This is CBS Eye on the World.

Here's John Batchelor.

Visiting with Charles Spicer, whose new book, Coffee with Hitler, is the untold story of the amateur spies who tried to civilize the Nazis.

It is the untold story of the goodwill of men of both

Germany and Great Britain in the period of 1930s after the dictator took charge of Germany

to find a way to avoid a crisis such as we know happened, to avoid war because they were scarred by the first war.

We come now to September of 1936.

The Anglo-German Fellowship of London, the Deutsche Anglisher Giselschaft of Berlin,

have been meeting and looking for ways forward to work in terms of business terms,

business relationships, trade, and also friendship. And German speakers,

Ernest Tennant, Philip Conwell Evans, and Graham Christie are informing both sides of what

can be done to find a way forward. And one of the best ideas is to have

a senior British politician, the Prime Minister or near two, to meet with Hitler and find a way

to avoid conflict. Stanley Baldwin is not available. David Lloyd George is available, and it is now September of 1936, and

David Lloyd George travels over land to Bechtesgaden to Hitler's alpine retreat, Berkhov. Charles,

what is Berghoff? What does it represent in this story? Why did Hitler build and stay so far away from his capital?

Well, he was originally a small four-bedroomed cabin that Hitler rented in the late 20s, early 30s, before he becomes Chancellor.

And once he becomes Chancellor, he buys the property and then quite quickly,

massively enhances it.

And it becomes much more at home.

It's the Nazi Party's control centre for southern Germany.

And the location, it's a beautiful setting, looking out over the Austrian Alps, right on the border. Obviously, Hitler is Austrian by birth. He quite

...