Seizing the Enigma: The Race to Break the German U-Boats Codes, 1939–1943

The author passionately tries to make a potentially dull story exciting…and occasionally pulls it off. The final chapter summarizes it all, but "the devil is in the details", inasmuch as the Enigma code was broken by luck, stupidity and intuition--with a little mathematical know-how thrown in for seasoning. Actually, the code was not "broken", only illuminated occasionally; knowing how the enigma machine was built and how it functioned will only take you so far--it's knowing the initial "key" that provided any clear solutions. And the "key" changed often enough to make life miserable for the British code breakers. The stories of the people--on both sides of the equation--provide a lot of the entertainment in the book, along with the show more many plots and plans to steal or hide information (Ian Fleming’s efforts on the war front were original and definitely entertaining); and the tensions & fears & deaths--on both sides--do help the narrative move along. But it quickly becomes clear that the invulnerable Enigma code was broken and fixed and broken again and again throughout the entire war.

Meanwhile, Kahn does not let us forget how hard the Nazis were working on breaking our codes. In the end, it’s as Tartakower said: “The winner of the game is the player who makes the next-to-last mistake.” show less

Better than most books on Bletchley Park and the breaking of the German codes during WWII, this book focuses almost exclusively on the breaking of the naval and U-Boat codes. It refutes the movie "U-571," in which a U.S. operation captures German code books, with the truth that it was many valent British sailors who captured these books - - at times, at the expense of their lives. It's also much more accurate about BP, the bombes and the quest to break the Enigma code than is the current movie "The Imitation Game."

Well written and eminitely readable book. The German navel enigma was more protected cryptographically speaking, than the army/air force enigma, and thus required greater effort to break it. The 'breaks' came in the way of seizures of document keys from captured German weather ships and U-boats. The many factors leading to the Allies ultimate success in the North Atlantic is the basis of this book.

A very interesting book, the battle of the pacific with German U-Boats and allied convoys was the most interesting part of the story.

This book was purchased at Bletchley Park, England, on Aug. 21, 2016