Dear Codebreaker: The Letters of Margaret Rock (Bletchley Park Codebreaker) and John Rock

Stories about the 'Bletchley Park girls' continue to captivate our imagination. This touching book of letters is a unique true life glimpse into the life of one of Bletchley Park's women codebreakers Margaret Rock, as seen through her letters and those of her brother, John Rock, British Parachute and Glider Forces Pioneer. Throughout her life, Margaret Rock kept the family's letters. The majority of the letters were written by her brother John during his adventurous and varied military career in the British Army and working with the RAF. Margaret offers a tantalising glimpse of her life as a student then as a Bletchley Park codebreaker working on the Enigma code. Margaret could not speak about her top-secret work breaking Enigma codes used by the German spy network or the Italian Navy. Instead, she wrote about her adventures in the London Blitz, the night shift, her billet, and helping out in the canteen. You can sense the parental concern and pride in the words of Alice as she watches her children grow and provide valuable service to their country in the chaos of the Second World War. Dear Codebreaker is not a traditional biography. It is a chance to lose yourself in the unfolding events that irrevocably change their family life. By reading the words as written by Margaret, John and Alice you can share in their journey of happiness, loss and great adventure during the fall of France, the Blitz, the start of Britain's first Parachute and Glider Regiments as well as the secret codebreaking work at Bletchley Park during the Second World War. "Well, as to my adventures on Friday night. I got to Euston by 8.15 - the raids had just started and there were guns beginning, which soon got much louder. There was no train before my 9.50, so I asked a porter where I should wait. He directed me to an archway, a very long one going between the tube station and one of the platforms...A friendly porter came and told us to come with him if we'd like to see a fire, and from the entrance of the archway, there was the whole sky lit up flaming red. It was quite near either St Pancras or Kings Cross Station." (Margaret Rock letter from Bletchley Park, September 1940) Purchase includes exclusive access to bonus material on an accompanying website. There are copies of letters, photographs, school reports, university exam papers, as well as video interviews with family. Includes amendments to First Edition print version.