No More Secrets: My part in codebreaking at Bletchley Park and the Pentagon
£4.80£9.50 (-49%)
‘Engaging’ Daily Telegraph
The true and extraordinary story of one of the last surviving women to have worked in codebreaking at both Bletchley Park and the Pentagon.
Born one hundred years ago, Betty Webb MBE, LOH (Legion of Honour) has had a ringside seat to history. After graduating from school, she faced the usual limited opportunities for employment on offer to women at the time. However, with the war in full swing, fate intervened and in 1941, wanting to play her part in the war effort, Betty joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service (Women’s Army).
After being interviewed by an intelligence officer, she found herself at Euston station with her kit-bag, a travel warrant in her pocket and instructions to get off the train at Bletchley Park.
Between 1941 and 1945 Betty played a vital role in the top-secret efforts being made to decipher the secret communications of the Germans and later the Japanese. In 1945, as other members of the forces returned home from the war in Europe, she was sent to the Pentagon and was in Washington DC when the atomic bombs fell and when Eisenhower announced the end of the war.
Betty was unable to reveal the true nature of her work, even to her parents, until years later. In this fascinating book, she revisits the key moments of her life and recounts the incredible stories from her time at Bletchley Park.
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Additional information
| Publisher | Mardle Books (4 May 2023) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Paperback | 240 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 1837700214 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1837700219 |
| Dimensions | 12.7 x 1.27 x 19.69 cm |
by Amazon Customer
From a rural Shropshire beginning to Bletchley Park in WW2 and the Pentagon at the culmination of the war, Betty’s story brings you though a raft of emotions and area of wartime life that was so classified she was not allowed to tell the story until many years after the war. A fascinating social history that touches many areas that other books on Bletchley and codebreaking have not yet featured. Believe me, I have most of the other books. Highly recommended and very enjoyable read. HC
by Chloe
A very powerful and gripping story that is difficult to read in some parts but worth sticking with. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work.
The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, no significant gaps between words and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book. A star has been deducted because of this.
The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.
by T Morton
I have had a fascination with Bletchley Park since a recent visit. This is a good personal account from someone who actually worked there .
by Helen Wilkinson
Wow, what a fantastic book. For anyone who has an interest in history, world war 2 and bletchley park.
From growing up i the countryside to working as part of the war effort to working at the pentagon. What a full and interesting life Betty has had.
I was enthralled by her life story.
by Nicholas
Nice big print for us golden oldies and good fotos.
by mr s robinson
I loved the level of detail in this book, a must for social historians. The contrast between life in the country in the 1920s/30s, a visit to Germany in 1937 contrasting so much with being a 1941 ATS recruit. Then the secrecy of Bletchley Park followed by the pentagon was fascinating. Betty’s life evolves from a young girl in the 1920s through to a teen at war joining the army. Then a young woman diligently working on codes while the war rages on to promotion and her work at the Pentagon. Then Army Captain in the TA. A whole cast of others characters feature in this rich memoir. Highly recommended!
by susiesue
Well written, factual as well as a good story
by Vicuña
I’ve read a few books about Bletchley Park and was interested in this title because of Betty Webb’s work in the Pentagon as well. That’s a unique perspective and one I haven’t come across before.
This account is remarkable. It’s an honest account and it gives a real feel for the way in which an ordinary young woman was taken to Bletchley Oark; she wanted to be an ATS driver but clearly her talents lay elsewhere. There’s a lot of personal reminiscence, but that adds to the veracity and this is an important part of history. There are numerous titles about the war written by men. The importance of women in the war effort often goes unrecognised and books such as this give a genuine insight into the importance their work. Few individuals achieved such a unique position to work in both Britain and the USA and I enjoyed her account.