The Ultra Secret

I could remember having read this product in college (when I should have been studying for class). An interest in WWII, which I inherited, I think, from my grandfather (Air Force + NSA), was what led me to this book; I believe I found it in the same section in which I found books on the Enigma Machine; (watch the movie with Keira Knightley: The Imitation Game.)Upon reading the book for the second time, I found that I had absolutely no recollection of what the reading experience of the book was like...way back when. It read fairly quickly; the information was densely packed, I think, sometimes to the point of incomprehensibility. I am referring to the experience of reading for a page and having no region of your mind which is able to reflect the information you are reading back at you. It's as though you are getting ahold of information which you really have no business reading.Overall, the book was a good read and I would recommend it for anyone with an interest in the subjects of: WWII, Espionage, Spies, Bletchley Park and other intelligence related topics.A solid four of five stars!

In WWII there were a number of important aspects that provided the ultimate victory for the Allies. While no single one can be said to win the war, cracking of the German codes was one of the important ones. Winterbotham was one of the principals in the use of the intelligence derived from the Ultra code cracking. In this book he not only talks about the intelligence gained, but also how it was effectively used. It was a tightrope between what information was given out to the Allies and how they avoided letting the Germans know we had cracked their codes.This is also an excellent read that certainly captures your attention. Enjoy this book.

Read this as a teenager. Bought it for a friend’s birthday. Fascinating reading and very informative.

bought this book years ago and lost it. Enjoyed it again just like the first time I read it.

Historically significant.

While there were innumerable factors to the Allied victory in the Second World War, the fact that they had broken the "ENIGMA" cypher and were in essence "reading" the most sensitive German military traffic,the program known as "ULTRA," has to be considered primary.

I learned a lot about WWII that I didn't know before. I knew of Ultra but didn't know the details. Anyone with an interest in the history of WWII should read this.

A lot here that I didn't know. I have a much better understanding of the importance of the staff in-charge of interpreting the decoded messages.

I have read other books on BP but wanted to read this one....the first to be published after divulgence of the secrets was allowed.....and by the man who was in control of the security and dissemination of Ultra. It was absolutely amazing how the Allies were reading the Axis Powers' signals....incredible that it went on and was never discovered. The book took two weeks to arrive but it was shipped from America and arrived well before the deadline date. It was so, so worth waiting for.

arrived fair condition. written by an RAF officer is a bit thin on detail but it was the first book to be written about enigma and Bletchley Park.

An unknown story to many!F. W. Winterbotham had an unique position during WWII, where he could observe the use of the ULTRA SECRET.Tis story unveils how ULTRA was used active in order to win battles and finally the war.Recommended!

We received the German version of this. Just need to learn the language! Never mind the title, check the ISBN.

Quite enlightening. I have read several books on the work of Bletchley Park and the breaking of the Enigma and other codes, but this book is different. It goes into who used the decrypted information and the effect it had on the war. It's surprising how much was broken and how useful it was.