Codebreakers: The Inside Story of Bletchley Park Reissue Edition

by F. H. Hinsley (Editor), Alan Stripp (Editor)

48 customer reviews

ISBN-13: 978-0192801326

ISBN-10: 0192801325

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Familiar to anyone versed in the history of World War II or interested in the study of modern intelligence work, Bletchley Park was arguably the most successful intelligence operation in world history, the top secret workplace of the remarkable people who cracked Germany's vaunted Enigma Code. Almost to the end of the war, the Germans had firm faith in the Enigma ciphering machine, but in fact the codebreakers were deciphering nearly 4,000 German transmissions daily by 1942, reaping a wealth of information on such important matters as the effort to resupply Rommel's army in North Africa and the effect of Allied attempts to mislead the Germans about the location of D-Day landings. Indeed, Winston Churchill hailed the work of Bletchley Park as the "secret weapon" that won the war.
Only now, nearly half a century since the end of the Second World War, have any of the men and women in this group come forward to tell this remarkable story in their own words--a story that an oath of secrecy long prevented them from revealing. In Codebreakers, F.H. Hinsley and Alan Stripp have gathered together twenty-seven first-hand accounts of one of the most amazing feats in intelligence history. These engaging memoirs, each written by a different member of the codebreakers team, recount the long hours working in total secrecy and the feelings of camaraderie, tension, excitement, and frustration as these men and women, both British and American, did some of the most important work of the war. These talented people share not only their technical knowledge of cryptography and military logistics, but also poignant personal recollections as well. Walter Eytan, one of a handful of Jews at Betchley Park, recalls intercepting a message from a German vessel which reported that it carried Jews "en route for Piraeus zur Endlosung (for the final solution)." Eytan writes "I had never heard this expression before, but instinctively, I knew what it must mean, and I have never forgotten that moment." Vivienne Alford tells of her chilling memory of hearing that the atomic bomb had been dropped on Hiroshima, and the stillness that came over her and her co-workers in Naval Section VI. And William Millward confides that he is still haunted by the work he did in Hut 3 nearly fifty years ago. "I sometimes wonder, especially during the night, how many sailors I drowned."
Few readers will finish this book without feeling that the codebreakers were essential to the outcome of the war--and thereby of major importance in helping to shape the world we live in today.

Codebreakers: The Inside Story of Bletchley Park

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Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

This set of 27 personal narratives by British code breakers who served at the famous Bletchley Park center during World War II does not require much background on cryptography or even much interest in the subject. It offers the human side of an operation more secret than and just as critical to Allied victory as anything in the war except the Manhattan Project. For the most part, the men and women involved herein tell their stories with simple eloquence. It is fortunate that they were released from their Official Secrets Act oaths before time silenced them forever. Roland Green --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"A fascinating and unique book. For the first time--and in their own words--the men and women of Bletchley Park describe in detail how they broke the most secret codes of Germany and Japan. Complex, evocative and engrossing, it is the story of an unprecedented intellectual achievement which not only shortened the war and saved millions of lives but also helped forge the modern age. Anyone who is interested in military or scientific history will want to read it."--Robert Harris

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Product details

Paperback: 360 pages
Publisher: Oxford University Press; Reissue edition (August 9, 2001)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0192801325
ISBN-13: 978-0192801326
Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 0.9 x 4.9 inches
Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 48 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #438,986 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #825 in Books > History > Europe > Great Britain > England
- #1069 in Books > Textbooks > Humanities > History > Military
- #1681 in Books > Textbooks > Humanities > History > Europe

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Top customer reviews

An interesting series of essays

ByMetallurgistTOP 1000 REVIEWERon May 13, 2014

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

This book consists of 30 essays divided into four sections – The Production of Ultra Intelligence, Enigma, Fish (the German Lorenz machine), and Field Ciphers and Tactical Codes. These essays were written by the men and women who worked at Bletchley Park deciphering German, Italian and Japanese codes and ciphers. Their stories range from the human elements of their work (how they were recruited, working and living conditions, etc.) to technical aspects of how they went about their deciphering efforts. Some of the book is technical, but for the most part the book is completely accessible to someone without any deciphering experience or even a desire to delve deeply into the details to this field.

I recommend this book to people interested in learning more about what went on at Bletchley Park, as told by the people who worked there.

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A fascinating look behind the scenes of the "ultra secret" ...

ByLarry Kon August 8, 2017