In July 1944 a group of conspirators known as Secret Germany attempted to kill Hitler. The mastermind of the conspiracy was Count Claus von Stauffenberg. Who was this charismatic, dashing aristocrat, who was said to be the only man to stare the Fuhrer down? What were the secret teachings that inspired him to the audacious act of assassination? Forty-six serious but failed attempts on Hitler's life in twenty years reflect a strong anti-Nazi movement in Germany. For Stauffenberg, the bomb plot organized by his esoteric circle was more a moral and spiritual necessity than an act of political expediency. Had he succeeded, he might have become the saviour of the national soul. In this remarkable investigation (the authors) explain how Stauffenberg represents a resolution of the conflicting myths of German culture. In his courage and integrity he stands as an atonement for the barbarism of the Third Reich.