August 1940. Hitler is triumphant in Europe and Britain stands alone against the might of the Nazi forces.

At the Channel Ports, 39 divisions of the Wehrmacht, plus 2 airborne divisions — a total of 260,000 men, tanks and artillery await the word from the Fuhrer to launch ‘Operation Sealion’ — the invasion of England that Hitler felt would bring about the end of the war and cement the Third Reich as the most powerful leadership in Europe.

Why do they hesitate?

Hitler’s scheme to endow his invasion and occupation with its greatest chance of success, is to reinstall the Duke of Windsor as King.

The Duke, formerly Edward VIII, had been forced to abdicate in 1936, but is known to admire Hitler and Mussolini and to be in favour of a peaceful settlement with them.

Due to his experiences of the horrors of trench warfare between 1914 and 1918, Edward leans far more towards the idea of appeasement, rather than another lengthy and costly war.

Hitler, having met with Edward in 1937, sees the Duke as the key to cracking England.

Edward’s return as King, being a popular figure among the British people, could cause a conflict of loyalties, perhaps a civil war, which would make the Nazi invasion easier.

A puppet English monarch under Nazi control would alter the entire course of the war – Operation Willi.

Walter Schellenberg, who was awarded the Iron Cross for his role in the Venlo Incident the year before, was assigned to handle the operation.

The final plan would be to entice the Windsors over the border to Spain and keep them there to “protect them from plotters against their lives, specifically the British Intelligence Service”.

The British secret intelligence service must do all they can to get to the Duke first.

So much seems to hang in the balance that Churchill himself becomes involved in keeping the Nazis from contacting the abdicated King of England.

They must act fast.

Praise for Peter MacAlan

‘Well researched and splendidly exciting. Peter MacAlan is a real find’ – Frederick Nolan, author of Brass Target

‘Nerve-racking entertainment. An engrossing thriller’ – Irish Times

A fascinating story, painstakingly researched, and gripping to the last’ – Manchester Evening News

‘Charged with suspense’ – Evening News, Edinburgh

Peter MacAlan is one of the pseudonyms under which Peter Berresford Ellis has written. Ellis is a historian, literary biographer and novelist. Born in Coventry, Warwickshire, Ellis began his career as a junior reporter before becoming a full-time writer in 1975. He has published almost 100 books and is also the author over 100 short stories.