In 1939, the Gestapo created a list of names: the Britons whose removal would be the Nazis’ priority in the event of a successful invasion. Who were they? What had they done to provoke Germany? For the first time, the historian Sybil Oldfield uncovers their stories and reveals why the Nazis feared their influence.

Those on the hitlist – many of them naturalised refugees – were some of Britain’s most gifted and humane inhabitants. They included writers, humanitarians, religious leaders, scientists, artists, and social reformers.

By examining these targets of Nazi hatred, Oldfield not only sheds light on the Gestapo worldview but also movingly reveals a network of truly exemplary Britons: mavericks, moral visionaries and unsung heroes.