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'One of the greatest codebreakers of the twentieth century' Suzannah Lipscomb An astounding story of codebreaking, personal sacrifice and a life lived in the shadows. The history of British codebreaking is often considered a men-only preserve, ignoring the fact that the vast majority of codebreakers were women. And foremost among them was one who is largely unknown to the public: Emily Anderson. A leading member of British intelligence, Anderson played a pivotal role in both world wars. Amongst the first codebreakers to move to Bletchley Park, she later transferred to Cairo where her exceptional skills in decoding diplomatic and military intelligence were instrumental in the first Allied victory of the Second World War, for which she was awarded the OBE. Remarkable in many ways, she was also the first female Junior Assistant in the civil service and led the fight for equal pay for women at GCHQ. Revealing newly discovered material and sources, Queen of Codes is a fascinating narrative that will rightly seal Emily Anderson's place at the forefront of Britain's eminent codebreakers.
The highly eccentric Alfred Dillwyn Knox, known simply as 'Dilly', was one of the leading figures in the British codebreaking successes of the two world wars. During the first, he was the chief codebreaker in the Admiralty, breaking the German Navy's main flag code, before going on to crack the German Enigma ciphers during the Second World War at Bletchley Park. Here, he enjoyed the triumphant culmination of his life's work: a reconstruction of the Enigma machine used by the Abwehr, the German Secret Service. This kept the British fully aware of what the German commanders knew about Allied plans, allowing MI5 and MI6 to use captured German spies to feed false information back to the Nazi spymasters. Mavis Batey was one of 'Dilly's girls', the young female codebreakers who helped him to break the various Enigma ciphers. She was called upon to advise Kate Winslet, star of the film Enigma, on what it was like to be one of the few female codebreakers at Bletchley Park. This gripping new edition of Batey's critically acclaimed book reveals the vital part Dilly played in the deception operation that ensured the success of the D-Day landings, altering the course of the Second World War.
'Turing writes on codebreaking with understandable authority and compelling panache.' - Michael Smith, bestselling author of Station X. At Bletchley Park, some of Britain's most talented mathematicians, linguists, and intellectuals were assembled to break Nazi codes. Kept secret for nearly thirty years, we have now come to realise the crucial role that these codebreakers played in the Allied victory in World War II. Written by Dermot Turing - the nephew of famous codebreaker Alan Turing - this illustrated account provides unique insight into the behind-the-scenes action at Bletchley Park. Discover how brilliant and eccentric individuals such as Dilly Knox, Alan Turing and Joan Clarke were recruited, the social life that grew up around the park, and how they dealt with the ever-present burden of secrecy. Including a foreword by Professor Christopher Andrew of Cambridge University, author of MI5's official history The Secret World, this book brings to life the stories of the men and women who toiled day and night to crack the seemingly unbreakable enigma code.
Alan Turing has long proved a subject of fascination, but following the centenary of his birth in 2012, the code-breaker, computer pioneer, mathematician (and much more) has become even more celebrated with much media coverage, and several meetings, conferences and books raising public awareness of Turing's life and work. This volume will bring together contributions from some of the leading experts on Alan Turing to create a comprehensive guide to Turing that will serve as a useful resource for researchers in the area as well as the increasingly interested general reader. The book will cover aspects of Turing's life and the wide range of his intellectual activities, including mathematics, code-breaking, computer science, logic, artificial intelligence and mathematical biology, as well as his subsequent influence.
Here is the ultimate inside history of the role of modern intelligence across the globe. Unrivaled in its scope and as readable as any spy novel, A Century of Spies travels from tsarist Russia and the earliest days of the British Secret Service to the crises and uncertainties of today's post-Cold War world. From spies and secret agencies to the latest high-tech wizardry in signals and imagery intelligence, it provides fascinating, in-depth coverage of important operations of United States, British, Russian, Israeli, Chinese, German, and French intelligence services, and much more. A Century of Spies is filled with new information on a variety of subjects - from the activities of the American Black Chamber in the 1920s to intelligence collection during the Cuban missile crisis to Soviet intelligence and covert action operations. It is an essential volume for anyone interested in military history, espionage and adventure, and world affairs.
Etymology as the principle of Chinese writing -- Introducing Chinese characters -- Deerpark hermitage -- River snow: part one-the other Greek -- River snow: part two-word-building -- River snow: part three-rhythm -- Windows -- Stars and seething pots -- The ballad of the ancient cypress -- On releasing a wild goose -- Ware, ware, snares for hares -- "The way": Lao Tzu, Chuang Tzu and Lieh Tzu -- When I was green -- Snow and plum -- Farewell to the god of plagues
'A compelling read, this is the story of one family's journey through wars, tragedies and triumphs. A story of love, family, unity and resilience. Another great story from Australian author G. S. Willmott. Very difficult to put this one down.' - Christine 'Historical thriller of how one family beat the odds to survive WWI and WWII... The ending leaves the reader astonished.' - David 'A masterful book written in the most powerful way, about two families and their struggle with business, two world wars and the loss of the family and friends held dearest to them.From the very first page you are held in suspense, through the absorbingly vivid descriptions of the most horrific and colourful situations, that were the period during and between the two great wars.The spellbinding finale leaves the reader wanting answers to the vexed questions of life, and its true meaning.' - Ian
The real story of how Winston Churchill and the British mastered deception to defeat the Nazis - by conning the Kaiser, hoaxing Hitler and using brains to outwit brawn. By June 1940, most of Europe had fallen to the Nazis and Britain stood alone. So, with Winston Churchill in charge the British bluffed their way out of trouble, drawing on the trickery which had helped them win the First World War. They broadcast outrageous British propaganda on pretend German radio stations, broke German secret codes and eavesdropped on their messages. Every German spy in Britain was captured and many were used to send back false information to their controllers. Forged documents misled their intelligence. B...
Despite publicity given to the successes of British and American codebreakers during the Second World War, the study of signals intelligence is still complicated by governmental secrecy over even the most elderly peacetime sigint. This book, first published in 1986, lifts the veil on some of these historical secrets. Christopher Andrew and Keith Neilson cast new light on how Tsarist codebreakers penetrated British code and cypher systems. John Chapman’s study of German military codebreaking represents a major advance in our understanding of cryptanalysis during the Weimar Republic. The history of the Government Code and Cypher School – forerunner of today’s GCHQ – by its operational ...