The Meinertzhagen Mystery : The Life and Legend of a Colossal Fraud

Tall, handsome, charming Col. Richard Meinertzhagen (1878–1967) was an acclaimed British war hero, a secret agent, and a dean of international ornithology. His exploits inspired three biographies, movies have been based on his life, and a square in Jerusalem is dedicated to his memory. Meinertzhagen was trusted by Winston Churchill, David Lloyd George, Chaim Weizmann, David Ben Gurion, T. E. Lawrence, Elspeth Huxley, and a great many others. He bamboozled them all. Meinertzhagen was a fraud. Many of the adventures recorded in his celebrated diaries were imaginary, including a meeting with Hitler while he had a loaded pistol in his pocket, an attempt to rescue the Russian royal family in 1918, and a shoot-out with Arabs in Haifa when he was seventy years old. True, he was a key player in Middle Eastern events after World War I, and during the 1930s he represented Zionism's interests in negotiations with Germany. But he also set up Nazi front organizations in England, committed a half-century of major and costly scientific fraud, and -- oddly -- may have been innocent of many killings to which he confessed (e.g., the murder of his own polo groom -- a crime of which he cheerfully boasted, although the evidence suggests it never occurred at all). Further, he may have been guilty of at least one homicide of which he professed innocence. A compelling read about a flamboyant rogue, The Meinertzhagen Mystery shows how recorded history reflects not what happened, but what we believe happened.

Tall, handsome, charming Col. Richard Meinertzhagen (1878–1967) was an acclaimed British war hero, a secret agent, and a dean of international ornithology. His exploits inspired three biographies, movies have been based on his life, and a square in Jerusalem is dedicated to his memory. Meinertzhagen was trusted by Winston Churchill, David Lloyd George, Chaim Weizmann, David Ben Gurion, T. E. Lawrence, Elspeth Huxley, and a great many others.

He bamboozled them all. Meinertzhagen was a fraud. Many of the adventures recorded in his celebrated diaries were imaginary, including a meeting with Hitler while he had a loaded pistol in his pocket, an attempt to rescue the Russian royal family in 1918, and a shoot-out with Arabs in Haifa when he was seventy years old. True, he was a key player in Middle Eastern events after World War I, and during the 1930s he represented Zionism's interests in negotiations with Germany. But he also set up Nazi front organizations in England, committed a half-century of major and costly scientific fraud, and - oddly - may have been innocent of many killings to which he confessed (e.g., the murder of his own polo groom - a crime of which he cheerfully boasted, although the evidence suggests it never occurred at all). Further, he may have been guilty of at least one homicide of which he professed innocence.

A compelling read about a flamboyant rogue, The Meinertzhagen Mystery shows how recorded history reflects not what happened, but what we believe happened.

Tall, Handsome, Charming, Col. Richard Meinertzhangen Was An Acclaimed British War Hero, A Secret Agent, And A Dean Of International Ornithology. His Exploits Inspired Three Biographies, His Life Has Been The Basis For Movies, And Jerusalem Dedicated A City Square To His Memory. Meinertzhagen Was Trusted By Winston Churchill, David Lloyd George, Chaim Weizmann, David Ben Gurion, T. E. Lawrence, Elspeth Huxley, And A Great Many Others. But He Bamboozled Them All. Meinertzhagen Was A Fraud. Many Of The Adventures Recorded In His Celebrated Diaries Were Imaginary, Including A Meeting With Hitler While He Had A Loaded Pistol In His Pocket, An Attempt To Rescue The Russian Royal Family In 1918, And A Shoot-out With Arabs In Haifa When He Was Seventy Years Old. While He Truly Was A Key Player In Middle Eastern Events After World War I And Represented Zionism's Interests In Negotiations With Germany In The 1930, He Also Set Up Nazi Front Organizations In England, Committed A Half-century Of Major And Costly Scientific Fraud, And May Have Murdered His Wife To Boot. Chapter 2 Haversack 14 -- Chapter 3 Nandi 38 -- Chapter 4 Syce 69 -- Chapter 5 Tanga 81 -- Chapter 6 Nairobi 102 -- Chapter 7 Zion 120 -- Chapter 8 Adrift 134 -- Chapter 9 Family 159 -- Chapter 10 Espionage 174 -- Chapter 11 Birds 193 -- Chapter 12 Warfare 211 -- Chapter 13 Kensington 226. Brian Garfield. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 331-341) And Index. Presents the life of a British war hero and famed ornithologist, whose exploits, diaries, and works are exposed by the author to have been based on fraudulent claims, misinformation, and plagiarism. The astonishingly influential life of an extraordinary liar