-- The sinister world of the Gestapo -- An indictment of the Nazi reign of terror -- The organization and structure of a machine of repression The sinister Gestapo planted its evil roots in the 1930s but it was during the horror of World War II that this notorious organization became identified as the Nazis' leading instrument of repression. Edward Crankshaw provides an authoritative overview of the organization, examining the trail of destruction it blazed across Europe, looking at its structures and its rivalries with other police organizations, and revealing the struggle for power within the Gestapo's nefarious bureau. As this brilliant book makes compellingly clear, the Gestapo grew. It sought out resistance -- brutally suppressing it with torture and execution -- used repression to deter opposition, filled the concentration camps with political opponents and ethnic 'undesirables, ' and actively sought to promote the Nazi state's perverse policies.