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The Searchers: Radio Intercept in Two World Wars
Britain's Y Service consisted of the radio operators who searched with their ears for possible radio intercepts from enemy communications. They have been relatively neglected in narratives of the information side of the two World Wars. Military historian Macksey provides some restitution, describing the Service's activities, its technological innovations, and its contributions to the overall war efforts. Distributed by Sterling. Annotation (c) Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
- GenresNonfictionWorld War II
288 pages, Hardcover
First published May 28, 2003
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About the author
Kenneth John Macksey
55 books16 followersBritish author and historian who specialized in military history and military biography, particularly of the Second World War. Macksey was commissioned in the Royal Armoured Corps and served during the Second World War (earning the Military Cross under the command of Percy Hobart). Macksey later wrote the (authoritative) biography of Hobart.Macksey gained a permanent commission in 1946, was transferred to the Royal Tank Regiment in 1947, reached the rank of major in 1957 and retired from the Army in 1968.
Amongst many other books, Macksey wrote two volumes of alternate history, one, entitled Invasion, dealt with a successful invasion of England by Germany in 1940 and the other describing a NATO–Warsaw Pact clash in the late 1980s. The latter book was done under contract to the Canadian Forces and focuses on the Canadian role in such a conflict. He was an editor and contributor to Greenhill's Alternate Decisions series since 1995.
In Macksey's Guderian – Panzer General, he refuted the view of historian Sir Basil Liddell-Hart regarding Hart's influence on the development of German Tank Theory in the years leading up to 1939.
Amongst many other books, Macksey wrote two volumes of alternate history, one, entitled Invasion, dealt with a successful invasion of England by Germany in 1940 and the other describing a NATO–Warsaw Pact clash in the late 1980s. The latter book was done under contract to the Canadian Forces and focuses on the Canadian role in such a conflict. He was an editor and contributor to Greenhill's Alternate Decisions series since 1995.
In Macksey's Guderian – Panzer General, he refuted the view of historian Sir Basil Liddell-Hart regarding Hart's influence on the development of German Tank Theory in the years leading up to 1939.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 21, 2018
kindle unlimited but got it on freebie day, wanted to read something a bit out of the range of my recent books, athough this one, in a way, reminded me some of the Captivating History series I read on and off as they come out. Fascinating look at things that are ususally quite 'undercover' for the most part, and for a good reason, and reference a good many sung and unsung heroes that did this work. This is not about codebreakers as much as it is about the Searchers.
The ability to transmit military information by radio, first made practical at the beginning of the twentieth century, and developed in the First World War, brought immediate advantage over a potential enemy. Radio warfare came to play a key role in the Battle of Britain in 1940, and in the war against the U-boats in the Atlantic. The Searchers reveals how radio technology shaped the course of the Second World War.
This is the story, not of the codebreakers, but of the Y Service, the searchers who made their vital work possible: men and women with headphones clamped to their ears who for hours on end searched the radio bands in order to overhear the enemy.
Their achievements were made possible by brilliantly clever inventors and technologists, constantly pushing forward the frontiers of knowledge. The intelligence derived from their work influenced, often determined, the course of battle in the global war against the Germans, Italians and Japanese.
Kenneth John Macksey (1923 – 2005) was a British author and historian who specialised in military history and biography, particularly WWII. He was commissioned in the Royal Armoured Corps and served during the Second World War, winning a Military Cross. Macksey gained a permanent commission in 1946, was transferred to the Royal Tank Regiment, reached the rank of major in 1957 and retired from the Army in 1968. He wrote over 15 books on various aspects of the war.
The ability to transmit military information by radio, first made practical at the beginning of the twentieth century, and developed in the First World War, brought immediate advantage over a potential enemy. Radio warfare came to play a key role in the Battle of Britain in 1940, and in the war against the U-boats in the Atlantic. The Searchers reveals how radio technology shaped the course of the Second World War.
This is the story, not of the codebreakers, but of the Y Service, the searchers who made their vital work possible: men and women with headphones clamped to their ears who for hours on end searched the radio bands in order to overhear the enemy.
Their achievements were made possible by brilliantly clever inventors and technologists, constantly pushing forward the frontiers of knowledge. The intelligence derived from their work influenced, often determined, the course of battle in the global war against the Germans, Italians and Japanese.
Kenneth John Macksey (1923 – 2005) was a British author and historian who specialised in military history and biography, particularly WWII. He was commissioned in the Royal Armoured Corps and served during the Second World War, winning a Military Cross. Macksey gained a permanent commission in 1946, was transferred to the Royal Tank Regiment, reached the rank of major in 1957 and retired from the Army in 1968. He wrote over 15 books on various aspects of the war.
February 6, 2018
It was in part highly technical and filled with information that would interest few. However, there were also parts that were very interesting in how intelligence was obtained and used strategically and tactically. Both successfully and unsuccessfully.
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November 5, 2019Hard to put down.
May 28, 2021
A different but never the less interesting book about the less well known members who had a relevant part of the second world war
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews