Bletchley Girls

The extraordinary true story of the codebreaking women of World War Two

'Nothing has breathed life into WWII in the same way as this truly engaging portrait of life at Bletchley Park sharing the memories of the women who worked at the code breaking coal face' - READER REVIEW ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Beautifully written . . . Dunlop manages to do two things: she both lets these women's voices sing - showing their individual characters and backgrounds - and she provides us with an astute perspective on events unfolding.' - READER REVIEW ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'So refreshing to read the story from the perspective of the women who were actually there. So many books have been written on this subject, but few are able to capture the atmosphere of that time as Tessa Dunlop has' - READER REVIEW ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Bletchley Girls weaves together the lives of fifteen women who were all selected to work in Britain's most secret organisation - Bletchley Park. It is their story, told in their voices; Tessa met and talked to 15 veterans, often visiting them several times. Firm friendships were made as their epic journey unfolded on paper.

The scale of female involvement in Britain during the Second World War wasn't matched in any other country. From 8 million working women just over 7000 were hand-picked to work at Bletchley Park and its outstations. There had always been girls at the Park but soon they outnumbered the men three to one.

A refugee from Belgium, a Scottish debutante, a Jewish 14-year-old, and a factory worker from Northamptonshire - the Bletchley Girls confound stereotypes. But they all have one common bond, the war and their highly confidential part in it. In the middle of the night, hunched over meaningless pieces of paper, tending mind-blowing machines, sitting listening for hours on end, theirs was invariably confusing, monotonous and meticulous work, about which they could not breathe a word.

By meeting and talking to these fascinating secret-keepers, Tessa Dunlop captures their extraordinary journeys into a terrifying world of war, secrecy, love and loss.

A must-read for anyone with an interest in the real stories of World War Two.

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Critical acclaim for The Bletchley Girls:

'An in-depth picture of life in Britain's wartime intelligence centre . . . The result is fascinating, and is made all the more touching by the developing friendships between Dunlop and her interviewees.' Financial Times

'Lively . . . in giving us the daily details of their lives in the women's own voices Dunlop does them and us a fine service.' New Statesman

'Brings the unsung heroines of Bletchley into the limelight and gives them a share of the credit that so often goes to their male counterparts.' The Scotsman

'Candid about the hardships and heartaches of wartime work and its knock-on effects.' The Times