Customer Reviews

Station X: The Codebreakers of Bletchley Park

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

Station X- Decoding Nazi Secrets is a must read. It reveals the complexities of the task that was laid before them of deciphering the Enigma Code. Included are some of the personality characteristics, politics, group function, as well as the more technical aspects of breaking the code.
It is a book that I have highlighted and use as a reference.
Truly captivating!

There are a lot of books out on the Ultra secret. I know-I have about 3 feet of them in my bookcase, starting with the original 'The Ultra Secret' by F.W Winterbotham in 1975.I have used Enigma machines at the NSA museum in Maryland, and I spent a day at Bletchly Park in the UK. I also had the privilege of knowing one of the mathematicians who worked at Bletchly, one high enough up the chain to be mentioned in some of the books, Professor I.J. Good.

So it takes an exceptional book to get me excited about Ultra. This book did not do that, but it is a decent book none the less.

It provides the more casual reader a good overview of the Ultra secret, from the first breakthroughs accomplished by the brilliant Polish mathematicians, to the work of the French, to it's transfer to England, and beyond. This book cover all of the essentials of Ultra in a well written form. Nothing really groundbreaking, but there was some new information, and some good explanations of how the Germans and Brits used and decrypted Ultra.

If I could, I would give it 3 stars for serious readers, and 4 for newcomers to Ultra.

So, if you are new to Ultra, this is a good intro. If you are a serious student, dig deeper elsewhere.