[Lang]

Bruce, I have not read that book but several others of the period, all with different perspectives. References are easy as you just take the bits that fit your argument, even out of context, as anyone writing a paper for a university assignment will tell you. Look impressive though.

I have read two books on the Hess incident, one claims he was an authorised Hitler emissary and the other that he was an extremely strange fellow doing his own thing.

The "Halt to negotiate" theory loses ground in my view. If you are negotiating in good faith, even hoping for the others to come across to your side as you suggest, why would you continue to kill thousands of people by air attack during the so called reprieve period?

I think the most likely is - They are cornered like rats in a trap against the sea, with nowhere to go. We are only going to lose hundreds of our blokes in an assault why not just starve them out and terrify them with bombing until they come to their senses and give up. Whether this idea came from the field commander, Army Headquarters or Hitler personally doesn't really matter.

Lang