthrop’s archived records, including his diary. Working toward completing his philosophy PhD in Germany when WWI broke out and imprisoned as an enemy citizen for the duration of the conflict, Winthrop was recruited postwar by British intelligence due to his high-level connections within Germany. His first mission was to embed among Berlin political elites, and in 1919 he became “the first intelligence agent to warn about the National Socialists” and their plan to start a second world war—warnings that Bell shows were suppressed by fascist British politicians. Long bothered that his report had been buried, in the 1930s Winthrop returned to Germany posing as a Reuters journalist. He learned enough about the Nazi aspiration for “racial extermination” that was “global in scope” to issue “the world’s first published warning of Hitler’s plans for worldwide genocide” in a quietly influential 1939 newspaper article. Even readers well-versed on the war will be surprised by the history Bell has pieced together. It’s a significant new perspective on behind-the-scenes political machinations preceding WWII.

September 13, 2024

Philosopher Bell (Univ. of New Brunswick) debuts with the fascinating and thrilling true story of Dr. Winthrop Bell (no relation to the author), a Canadian MI6 agent stationed in Germany after World War I. Bell, who witnessed the Great War and the Treaty of Versailles's impact on Germany and gathered intelligence for Britain about the early formation of the Nazi Party, despite clear roadblocks from top-ranking officials. Drawing from previously classified primary sources and Bell's archive, the author details how Bell's intelligence work was critically important in defeating the Nazis. Listeners will be on the edges of their seats, hearing narrator Christopher Grove relay Bell's horror at discovering Hitler's real mission: to conduct mass genocide on a global scale. Listeners will walk away with a greater understanding of the events and ideologies that led to World War II and this courageous person who quietly influenced the outcome. VERDICT Listeners will be captivated by this never-before-told story, buried in a Canadian archive and encountered by happenstance by the author. Suggest to those seeking a different take on World War II espionage history.--Kaitlyn Tanis

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