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The Devil's Mercedes: The Bizarre and Disturbing Adventures of
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The Devil's Mercedes: The Bizarre and Disturbing Adventures of Hitler's Limousine in America Hardback - 2017

by Robert Klara

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Reader reviews for The Devil's Mercedes: The Bizarre and Disturbing Adventures of Hitler's Limousine in America

From the publisher

Critically acclaimed author Robert Klara's The Devil's Mercedes chases down one of the most improbable stories of the postwar era: the national drama that erupted when Hitler's armored limousine surfaced in the US.

In 1938, Mercedes-Benz began production of the largest, most luxurious limousine in the world. A machine of frightening power and sinister beauty, the Grosser 770K Model 150 Offener Tourenwagen was 20 feet long, seven feet wide, and tipped the scales at 5 tons. Its supercharged, 230-horsepower engine propelled the beast to speeds over 100 m.p.h. while its occupants reclined on glove-leather seats stuffed with goose down. Armor plated and equipped with hidden compartments for Luger pistols, the 770K was a sumptuous monster with a monstrous patron: Adolph Hitler and the Nazi party.

Deployed mainly for propaganda purposes before the war, the hand-built limousines--in which Hitler rode standing in the front seat--motored through elaborate rallies and appeared in countless newsreels, swiftly becoming the Nazi party's most durable symbol of wealth and power. Had Hitler not so thoroughly dominated the scene with his own megalomania, his opulent limousine could easily have eclipsed him.

Most of the 770Ks didn't make it out of the rubble of World War II. But several of them did. And two of them found their way, secretly and separately, to the United States.

In The Devil's Mercedes, author Robert Klara uncovers the forgotten story of how Americans responded to these rolling relics of fascism on their soil. The limousines made headlines, drew crowds, made fortunes and ruined lives. What never became public was how both of the cars would ultimately become tangled in a web of confusion, mania, and opportunism, fully entwined in a story of mistaken identity.

Nobody knew that the limousine touted as Hitler's had in fact never belonged to him, while the Mercedes shrugged off as an ordinary staff car--one later abandoned in a warehouse and sold off as government surplus--turned out to be none other than Hitler's personal automobile.

It would take 40 years, a cast of carnies and millionaires, the United States Army, and the sleuthing efforts of an obscure Canadian librarian to bring the entire truth to light.

As he recounts this remarkable drama, Klara probes the meaning of these haunting hulks and their power to attract, excite and disgust. The limousines' appearance collided with an American populous celebrating a victory even as it sought to stay a step ahead of the war's ghosts. Ultimately, The Devil's Mercedes isn't only the story of a rare and notorious car, but what that car taught postwar America about itself.

Details

  • Title The Devil's Mercedes: The Bizarre and Disturbing Adventures of Hitler's Limousine in America
  • Author Robert Klara
  • Binding Hardback
  • Edition First Edition
  • Pages 352
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Thomas Dunne Books
  • Publication date 2017-03
  • Illustrated Yes
  • ISBN 9781250069726 / 1250069726
  • Weight 1.23 lbs (0.56 kg)
  • Dimensions 9.44 x 6.31 x 1.26 in (23.98 x 16.03 x 3.20 cm)
  • Category History - Military / War
  • Library of Congress subjects Hitler, Adolf, Automobile drivers - United States
  • Library of Congress Catalogue Number 2016058801
  • Dewey Decimal Code 629.222

About the author

ROBERT KLARA is the author of FDR's Funeral Train and The Hidden White House. Hailed as "a major new contribution to U.S. history" by Douglas Brinkley, Klara's first book earned a starred review from Kirkus. Klara's articles and essays have appeared in The New York Times, American Heritage, and The Guardian, among numerous other publications. Klara has also worked as a staff editor for magazines including Town & Country, Architecture, and Adweek. He lives in Brooklyn.

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The Devil's Mercedes: The Bizarre and Disturbing Adventures of Hitler's Limousine in America
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The Devil's Mercedes: The Bizarre and Disturbing Adventures of Hitler's Limousine in America

by Klara, Robert

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Devil's Mercedes: The Bizarre and Disturbing Adventures of Hitler's Limousine in America
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Devil's Mercedes: The Bizarre and Disturbing Adventures of Hitler's Limousine in America

by Klara, Robert

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The Devil's Mercedes : The Bizarre and Disturbing Adventures of Hitler's Limousine in...
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The Devil's Mercedes : The Bizarre and Disturbing Adventures of Hitler's Limousine in America

by Klara, Robert

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The Devil's Mercedes: The Bizarre and Disturbing Adventures of Hitler's Limousine in America
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The Devil's Mercedes: The Bizarre and Disturbing Adventures of Hitler's Limousine in America

by Klara, Robert

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The Devil's Mercedes: The Bizarre and Disturbing Adventures of Hitler's Limousine in America
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The Devil's Mercedes: The Bizarre and Disturbing Adventures of Hitler's Limousine in America

by Klara, Robert

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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781250069726 / 1250069726
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Thomas Dunne Books, 2017. This is an ex-library book and may have the usual library/used-book markings inside.This book has hardback covers. In good all round condition. Dust jacket in fair condition. Please note the Image in this listing is a stock photo and may not match the covers of the actual item,650grams, ISBN:9781250069726
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The Devil's Mercedes: The Bizarre and Disturbing Adventures of Hitler's Limousine in America
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The Devil's Mercedes: The Bizarre and Disturbing Adventures of Hitler's Limousine in America

by Klara, Robert

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Devil's Mercedes

Devil's Mercedes

by Robert Klara

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Thomas Dunne Books, 2017. Fine condition book is clean, unmarked and solid. Not ex-library. About Fine, priced dust jacket. No rmainder mark. " Bizarre and Disturbing Adventures of Hitler's Limousine In America " 342pp, index, notes, photos. Shipped in sturdy cardboard box. . First Edition. Hard Cover. Fine/Nr Fine. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.
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The Devil's Mercedes: The Bizarre and Disturbing Adventures of Hitler's Limousine in America

by Klara, Robert

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The Devil's Mercedes: The Bizarre and Disturbing Adventures of Hitler's Limousine in America

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Thomas Dunne Books, 2017. 1st Edition. Hardcover. Very Good/Very Good. 6x1x9. The Text Is Clean With No Marks Highlights. In Very Good Condition. The Rear Pages Are Creased With Crease Lines. First Edition Printed In 2017. Remainder Mark At The Top Edge. 342 Pages With The Index.- Specializing in academic, collectible and historically significant, providing the utmost quality and customer service satisfaction. For any questions feel free to email us.
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by Klara, Robert

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