Synopses & Reviews
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 the Second World War. andlt;BRandgt; 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.
Review
Richard Bernstein andlt;Iandgt;The New York Timesandlt;/Iandgt; An enthralling book, one full of an eccentric charm as well as fascinating, previously undisclosed details of the secret war waged in the occupied countries.
Review
Ken Ringle andlt;Iandgt;The Washington Postandlt;/Iandgt; A welcome and powerfully affecting chapter of World War II history, and a very human story of the most clandestine and cerebral art of making war.
Review
Martin Scorsese A mesmerizing account of World War II as fought on the home front in Great Britain by the ingenious codemakers whose work determined the life and death of the Allied agents in occupied Europe. Leo Marks, a brilliant cryptographer, is a masterful and passionate storyteller. I was immediately swept into his secret world of codes and "undecipherables," trying at times (without success) to unravel the puzzles myself, and found it difficult to put down the book until the drama had come to an end.
Review
andlt;Iandgt;The New York Times Book Reviewandlt;/Iandgt; [A] spellbinding real-life thriller....A compelling insider's view to the shadow war: intrigue and treachery, double-dealing and deception, hope and despair, triumph and tragedy.
About the Author
andlt;Bandgt;Leo Marksandlt;/Bandgt; is renowned both as a cryptographer and as a screenwriter. His most famous work, andlt;Iandgt;Peeping Tom,andlt;/Iandgt; a terrifying psychological thriller, is a cult classic of 1960s cinema. His father, Benjamin Marks, was the founder and owner of the legendary London bookshop 84 Charing Cross Road.
Table of Contents
andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Contentsandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;List of Illustrationsandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;1 A Hard Man to Placeandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;2 The Pilot Lightandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;3 A Collector's Itemandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;4 andlt;Iandgt;'Merde Alors!'andlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;5 All Things Bright and Beautifulandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;6 The Fifth Grouseandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;7 SOE-mindedandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;8 The Plumber and His Mateandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;9 The Godfatherandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;10 The Sixth Senseandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;11 The High-Pitched Bleepandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;12 A Shock Discoveryandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;13 The Biter Bittenandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;14 The Last-Chance Monthandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;15 The Bolt Holeandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;16 A Question of Yandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;17 Arquebus, Gunnerside and Golfandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;18 The Coding Cabaretandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;19 Summit Meetingandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;20 The Findings of the Courtandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;21 Repercussionsandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;22 The Launching of Plan Giskesandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;23 Special Devicesandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;24 Judgement Dayandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;25 Permission to Proceed?andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;26 Court Martialandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;27 Criminal Negligenceandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;28 Green Inkandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;29 Best Read at Nightandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;30 The War Danceandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;31 Accidents Will Happenandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;32 Pilgrim's Progressandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;33 The 'Hard Men'andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;34 Judicial Reviewandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;35 The Masterstrokeandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;36 Desperate Measuresandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;37 Punitive Expeditionandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;38 The Secret Weaponandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;39 Appointment with Royaltyandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;40 The Extended Briefingandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;41 Operation Gift-horseandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;42 A Terrible Gaffeandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;43 Operation Sidetrackandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;44 Beyond Beliefandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;45 Parallel Actionandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;46 The Club Rulesandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;47 Lake Como's Bottomandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;48 'I Hereby Bequeath'andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;49 A Treat for the Nativesandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;50 Homecomingandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;51 Strangleholdandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;52 Man with a Missionandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;53 Breaking Pointandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;54 Who Stole Your Grace?andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;55 The Forty-Eight Mistakesandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;56 Unique in SOEandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;57 The Major Developmentandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;58 'If I Should Die, Etcetera'andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;59 The Invisible Presenceandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;60 Fumigatedandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;61 A Mere Squadron Leaderandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;62 Without Precedentandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;63 Open Arrestandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;64 Misgivingsandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;65 'The Life that I Have'andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;66 April Fool's Dayandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;67 The New Boysandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;68 Inexcusableandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;69 For Your Ears Onlyandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;70 Neptune's Tridentandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;71 Staying Powerandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;72 'They Also Serve'andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;73 Self-Defenceandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;74 Taken for Grantedandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;75 The Day of Reckoningandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;76 Pockets of Resistanceandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;77 Operation Periwigandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;78 Serial Number 47685andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;79 For Services Renderedandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;80 Exemplary Conductandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;81 The Last Mischiefandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Epilogueandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Appendixandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Index