Bletchley Park: The Secret Archives

by Sinclair McKay, Bletchley Park

This beautifully presented slipcased collector's edition of the best selling title, The Lost World of Bletchley Park is a comprehensive illustrated history of this remarkable place, from its prewar heyday as a country estate, its wartime requisition and how it became the place where modern computing was invented and the German Enigma code was cracked, to its post-war dereliction and then rescue towards the end of the twentieth century as a museum. Removable memorabilia 1938 recruiting memo with a big tick against Turing's name Churchill's 'Action this day' letter giving code breakers extra resources Handwritten Turing memos Top Secret Engima decryptions, about the sinking of the Bismark, German High Command's assessment of D-Day threat and the message announcing Hitler's suicide A wealth of everyday items such as authentic theatre posters, a map of Bletchley Park, canteen menus, teleprinter print-outs of codes, the Colossus paper tape spooled through machines Newly redesigned interiors with 25% new content, high end slipcase package featuring removable facsimile documents, this is an essential purchase for everyone interested and wanting to experience the place where code-breaking helped to win the war.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, World War II, War, Espionage

176 pages, Hardcover

First published March 17, 2016

About the author

Sinclair McKay writes regularly for the Daily Telegraph and The Secret Listeners and has written books about James Bond and Hammer horror for Aurum. His next book, about the wartime “Y” Service during World War II, is due to be published by Aurum in 2012. He lives in London.
-Source

Reviews

[E. G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Introduction

--Bletchley Park: The Secret Archives

Acknowledgements
Picture Credits
Memorabilia Credits

Removable Memorabilia:
Call Up Notice
Churchill's 'Action This Day' Note
Colour Map of Bletchley Park
Security Form
Bletchley Park Cartoon
Ian Fleming Note
Turing's Notes on the Enigma Machine
D-Day Decrypt
Poster
Enigma Decrypt

[Lizzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Didn't realise until just now that this has not been officially released yet - explains the typos/finding it in The Works!*

I love Bletchley Park - I wrote a 5000 word essay on it in my last year of school. Just the thought of this top secret base, hidden in plain sight, filled with the best and most eccentric intellectuals of the day working together for the war effort appeals to the maths geek and the patriot in me. That spirit was encapsulated perfectly here - although the book doesn't touch much on the actual workings of the mathematics that was being done, it is such a brilliant insight into the atmosphere and day-to-day life at Bletchley. Needless to say, after reading this I want to be there even more!

[Skull · Rating 1 out of 5]

whilst this book may have some interesting contents, there is no detail whatsoever.

I learnt more about Colossus from my Granddad, and each subject in this book was treated sparsely.

Even worse, the book is almost illegible due to the colour of text over glossy black or faded photo backgrounds.

children would love the document wallet at the back and probably dip into it but for me it was a great shame...

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only reason I can't give this book 5 stars is because the print on the pages with the blue background was really hard to read. Otherwise, highly recommended!

[Alistair Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a small fascination with 'code-breaking' at Bletchley Park. This book comes with 'removable memorabilia' - or facsimiles of code-breaking artefacts, so I had to have it.

In truth, its title does not mislead, it is the story of the house at Bletchley Park, of which its hosting of the Government Code and Cypher School (GC&CS) was just one (important) interlude. As such, I was quite happy; it was good to put that in context.

(I have a personal interest in the house. I lived just down the road from it for about one year, at a time when it was not open to the public, and was likely to fall into disrepair.)

The coverage of the deciphering effort is good, and not too technical, and the artefacts are quite fascinating.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

BLETCHLEY PARK: THE SECRET ARCHIVES, by Sinclair McKay, tells the story of the men and women who worked at the famous codebreakers' establishment in World War II. Adding to the enjoyment of reading about the people, the cases they worked on, and the era, is the cache of separate documents, booklets, and photographs. Everything is encased in a sturdy, attractive slip-case. Each document and photo is an authentic reproduction. This added to my enjoyment of the read, and brought me closer to the era and the race to save lives during the war. Well researched and presented, this is a book for lovers of WWII history.

[Rosemary · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a child, I was always drawn to books with little windows to open, or treasures to unlock. McKay has brought that love of secrets into both the text as well as the physical properties of this engaging history of Bletchley Park. As a fanatic reader of WWII novels and histories, this book added a wealth of information to my understanding along with an increased appreciation for the work done by thousands during the war. Added a visit to my “to do” list!

[R.J. Southworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a great introduction to the history of Bletchley Park; as it focusses more on the estate itself and the people involved in its WW2 activities than the mechanics of the codebreaking, it’s the kind of book that makes you want to learn more, which is one of the best things a non-fiction book can achieve.

[Sara Hobin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a fascinating insight into life at Bletchley Park, and I can't wait to visit later in the year.

[Emma Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I had been taught about Bletchley Park at school, it's so fascinating to read about what went on there during the war & how those who worked there were sworn to secrecy. A fascinating read.

[Chris B · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating look at life and work at BP, where my mother-in-law worked in Hut 6 Decoding Room/Block D(6) from1942-45

[Jdblair · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Additionally, the book had copies of significant maps and examples of decryptions inserted in 3 pockets in the book.
One of the reasons I wanted to read this book is because I spent almost 28 years of active and reserve duty with the then Air Force Security Service and its successor organizations. Also, all of my annual active duty was at NSA, Ft. Meade, Maryland. Finally, we visited Bletchley Park in 2008 and loved the visit. Since the Bletchley Park Trust has done extensive restoration and improvement of the campus, we want to return for another visit. BP is just west of the M1 and Milton Keynes.