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F. H. Hinsley (1918–1998)

Author of Codebreakers: The Inside Story of Bletchley Park

15+ Works 793 Members 2 Reviews

About the Author

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Works by F. H. Hinsley

Associated Works

The Empire-Commonwealth, 1870-1919 (1959) — Contributor — 3 copies

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Common Knowledge

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What a fascinating look behind the scenes at the famous Bletchley Park, where German and Japanese codes were broken to help the Allies win the war.

I admit going in to this that I hoped that each of the thirty stories would have some "I was there at a famous moment" anecdotes. But most talked about the monotony of working at a place that they couldn't tell anyone -- wives, husbands, parents, children -- about. A few made sure to point out how they felt overworked and underpaid throughout the war effort (which, of course, was longer in Europe than we Americans remember it being!). A couple of the stories were incredibly detailed, including one that provided a schematic with relays and switches showing how they built an Enigma-breaker. There were a few recollections that repeated some information, but it never felt duplicative or tedious.

The editors ended the book in a strange way: they saved the last essay for a woman -- one of several interviewed in the book, which was also impressive -- who just couldn't stand working in such a secretive place and doing nothing (so she thought), so she figured out a way to leave!

I was slightly disappointed that so few people remembered any significant moments (or even never-before-revealed secrets) during that period, although upon reflection, I probably can't remember all that many moments that would impress outsiders during the last five-plus years at my workplace. (There were a handful, though, and those were interesting, including the one who figured out the Japanese were creating a brand-new term during their surrender.)

You might learn a bit more about the specifics of German and Japanese codes by a book more concentrated on cryptography (like Kahn's famous Codebreakers), but this is a good read for those wanting to know how "normal" people functioned during World War II.

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LT Haiku:

Some codebreakers at
famous park share their stories
about secret work.
… (more)
 
Flagged
legallypuzzled | 1 other review | Nov 19, 2015 |
An entertaining and exciting journey back to the world of Bletchley Park during the war. After reading so many antiseptic retellings of the story, I was very pleased to read this very personal and human account. Hinsley tells the history, but also the very engaging stories of the people who made it.
1 vote
Flagged
Oreillynsf | 1 other review | May 23, 2010 |

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