Bill Tutte Codebreaker: and His Battle with Hitler’s Secret Cipher

by Tom Williams

Bill Tutte Codebreaker

‘The greatest intellectual feat of the Second World War.’

… a testimonial to Bill Tutte and his codebreaking discovery in 1942 at Bletchley Park.

Bill Tutte was a young, gauche PhD student, yet his remarkable breakthrough and continuing endeavour against a German cipher machine more complex than Enigma led to the development of the world’s first programmable computer, Colossus. Colossus allowed top-secret messages between Hitler and his generals to be read within hours, contributing significantly to the success of the D-Day landings and the eventual defeat of Nazi Germany.

So secret were the functions performed by Colossus that the work of Bill Tutte and his colleagues was classified for more than 50 years after the end of the Second World War.

This novel not only explores Bill Tutte’s codebreaking, but also examines his ‘autistic’ character, his background and close relationships all woven into the pressures and diversions of life at Bletchley Park.

Prime Minister David Cameron wrote in 2012:

We should never forget how lucky we were to have men like William ‘Bill’ Tutte in our darkest hour and the extent to which their work not only helped protect Britain itself but also shorten the war by an estimated two years, saving countless lives. … I can say without doubt that Bill Tutte deserves the thanks of the British people.

337 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 29, 2019

About the author

Tom Williams is a technology veteran with over four decades of experience leading private and public companies that profoundly altered the way we work, learn, entertain and interact.

The son of an auto mechanic and a bookkeeper, Tom grew up in Rhode Island with an interest in changing how things work. In 1968, he joined the Information Technology Department at the Community College of Rhode Island to lead in the design and development of automated grade reporting, class scheduling, and student information systems.

In 1978, the Memorex Corporation lured Tom to Silicon Valley with an offer to join its newly formed Communications Product Division as a Strategic Planner. After a five-year stint at Memorex, he concentrated his career in starting disruptive technology companies that received a number in domestic and international awards.

Besides being Chairman of the companies he founded, Tom held domestic and international Board of Directors positions, executive positions at Novell and Cisco, and is a Limited Partner in several venture capital funds. Also, Tom was a Trustee and Executive Committee member of a private school.

Today, Tom spends his time as an Independent Board Member, Strategic Advisor, speaker and author. Corporations, growth companies, startups and private equity firms engage Tom's expertise and retain him as an independent voice to gather thought leaders together to discuss and debate the impact and strategic value of technology in emerging markets that will deliver extraordinary productive and profitable outcomes.

Tom earned an MBA from Santa Clara University, a BS Business from Roger Williams University, an AS Computer Science from Community College of RI, and a Certificate in Data Processing from the Institute for Certification of Computing Processionals (ICCP). Tom also served honorably in the U.S. Army in the position of Drill Sergeant.

Tom is intrigued by the notion of providing an author’s platform that directly engages readers. One of the aspects of his novels is to include an Author’s Commentary chapter at the end of the story that clarifies the impact of the technology used in the story. He encourages readers to engage in discussions and observation on the technology referenced in his books.

Reviews

[Karen Rodgers]

This is a great book; I found it compelling, intellectually fascinating and also deeply moving..People all through the war reproached him for not fighting.. They had no idea. A great true story well told.

warmest regards,

Karen