History Press buys Nazi wives book

The History Press will publish an investigation into the roles of the wives of the senior Nazi officials by author and broadcaster James Wyllie.

Laura Perehinec, publishing director of the History Press has acquired UK and Commonwealth rights to Nazi Wives from Sonia Land of Sheil Land Associates, described by the literary agency as "a fascinating account" of the roles played by the wives of six of the key Nazis closest to Hitler 

Nazi Wives tells how these wives were each complex individuals with distinctive personalities and as they fell under Hitler’s spell, exerted different degrees of power and influence over their husbands. Despite their significance and the critical part they played, they are little written about, hidden away like some dirty secret. 

Wyllie, who wrote Goering and Goering: Hitler's Henchman and his Anti-Nazi Brother (History Press), will explore how these women were drawn deeper and deeper into such a twisted, perverse reality and became so immersed in it that they could not see the horrific truth even when it was staring them in the face.

Perehinec said he found that one of the most disturbing thing about the Nazi wives was that they were idealists who thought they were working to create a better world and that it was this fanatical conviction – not riches or power – that motivated and sustained them.