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Product Description
STATION X tells the true story, as it has never been told before, of the amazing achievements of the codebreakers working at Bletchley Park in the Second World War.
Book Description
In 1939, several hundred people - students, professors, international chess players, junior military officers, actresses and debutantes - reported to a Victorian mansion in Buckinghamshire: Bletchley Park. This was to be 'Station X', the Allies' top-secret centre for deciphering enemy codes. Their task was to break the ingenious Enigma code used for German high-level communications. The settings for the Enigma machine changed continually and each day the German operators had 159 million million million different possibilities. Yet against all the odds this gifted group achieved the impossible, coping with even greater difficulties to break Shark, the U-Boat Enigma, and Fish, the cypher system used by Hitler to talk to his guards.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Station X is a brilliant, witty and sad book, written by those of the inner-circle of BP. Anybody researching The Enigma Machine and it's workings, would find this essential reading! All the Services are represented, and many of those involved give first hand accounts of the vital role played in the war by the genius's at BP.
This book is informative, yet fun; and when they succeed it's amazing, when they battle for days and night to crack the codes and are fully aware men are dying, they respond by working ever harder to get the job done.
You will be full of admiration for these folk who shortened the war by years not days! As Lady Hooper's poem shows, many never knew how the part they played fitted in; and this is the best book to read, from those who did know and cared, doing such a wonderful 'job'!
I can't recommended this book often or highly enough, for anyone who thinks they know how the war was won - it is required reading, and enjoyable, dry witted, and full of pathos to boot!
This book is informative, yet fun; and when they succeed it's amazing, when they battle for days and night to crack the codes and are fully aware men are dying, they respond by working ever harder to get the job done.
You will be full of admiration for these folk who shortened the war by years not days! As Lady Hooper's poem shows, many never knew how the part they played fitted in; and this is the best book to read, from those who did know and cared, doing such a wonderful 'job'!
I can't recommended this book often or highly enough, for anyone who thinks they know how the war was won - it is required reading, and enjoyable, dry witted, and full of pathos to boot!
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
World War 2 has always fascinated me and I have often heard of the Enigma codes and how breaking them gave us an edge, so this book was useful in learning more about the subject.
As I write I'm still reading the book itself and have found what I read so far to be very interesting and informative. The author has certainly done some excellent and comprehensive research in writing this book, including snippets of interviews from Bletchley Park personnel which gives an insight into the people involved and how tehy went about their work. While the book is predominantly about Bletchley itself it also delves into areas which are linked to the topic, such as the sinking of HMS Glorious and the Bismarck.
While the book is very detailed the one problem I had was fully understanding how the engima machine and the encryption process actually worked. Rather than having a section which describes the full workings of the machine, Michael Smith has put bits and pieces about it throughout the book which results in having to either go back and reread sections or as I have done googling it to get the information. I personally like to have a full visualisation in my mind about these things while I'm reading. Having said that it did mean that I did further research into it which is always good.
As I write I'm still reading the book itself and have found what I read so far to be very interesting and informative. The author has certainly done some excellent and comprehensive research in writing this book, including snippets of interviews from Bletchley Park personnel which gives an insight into the people involved and how tehy went about their work. While the book is predominantly about Bletchley itself it also delves into areas which are linked to the topic, such as the sinking of HMS Glorious and the Bismarck.
While the book is very detailed the one problem I had was fully understanding how the engima machine and the encryption process actually worked. Rather than having a section which describes the full workings of the machine, Michael Smith has put bits and pieces about it throughout the book which results in having to either go back and reread sections or as I have done googling it to get the information. I personally like to have a full visualisation in my mind about these things while I'm reading. Having said that it did mean that I did further research into it which is always good.
28 of 30 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The book Station X is a wonderful book about the work of the code breakers during the 2nd world war and is a real tribute to those people who worked in intelligence. The amazing work of many people during the war was recognized immediately and the people concerned have been duly acclaimed. Those people working in intelligence knew that even once the war was over, their work would continue to remain secret for many years. The insight to this secret world is very interesting and left me vry thankful for those previously unnamed heroes that helped us to win the war. I hope many people will read this book and understand what others gave for our safety.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A reasonable Introduction but out of date.
If you ever thought that Colossus was used to break the Enigma codes then this will put you right. This is an easy to read and well written overview of what Bletchley Park was... Read more
Published 14 days ago by Keith V
Station X: The Code Breakers of Bletchley Park
This is a book for those seeking further information, clarification and description of the Second World War at Bletchley Park. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Jane Doe
Station X
Well written book and factual. I've always be facinated by codes and particulary how the codes were broken so this book filled in a few gaps in my knowledge.
Published 5 months ago by Beff
Fills in most of the gaps!
Delivery on time..(before time) For me it was a really enjoyable book filling in much of the fantastic work was done in the 'back room' during WW2.. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Alan F
a good story badly told
I can't believe the good reviews of this book, nor the fact that the hardback and paperback versions don't have merged reviews. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Neil Carmichael
Excellent book
Ok,
I have found this book interesting and enjoyable for two reasons:
- for the fact that it is written including testimonial accounts related to people who... Read more
I have found this book interesting and enjoyable for two reasons:
- for the fact that it is written including testimonial accounts related to people who... Read more
Published 19 months ago by A. Bigoni
Station X
What a book ! I had no idea that the British in their hour of need pulled off such an intelligence coup . Read more
Published 23 months ago by Strettonite
Revealing a Secret
This is a well researched and carefully written book, that offers an excellent introduction to the work of the code breakers at Beltchley Park during the Second world War. Read more
Published on 9 May 2010 by William Mash
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