It is September 1943, with World War II raging, and Adolf Hitler is furious that his ally and friend Benito Mussolini has been toppled from power in Italy. He sends German troops into Rome and outlines "a special mission" to SS General Karl Wolff. The mission: to seize the Vatican and kidnap Pope Pius XII. Documentary evidence later reveals that all members of the Curia were to be assassinated, and that even the pope might share their fate. All the while, plans are being made to deport Rome's Jews to Auschwitz as part of "The Final Solution." Now, with an eye to ingratiating themselves with the Allies in the likely event of a German defeat in the war, General Wolff and his conspirators begin playing a dangerous game that will change lives, reputations, and history: He decides to stall Hider's plot against the pope, even as plans for the roundup of Rome's Jews are finalized. As part of this cynical game, the conspirators approach the pope, hoping to convince him that his silence about the impending move against the Jews could save his life and the treasures of the Vatican, and maybe soften the blow against the Jewish community. Whatever Pius decides, the plot against him will change the course of history. This tale of intrigue and betrayal is one of the most extraordinary episodes of World War II. Dan Kurzman was the first journalist to interview General Wolff following his release from prison after the war. And this is the only book to tell the full, behind-the-Scenes story of the plot against the Vatican and its far-reaching consequences.