TheincredibletruestoryoftheonlywomantohaveworkedduringtheSecondWorldWarasacodebreakeratbothBletchleyParkandthePentagon.BettyWebbistheonlysurvivingcodebreakertohaveworkedonbothNaziandJapanesecodesatBletchleyParkduringtheSecondWorldWar.Thisisthetaleofherextraordinarylife.Bettyhashadaringsideseattohistory.Bornonehundredyearsago,shespentherchildhoodintheShropshirecountrysideduringthe1920s-withoutheating,electricityorrunningwater.Asaschoolgirl,thankstohermother’sdesireforhertolearntospeakGermanproficiently,shetookpartinanexchangeprogrammeandspenttimeinNaziGermany.Itwas1937andGermanywasonthecuspofwar.Asasmallactofrebellion,sherefusedtogivetheNazisalutealongsideherclassmates.BackinEngland,aftergraduatingfromschool,Bettyfacedtheusuallimitedopportunitiesforemploymentonoffertowomenatthetime.However,withthewarinfullswing,fateintervenedandin1941,wantingtoplayherpartinthewareffort,BettyjoinedtheAuxiliaryTerritorialService(Women’sArmy).Afterbeinginterviewedbyanintelligenceofficer,shefoundherselfatEustonstationwithherkit-bag,atravelwarrantinherpocketandinstructionstogetoffthetrainatBletchleyPark.There,havingsignedtheOfficialSecretsActwithagunlaidnexttoheronthetablehighlightingtheenormousimportanceoftheworkshewasabouttodo,shejoinedtheranksoftheothermenandwomen’codebreakers’.Between1941and1945BettyWebbplayedavitalroleinthetop-secreteffortsbeingmadetodecipherthesecretcommunicationsoftheGermansandlatertheJapanese.In1945,asothermembersoftheforcesreturnedhomefromthewarinEurope,shewassenttothePentagonandwasinWashingtonDCwhentheatomicbombsfellandwhenEisenhowerannouncedtheendofthewar.Bettywasunabletorevealthetruenatureofherwork,eventoherparents,untilyearslater.Inthisfascinatingbook,sherevisitsthekeymomentsofherlifeandrecountstheincrediblestoriesfromhertimeatBletchleyPark.
