Operation Paperclip

The Secret Intelligence Program that Brought Nazi Scientists to America

By: Annie Jacobsen

Narrated by: Annie Jacobsen

Length: 19 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's summary

The “remarkable” story of America's secret post-WWII science programs (The Boston Globe), from the New York Times best-selling author of Area 51.

In the chaos following World War II, the US government faced many difficult decisions, including what to do with the Third Reich's scientific minds. These were the brains behind the Nazis' once-indomitable war machine. So began Operation Paperclip, a decades-long, covert project to bring Hitler's scientists and their families to the United States.

Many of these men were accused of war crimes, and others had stood trial at Nuremberg; one was convicted of mass murder and slavery. They were also directly responsible for major advances in rocketry, medical treatments, and the US Space Program. Was Operation Paperclip a moral outrage, or did it help America win the Cold War?

Drawing on exclusive interviews with dozens of Paperclip family members, colleagues, and interrogators, and with access to German archival documents (including previously unseen papers made available by direct descendants of the Third Reich's ranking members), files obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, and dossiers discovered in government archives and at Harvard University, Annie Jacobsen follows more than a dozen German scientists through their postwar lives and into a startling, complex, nefarious, and jealously guarded government secret of the 20th century.

In this definitive, controversial look at one of America's most strategic, and disturbing, government programs, Jacobsen shows just how dark government can get in the name of national security.

©2014 Annie Jacobsen (P)2014 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"Harrowing...How Dr. Strangelove came to America and thrived, told in graphic detail." (Kirkus ReviewsI)

I'm in awe of the research

This is my second Annie Jacobsen audiobook. Operation Paperclip went by so fast. I am blown away by how very thorough she was in her research. It must have taken her many years to collect and discover everything. There is no doubt it's a monumental work. And after having compiled all of that data, the way she lays it out and tells the story was mesmerizing for me. I am equally impressed with the level of detail she invested in the correct German and Russian pronunciations of the names of people and places. I love that she is the narrator. No one could tell this story as well. I highly recommend this book.

Creepy

It’s scary to think those who perpetrated such an awful atrocity, basically got away with it. This book had me looking forward to reading every day after work. I would love to hear an interview with the scientists’ families today.

Operation Paperclip

So good. I learned to appreciate history from my husband. He would have liked this book very much. Thank-you.

Very eye opening about Von Braun.

this book might be long but it is incredible. The book is full of facts and is written in a linear timeline so it's easy to follow. At the very end it is especially impactful when she goes through the list of people that were involved in Operation Paperclip. Especially, mr. von Braun.

Operation Paperclip

An excellent book on the topic. Well researched, well spoken and easy to listen to.

Very in depth

This book is an excellent read/listen and I highly recommend to anyone even remotely interested in the topic. I first heard of operation paperclip, Peenemünde, Wernher von Braun, etc. from reading “Gravity’s rainbow”. The more I research the subject the more I realize how accurate that book was, especially for something written way before files on the subject were declassified. I think Annie Jacobsen did a great job overall and I personally enjoyed her narration. Anyone who likes this book should give “chaos” by Tom O’Neil a whirl, it’s painstakingly researched and offers the latter context of the Allen Dulles OSS to CIA. Anyone really interested in the disinformation campaigns of the 20th century should look into Jeffrey M. Bales “The Darkest Sides of Politics, I: Postwar Fascism, Covert Operations, and Terrorism” however you’ll need to find a copy as it’s not well known enough to be narrated. It’s a doozy but worth the read.

This was a great non fiction story.

This was a great non-fiction book. I was intrested the entire time. It's one of the darkest story lines America has.

love

the information and the picture that she paints definitely explains on how we got where we are today

Provocative and Alarming

This book reinforces the notion that the U.S. Government has layers of bureaucracy operating in the shadows.

Amazing research

Amazing research. Learned so much listening to this book. Thought provoking and we would recommend.