Between Silk and Cyanide: A Codemaker's War, 1941-1945This true account of spycraft in the UK during World War II is “spellbinding...a compelling insider's view to the shadow war: intrigue and treachery, double-dealing and deception, hope and despair, triumph and tragedy” (The New York Times Book Review). In 1942, Leo Marks left his father's famous bookshop, 84 Charing Cross Road, and went off to fight the war. He was twenty-two. Soon recognized as a cryptographer of genius, he became head of communications at the Special Operations Executive (SOE), where he revolutionized the codemaking techniques of the Allies and trained some of the most famous agents dropped into occupied Europe, including "the White Rabbit" and Violette Szabo. As a top codemaker, Marks had a unique perspective on one of the most fascinating and, until now, little-known aspects of World War II. Writing with the narrative flair and vivid characterization of his famous screenplays, Marks gives free rein to his keen sense of the absurd and his wry wit, resulting in a thrilling and poignant memoir that celebrates individual courage and endeavor, without losing sight of the human cost and horror of war. |
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Common terms and phrases
Arquebus arrived asked Baker Street Bletchley Boni break briefing officers Brossolette Buckmaster caught code department code room code-book code-groups code-name coders Colonel Commander convinced country sections Courtauld cryptographers D-Day Dansey desk dropped Duke Street Dutch agents Dutch section Ebenezer Einar Skinnarland encoded explained F section FANY France Free French Gaulle Germans Gestapo girls Giskes glanced going Grendon Grouse Gubbins hand head Heffer Holland hoped indecipherable indicator-groups informed instructed Jedburgh keys knew letter one-time pads London looked mistake Nicholls Nick night nodded Noor Noor Inayat Khan once one-time pads Ozanne Peter Churchill Plan Giskes poem poem-code question realized replied Secret Army secret French code security checks sent Signals directorate Signals Office silk codes Skinnarland SOE's station teleprint tell thanked Tiltman told Tommy took traffic transmitted transposition-key trying waiting wanted warned week who'd wireless WOKs words WT operator
Popular passages
Page 19 - Be near me when my light is low, When the blood creeps, and the nerves prick And tingle; and the heart is sick, And all the wheels of being slow. Be near me when the sensuous frame Is rack'd with pangs that conquer trust; And Time, a maniac scattering dust, And Life, a Fury slinging flame. Be near me when my faith is dry, And men the flies of latter spring, That lay their eggs, and sting and sing And weave their petty cells and die.
Page 13 - Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, Over many a quaint and. curious volume of forgotten lore — While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door. " "Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door — Only this and nothing more.