SP 21 10.7 Codebreakers (Tien's Task)

[Kate S]

I've just finished (& loved) The Codebreakers and would love to read more about codebreaking in WWII.

In honor of this, read a book related to codebreaking, cryptology, or cryptography (karma points for it being set during WWII).

These lists may help: Books Set in Bletchley Park, codebreaking, cryptography, cryptology"

Please post any questions or comments about task 10.7 in this thread.

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

Tien, would stories where the code *wasn't* broken work for this task? I'm guessing there aren't many of them, but the story behind

Code Talker: The First and Only Memoir By One of the Original Navajo Code Talkers of WWII by Chester Nez

fascinates me. The Japanese were unable to break our code because the Navajo language was almost unknown.

EDIT: Upon further looking, I see it has been shelved on the cryptography shelf. We'll see if I can work it in!

[Tien]

What an interesting find, Elizabeth!

Just to clarify, codes do not have to be broken. It's more about the codes themselves, creating or trying to decode or processing the decoding machine etc including any person/s who is involved in any of these activities.

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

Great! Thank you. And thanks for this interesting task!

[Tien]

aw, I'm glad you find it interesting :)

[Kathleen (itpdx)]

Another fascinating book that should qualify is The Woman Who Smashed Codes: A True Story of Love, Spies, and the Unlikely Heroine who Outwitted America's Enemies by Jason Fagone

[Rebekah]

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Great! Thank you. And thanks for this interesting task!"

That book really showed what they had to go through. Since 5hey were the only ones that knew the language, after heavy fighting, they never got R&R like the rest of the guys in their company did, they were sent to the next hot spot. It’s also a shame about coming home to the same discrimination they had left and since it was so top secret, no one knew for a long time how much they sacrificed. Their contribution was a very substantial reason why we were able to be victorious in the Pacific Theater. I think only one of them still lives. It really makes you both proud of them and what they were willing to go through and ashamed 5hey were weren’t treated as the superheroes they were until decades later. 🎗🌟👏