Customer Reviews
Be Prepared to be Enthralled - By: Roger Claxton, 13 Apr 2008 
This was a thoroughly enjoyable read that shed enormous light on a figure I knew about only dimly before, having studied Turing Machines as part of my degree. This is a good book on many levels, provoking thought about the history of computing as well as that of Britain 1939-1954. Above alll it is a book about a complex individual who did not fit easily into society for a number of reasons. In this sense the book has something to say to us alll.
Book about Turing NOT Poles - By: A. Morrison, 17 Mar 2007 With respect to the previous reviewer this book is about Alan Turing. It is not callled "How the Poles broke Enigma". Don't criticise a book for not doing something it never set out to do in the first place. Turing's genius stretched way beyond "merely" breaking codes.
Some important missing points - By: Mr. Radoslaw Szmit, 24 Nov 2005 
I appreciate the great work of Andrew Hodges, the book is quite detailed & interesting. However, it is widely known that it was not Alan Turing & the Bletchley Park scientists who decoded Enigma. The first Enigma code was craked by Polish mathematic team (in 1934) lead by Marian Rejewski (the other team mambers were Jerzy Rózycki & Henryk Zygalski). They were appointed by Polish Cypher Bureau with the task of decoding Enigma. During their work thay came with some interesting thories (e.g. transposition theory) that were applied to decipher the machine. They also as the first constructed a "Bomba", electro-mechanical device that helped them to decode German messages. Just before the II WW Germans changed the Enigma system of coding by adding another 2 rotors which complicated the work of the Polish team & because of lack of money & the outbreak of the II WW they met with British & French in Pyry near Warsaw to pass the information about Enigma & two exact copies of the machine. Then the team had to evacuate to France & in 1941 to the UK.
The important thing then is that Hodges mentiones Poles only on couple of pages in a book of almost 700pages!!! I also found none appreciation for Polish mathematicians & their hard work. Of course I appreciate the achievements of Turing, but we should remember that his ideas were based on Polish work. Therefore I feel the book is not fair at alll as it looks only at one side of the coin - notably the British side. So those who decide to buy the book I warn to remember to read about the Poles also...
A classic work, worthy of space on any bookshelf - By: , 14 Mar 2005 Truly wonderful book whether you are interested in computer theory, intelligence work, mathematics or sexual politics.
A very detailed and enjoyable read ... - By: Jurgen Van Gael, 23 Mar 2003 
This book on Alan Turing is a very detailed biography. I especiallly liked the fact that the author seems to understand how to explain some technical stuff in a very easy to understand way. It is by no means an introduction to the theory which Turing invented but still gives the reader a good idea on why & how he did it. The work of Mr. Turing on cryptography & the cryptanalysis of the enigma code after his university years are an exciting read on the second world war which not many of us have heard about yet!
