The Ultra Secret (Hardback)

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In this fascinating account of the cryptography work at Bletchley Park during World War II, Group Captain Frederick Winterbotham explains how he helped establish a system to handle the decoded messages, created Special Liaison Units, and got the necessary messages to the relevant Allied commanders throughout the war. Tracking how they broke these messages and what they did with them, this book delves into the Enigma program’s role in the war from one of the officers involved in the project and offers a fascinating insight into this high-stakes and highly secret part of the war. Packed with details and information, readers will love the depth of detail and firsthand experience with the Ultra project that Group Captain Winterbotham provides, as the book delves into the behind-the-scenes work that often, but not always, helped the Allied war effort. The book is well-written and incredibly detailed, and this is a great read for diehard World War II history fans, as some more casual readers may find the lack of context and depth of information a bit daunting. Entertaining, informative, and fascinating, history fans will love this incredible firsthand account of the Enigma program and its strategic importance to the Allied war effort.

NetGalley, Lily Amidon

I've read many a first-hand account of various historical events. Few of them have had the detail that Frederick William Winterbotham presents us with in The Ultra Secret. At times I felt as if I were a fly on the wall, listening to conversations I should probably not be listening to, or seeing plans I would be better off not having seen. There is truly that much detail.
Readers who are interested in the Enigma Machine and the war winning effects of it will find this to be an interesting and informative read.

NetGalley, Donna Deck

For my fellow research nerds and academics this is a primary source! We love a good primary source. If you know me, I’m fascinated by intelligence work especially during the second World War, women often got to shine. This is a great account of the works that was going on at Bletchley.

NetGalley, Andrea Smith

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

This book by Group Captain Winterbotham was first published in 1974 and provided the detail of how the highly classified decrypted signals sent by the Germans during WWII and dubbed Top Secret Ultra or just Ultra, were used. Even after 50 years the book reveals to modern generations the details of some of the highly publicised battles of that conflict were orchestrated by the Allies, in such a way that the enemy did not realise that their codes had been broken.
Much has been written and filmed about the code breakers of Bletchley Park but this book takes us to the employment and application of the Ultra signals and message content.
Winterbotham concludes that the War's outcome "was, in fact, a very narrow shave, and the reader may like to ponder [...] whether or not we might have won had we not had Ultra"

A fascinating book that enhances our understanding of the major operations conducted during WWII and of the man who was responsible for managing the Ultra information.

NetGalley, Sandra Miller