Before Bletchley Park: The Codebreakers of the First World War

During the First World War, Room 40 and MI1(b) were crucial in guiding the outcome of major events, such as the First Battle of the Marne, the shelling of Scarborough, the battles of Jutland and the Somme, the German naval mutiny, and the Zimmermann Telegram. Paul Gannon's book reveals the fascinating story of British codebreaking operations using hundreds of intercepted and decrypted German military, naval, and diplomatic messages, challenging misleading stories about Room 40 & MI1(b).

Format: Paperback / softback
Publication date: 28 July 2022
Publisher: The History Press Ltd

The story of Bletchley Park's codebreaking operations during the Second World War is now widely recognized, but its counterparts in the First World War, Room 40 and MI1(b), remain in the shadows, despite their significant involvement in and influence on most of the major events of that war. From the First Battle of the Marne, the shelling of Scarborough, the battles of Jutland and the Somme in 1916, to the battles on the Western Front in 1918, the German naval mutiny and the Zimmermann Telegram, this cast of characters, several of whom were as eccentric as anyone from Bletchley Park in the Second World War, secretly guided the outcome of the "Great War from the confines of a few smoke-filled rooms." Using hundreds of intercepted and decrypted German military, naval, and diplomatic messages, bestselling author Paul Gannon reveals the fascinating story of British codebreaking operations. By drawing on many newly discovered archival documents that challenge misleading stories about Room 40 and MI1(b), he reveals a sophisticated machine in operation.

The story of Bletchley Park's codebreaking operations during the Second World War is now widely recognized, but its counterparts in the First World War, Room 40 and MI1(b), remain in the shadows, despite their significant involvement in and influence on most of the major events of that war. From the First Battle of the Marne, the shelling of Scarborough, the battles of Jutland and the Somme in 1916, to the battles on the Western Front in 1918, the German naval mutiny and the Zimmermann Telegram, this cast of characters, several of whom were as eccentric as anyone from Bletchley Park in the Second World War, secretly guided the outcome of the "Great War from the confines of a few smoke-filled rooms." Using hundreds of intercepted and decrypted German military, naval, and diplomatic messages, bestselling author Paul Gannon reveals the fascinating story of British codebreaking operations. By drawing on many newly discovered archival documents that challenge misleading stories about Room 40 and MI1(b), he reveals a sophisticated machine in operation.

Weight: 574g
Dimension: 234 x 156 x 31 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781803990064
Edition number: 2 ed