Title: The Secrets of Station X: How Bletchley Park Helped Win the War

Author: Michael Smith

Type: Non-Fiction

Page Count: 328

Rating: 3.75/5

My mum gave me this book because we’re both interested in Bletchley Park and the World War II codebreakers. In fact, we’re planning on paying a visit it at some point in the near future, which is why I prioritised this book and got to it sooner rather than later. It was a good decision.

Sure, it took me a little while to work my way through it, but that tends to happen with any non-fiction book, and especially when they’re as intense or as in-depth as this one. The good news is that it was also fascinating, and I particularly enjoyed the little glimpses of the eccentric personalities who called Bletchley Park home. And because Smith did a hell of a lot of research, we can hear these accounts from the people who were actually there.

All in all then, it’s a pretty important book, especially because so much secrecy hung over what was happening at Bletchley Park that few people really know the full story. In some ways, it was kind of heartbreaking. For example, imagine helping your country to win a war, only to be told that you can’t tell your parents or your spouse about it. The restrictions were eventually lifted, but in many cases it was too late.

If you’re interested in codebreaking or in the Second World War then you’d be hard-pressed to find a better book than this one. At the same time, I can see how it might not be for everyone, and so you need to bear that in mind. It’s really up to you to decide whether it’s a good fit, but for what it’s worth it does a very good job at what it set out to do.

Click here to buy The Secrets of Station X: How Bletchley Park Helped Win the War.