I know this is WW2 ... but I couldn't resist !!!!!!!!!! The Untold Story of America's Ultra War Against the U-boat Enigma Codes 2004, Random House ISBN 0375508074 For the first time, the inside story of the brilliant American engineer who defeated Enigma and the Nazi code-masters. Much has been written about the success of the British 'Ultraa' program in cracking the German Enigma code early in World War II, but few know what really happened in 1942, when the Germans added a fourth rotor to the machine that created the already challenging naval code and plunged Allied intelligence into darkness. Enter one Joe Desch, an unassuming but brilliant engineer at the National Cash Register Company in Dayton, Ohio, who was given the task of creating a machine to break the new Enigma settings. It was an enterprise that rivaled the Manhattan Project for secrecy and complexity and nearly drove Desch to a breakdown. Under enormous pressure, he succeeded in creating a 5,000-pound electromechanical monster known as the Desch Bombe, which helped turn the tide in the Battle of the Atlantic but not before a disgruntled co-worker attempted to leak information about the machine to the Nazis. After toiling anonymously "it even took his daughter years to learn of his accomplishments" Desch was awarded the National Medal of Merit, the country's highest civilian honor. In The Secret in Building 26, the entire thrilling story of the final triumph over Enigma is finally told. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0375508074/ref=nosim/uboatnet
WW2, couldn't resist a reply! Joe Desch was a brilliant engineer and we owe a lot to him in developing the 4 wheel bombes that broke the U-Boat codes (but not without Bletchley Park's help) However this book is not always accurate, I'm afraid. Wouldn't rush out to buy it (written by journalists, which is a bit of a clue!) There is a very good series of articles on th'net, I think written by Desch's daughter. Well worth reading - sorry I don't have a URL, been a couple of years but I hope its still there. geoff (retired codebreaker and failed radio ham)
I read Desch's daughter helped with it ! .... seeing as how were talking WW2 .... my favourite is Between Silk and Cyanide by Leo Marks ... his father owned 84 Charring Cross Road !! I'd really recommend it !
Perhaps my comments about the book were not fair. I cannot now remember what I did not like about it. Noticed a couple of bookmarks in my copy, so probably something there. The newspaper article about Desch, seems to have vanished from the papers website. Pity, it was goood (and would have saved me buying the book, although I was already warned) Yet to read, but its on my list... geoff
Now that's an interesting read Geoff !! funnily enough I knew someone who worked there and didn't realise it until a few weeks ago !!
