This book is about one the lesser known, yet most dramatic events of WWII.
On September 27, 1941, after more than two years of occupation on the Czech lands by fascist Germany, SS Obergruppenfuhrer and General of Police Reinhard Heidrich, one of the most feared men in the Third Reich, was appointed Reichsprotector of Bohemia and Moravia. He came to Prague with the aim of establishing the first Nazi "protectorate" which would be solely under the jurisdiction of the SS. MacDonanald tells the story of the Czech nationalists and parachutists - Major Valcik, Major Gabcik, and Major Kubis - who were trained in Britain before being flown and dropped into Czechoslovakia to carry out the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich. After their dramatic assassination of Heydrich, Hitler ordered brutal suppression and mass executions in Prague while an intense, house to house search for the assassins took place.
The parachutists hid within the catacombs of a cathedral in Prague, and were killed after a dramatic and hopeless battle with the SS. (after the parachutists were betrayed by a comrade)
To anyone going to Prague, I recommend that they visit the Cathedral of Saints Cyril and Methodius (the author refers to this same cathedral as Karel Boromajsky church) which is located at Resslova Street 9, Prague 2. There, you can go into the catacombs where the parachutists hid, and where the final and tragic battle took place (which has not been altered since the battle - bullet holes still in the walls, a partial tunnel where the parachutists attempted to make their way to the Prague sewers). I also recommend visiting the museum in the town of Lidice, which was destroyed in reprisal for Heydrich's assassination - all men over the age of 15 executed, all women shipped off to concentration camps, and 5 children deemed worthy of "Germanization" sent to Germany to be raised by SS families
