The Intelligence Zone: Churchill's secret sites and what they gave the world(1 The Intelligence Zone)

London - May 1940 Winston Churchill became Prime Minister of Great Britain at a terrifying time. The German armies who had trounced his troops in France were massing to follow them across the narrow Straits of Dover. How could his broken armies stop them? This looked like the end for Britain. A new Dark Age was dawning. Before a sombre parliament, Churchill told his country that all he could offer them was 'blood, sweat, toil and tears.' Unusually for the great orator, Winston was missing something. He should have added brains. For scientific advances and discoveries were made in Britain which would blunt the Nazi attack and be critical to Allied victory. They would, indeed, be cornerstones of our post-war world. Most of those advances were made in 'The Intelligence Zone' - an area of England as important in world history as any place on our planet. This book tells what those advances were and how they saved Britain. It is a tale of drama, achievement and sometimes terror, often told in the words of those who lived through it.

About the Author :
After serving in the Royal Air Force, Alan Biggins moved into the (then infant) world of computing. There he specialised in the installation of trans-European systems for international (mainly American) clients.His travels developed his interest in military history, as well as German beer and French food (but not the other way around).While in Britain, he was the I.T. Manager for the Milton Keynes Development Corporation, the body which oversaw the building of that new English city. Bletchley Park lies within 'M.K'. Alan walks a lot; and while exploring the area came upon many sites related to the war; and especially to communications, computing, spies and the special forces.Discovering how this treasure trove of sites were linked together; and how they related to Europe and America, resulted in his book The Intelligence Zone and its sequel A New World after Pearl.www.theintelligencezone.com

Review :
WW2 in a nutshell via 2 absorbing reads I found The Intelligence Zone together with its sequel A New World After Pearl to be the best overall explanation and description of the events leading up to WW2 and the eventual defeat of Hitler's Nazi empire that I have read to date. They both make for easy and concise reading with a scattering of entertaining anecdotes, maps, diagrams, and photos to illustrate the fascinating text...... Amazon review Powerful insight into how intelligence won the war This is an extraordinary book. There is a crescent of land north of London that during the Second World War housed a wide-ranging combination of intelligence activities.......The book chronicles the interactions of these different establishments and follows their personnel and influence out into the many theatres of war that they addressed...... Amazon review Engrossing and well-written history of WWII up to 1942 For me, there are usually two important things required from a book - I want to learn something and I want to be interested and entertained. This book scores on both accounts. Whilst it sets out to tell the story of the 'secret sites' clustered around what the author calls 'the intelligence zone' (an area of the UK 'roughly between London, Birmingham, Oxford and Cambridge'), in doing so it turns out to be a thoroughly good history of the lead up to WWII and the first three years of the conflict (ending with the attack on Pearl Harbour and the US joining the Allies to fight Germany)...... Amazon review Easy enjoyable read An often complex story was made easy and very enjoyable to read. Definitely a book I'll be reading probably annually, alongwith the follow up. Love the bibliography and the suggestions for the best reads to investigate more topics in detail. An ex army Intelligence SNCO then commissioned RAF officer who lives in the zone, I found them two of the best books I've read on WW2...... Amazon review A fascinating book .....The depth of research behind this book is very impressive. The author has woven interesting details and events together with great care and has presented them in an accessible format. I liked the 'friendly' tone of the writing and am sure it will be enjoyed by many, who may sometimes be put off history by the way it is presented...... Amazon review