The Enigma Story: The Truth Behind the ‘Unbreakable’ World War II Cipher

The Enigma cipher was supposed to be the German’s impenetrable defence for its military communications against prying eyes during World War II. All manner of secrets were entrusted to it. When the Allies finally managed to crack the code, it heralded a turning point in the war.

This is the fascinating story of how the code was created, adopted by the Nazis, and finally broken. Dermot Turing, the nephew of the great codebreaker Alan Turing, explores the twists and turns of German encryption efforts from the end of World War I through to Hitler’s demise and the great lengths to which the Allies went to break it.

The Enigma Story reveals the efforts of the codebreakers at Bletchley Park, the machines called ‘bombes’ specially designed to break it, and the vast resources devoted in America to decrypting German messages. From the cloak-and-dagger heroics of men like Hans-Thilo Schmidt and Gustave Bertrand to the brilliant mathematical discoveries of men like Henryk Zygalski and Dilly Knox to the fraught decision-making of Allied High Command, the battle for the code was at the heart of the Allied victory in World War II.

This extraordinary tale of intrigue, ingenuity and courage brings to life the complete story of the Enigma in a lively and entertaining narrative.