Book report: The Griffin by Arnold Kramish
Yet another non-fiction book, I really need to read some fiction :)
The Grffin was the code name of a World War II spy by the name of Paul Rosbaud. Rosbaud was born into a single parent family. His mother prized music and scholarship. Rosbaud's brother eventually became a famous orchestra conductor. Rosbaud fought in the Austrian army during World War I. After the war Rosbaud studied chemistry at a graduate level but he never attained a tenured teaching post. Instead he became a science journalist and editor. He worked on several technical journals and also edited scienctific books. These activities took him all around Europe where he made many friends among European scientists. He and his siblings never learned their fathers name - paternity was important information to know when the Nazis came to power.
Rosbaud's pre-war professional experience made him the ideal technical spy during World War II. He worked for the English but his motivation was not monetary, it was the defeat of Hitler. He was never recruited by the English, instead he provided a voluminous dossier of documents via Norway called the Oslo Report as a kind of calling card. Unfortunately because he wasn't being "handled" by a specific person, the Oslo report's impact was somewhat diffused by the English, they didn't know what to make of it. There is some difference of opinion on who provided the Oslo Report among scholars but author Kramish is convinced it was Rosbaud.
The book also mentions the astonishing number of people involved with Rosbaud and the spying on Germany. He didn't do the work alone but Rosbaud's position as an editor and his scientific background made him the ideal person to not only obtain information but to be able to separate the wheat from the chaff. He was one of the first to report on the German rocket activity at Peenemunde.
Apparently the German scientists led by Heisenberg (he of the famous uncertainty principle) were astonished after they were captured to learn that the US had detonated two atomic bombs over Japan. Heisenberg apparently was "certain" that it was impossible. He lied about it after the war but the English have the receipts, they were listening to Heisenberg and his group while they were prisoners - Heisenberg didn't have someone like General Groves prodding him to develop a bomb as Oppenheimer did. Also Heisenberg's and Germany's Nazi hatred of Jews caused the banishment of the people who did go to the US and build the bomb. Rosbaud was one of the first to report that Germany wouldn't attain the bomb during the war.
In addition to his spy work, Rosbaud managed to get his wife and daughter out of Germany to England. He also was instrumental in helping scientists such as Lise Meitner to escape the Nazis. Finally Rosbaud was able to stay alive in war torn Europe while still caring for a wide circle of friends and acquaintances. His sociability was instrumental in both his pre-war work and his work as a spy. He never lost his love for life and that love translated not only in fighting Hitler as a spy but by materially and psychologically aiding many of the downtrodden. A very admirable person in many ways although certainly not perfect.
Author Kramish did work on the Manhattan project and his book is thoroughly researched with the rigor you might expect from a scientist.
A very interesting, information dense book, highly recommended.
Best Regards,
Chuck, WB9KZY
http://wb9kzy.com/ham.htm