This book was very well written but challenging to get through. The true story of young men and women breaking code outside of London during WWII is extremely interesting to me. Using German, mathematics and engineering, the workers tried to interpret messages sent by the German Enigma machine. They also tried to invent a new machine that would think like a human mind (yes, a computer)which would break code faster. Most men brought to Bletchley were at college or had just graduated. The women who were employed were hired due to their " good upbringing" or "social standing." The material was well presented and although it is a history book, it was not dry. I was glad for the dictionary app on my phone, however. I used it a lot! There are a lot of side stories that would also make interesting reading that were touched upon in the book. I thought the author did a great job of transitioning from one chapter to the next by giving you a preview of the theme of the next chapter. I can not imagine that the secrecy maintained by those involved would be possible in our time of instant news. It is hard to imagine that it was ever possible! The fact that veterans of Bletchley Park could not reveal what they had done in the war due to a signed "Official Secrecy Act" until 1974 (even to family)is unbelievable. What The Greatest Generation (of Allies) did is SO impressive.Really enjoyed this topic. I work for a non-fiction publisher so sometimes reading non-fiction feels a bit like homework but not this. It's thoroughly engaging and informative and I love how the author focusses on the people. It would be easy to group these code breakers into a chapter on the war but McKay makes us see the people behind the code breaking and I think this makes the work they did all the more amazing. We see all the flash-bang-whiz spy work on TV and films but it's fascinating to see all the hard work and attention to detail that went into it all. I learned so much about the war through these people. Well worth a read.
Enjoyed this slice of history, amazing individuals during challenging times.
—carolinerodovalho
Interesting, but got a little slow towards the end.
—Drew
Absolutely, positively, loved this book!
—chryxtyna
Outstanding and informative.
—Angie
