My Secret Life in Hut Six One Woman's Experiences at Bletchley Park Synopsis
The story of the World War 2 de-coders of Bletchley Park continues to fascinate. How did Mair Thomas, a musician brought up in the Welsh valleys, find herself in the rarefied atmosphere of Hut Six, surrounded by hundreds of others, all desperately trying to break the German Enigma Code? Sworn to secrecy and working in cramped and uncomfortable conditions, Mair discovered her degree in German and Music was just what was needed. Drawn from the public schools and Oxbridge her background was very different to that of most of her colleagues and she didn't immediately fit in. This captivating memoir unpacks her daily life and explores the relationships she built. My Secret Life in Hut Six provides a fascinating insight into one woman's battle against Nazi Germany vividly capturing an era of danger, strain and day to day difficulties that were brightened occasionally by visits from the top brass, such as Winston Churchill.
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Mair Russell-Jones, Gethin Russell-Jones Press Reviews
'This is a wonderful book, telling the story of a woman working at Bletchley Park. It has unique anecdotes that more truly describe the life at Bletchley Park than someone would be prepared to do if they were talking publicly. It is charming and brutally honest.' -- Michael Smith, author of Station X
'I am fascinated by the way Bletchley Park's commitment to absolute secrecy exercised such a powerful and enduring hold over those who worked there - what a good thing that Mair Russell-Jones was persuaded to relax it a little, giving us this engaging account of life at the heart of one of Britain's most important World War Two operations. I greatly enjoyed this book.' -- Edward Stourton, broadcaster and author
'Plucked from her home in the Welsh valleys, Mair Russell-Jones quiet and heroic devotion to duty in World War 2 almost cost her her life and reputation among unsympathetic family and friends. It can't be easy telling your own parents' remarkable story but Gethin succeeds without a trace of sentimentality. Humbling and inspiring' -- Steve Goddard Co-editor Ship of Fools
'This is the story of an ordinary woman from the Welsh valleys made extraordinary by the exigencies of war. Mair Thomas would probably have been a Christian missionary had it not been for World War II. She was recruited for the intelligence team at Bletchley Park that cracked the Enigma code and made the Allied victory possible. Only after half a century did she tell the story of her secret life in Hut Six. Her story is told with the aid of her son, Gethin Russell Jones. Other books have given dramatic, sometimes romanticised, accounts of the intelligence war. My Secret Life is remarkable for its unvarnished account of life at 'BP' - monotonous, wearying, unglamorous - costly. Mair paid that cost till the end of her days. An absorbing read which gets closer to the humdrum reality of war.' -- Derek Wilson, Author
