THE UNIVITED ENVOY

Surely one of the strangest events of World War II, and perhaps of any war, Rudolph Hess's arrival by Messerschmitt in Scotland on May 10, 1941 has ever since been swathed in contradictory rumors and conflicting official remarks. It is certainly about time for a book exclusively devoted to that event, yet intended for the general reader, to appear. Mr. Leasor does not go out on any limbs, does not attempt to sway us toward any one interpretation of the facts. But he does perform a great service, not only by examining all the related material, but also by presenting (most faithfully it would seem) all the small but significant details, of dress, mannerism, weather, etc., pertaining to all who played a part in this little play-within-a-play. Was Hess mad? Was Hitler really ignorant of the whole scheme? Why are the Russians determined to keep Hess in prison (although America and Britain are now ready to release him?) Mr. Leasor would probably answer no to the first two questions, yet throughout his book he is content to fit in the pieces of the puzzle at his disposal, and to leave us to our own conjectures wherever gaps remain.