Bletchley Park is one of those places that have become almost mythical to those interested in the history of the Second World War. A secret establishment, its story remained largely secret for many years after the war, and the work of the men and women who worked there only became public in the last quarter of the twentieth century.
The remarkable story of the code-breaking that went on at Bletchley is now largely in the public domain, and many books, TV programmes and films have appeared over the last thirty years. This book takes a particular approach. It looks directly at the people; who they were and how they were recruited and selected.
That process was initially very haphazard; but it worked. Academics who worked with arcane languages or toiled over pure mathematics. Chess addicts, happy to spend hours contemplating the results of one move. Anyone fluent in languages. But it was soon realised that a huge range of skills were needed, and those in charge were happy to recruit from every part of society. The resulting mix of people was incredibly diverse; it must have been an intensely exciting place to be.
In this book the author gives a potted history of Bletchley; describes how the recruitment process worked; and recounts some individual stories of those who ended up there. But the main focus of the book is the puzzles, riddles, tests and teasers that were used to assess people. They took many forms, and each chapter tests a different part of the psyche. From crosswords to morse code, from invented languages to logic, its all here. Many of the puzzles are actual examples from the time, and they range – for me, at least – from the relatively simple, to completely impossible.
So why the relatively low score? Well, I was never quite sure what the book was trying to do. The ongoing story of the recruitment process, and the personal stories, are interesting, but not enough to really satisfy. If you are looking for a history of Bletchley Park, then this is not it. And as a puzzle book, it may also come up short. Interesting and varied, but at times somewhat repetitive. It is, perhaps, a good book to have lying around to occasionally challenge yourself, rather than one to read through in one go.
Finally, what of the question prominently displayed on the front of the book; ‘Would Bletchley Park have recruited you?’ Well, we all have different strengths and weaknesses. Some sections of the book, I was able to fathom and solve many of the puzzles. But some sections left me completely baffled! I don’t think I would have found myself working in what must have been one of the most intellectually rewarding environments in our history.
This is a review of the Headline 2017 paperback edition.
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