Mystery Man

Adolph Hitler used William Rhodes Davis as his main agent of influence in the United States. A superb manipulator, Davis could beguile German leaders while simultaneously receiving the assistance of American leaders such as President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Among his many nefarious deeds were the acquisition of much of the oil Hitler needed to start World War II and the delivery of five million dollars from Germany to the Republican Party for the 1940 presidential campaign. Apparently the model for the American Nazi businessman in the motion picture Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Davis personified the enigmatic, larger-than-life villain.  With this compelling tale, Dale Harrington illustrates how powerful American, British, and Mexican business and political leaders aided a talented and complex man's service to Hitler. In addition, Harrington examines the Establishment's attempts to cover up the roles played by prominent American leaders in Davis's activities, as well as in his mysterious death. Mystery Man, the first authoritative biography of William Rhodes Davis, offers a revealing account of espionage, political intrigue, and corporate skullduggery that adds an exciting new element to our understanding of the World War II years.