Code girls : the untold story of the American women code breakers of World War II

Mundy, Liza, 1960- author.

First edition.

Book

New York : Hachette Books, 2017.

©2017

xiv, 416 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations ; 24 cm

Recruited by the U.S. Army and Navy from small towns and elite colleges, more than ten thousand women served as codebreakers during World War II. While their brothers and boyfriends took up arms, these women moved to Washington and learned the meticulous work of code-breaking. Their efforts shortened the war, saved countless lives, and gave them access to careers previously denied to them.

World War, 1939-1945 -- Cryptography.

World War, 1939-1945 -- Participation, Female.

Cryptographers -- United States -- History -- 20th century.

Cryptography -- United States -- History -- 20th century.

The secret letters -- Introduction: "Your country needs you, young ladies" -- Part I. "In the event of total war women will be needed" -- Twenty-eight acres of girls -- "This is a man's size job, but I seem to be getting away with it" -- The most difficult problem -- "So many girls in one place" -- Part II. "Over all this vast expanse of waters Japan was supreme" -- "It was heart-rending" -- "Q for communications" -- The forlorn shoe -- "Hell's half-acre" -- "It was only human to complain" -- Pencil-pushing mamas sink the shipping of Japan -- Part III. The tide turns -- Sugar camp -- "All my love, Jim" -- "Enemy landing at the mouth of the Seine" -- Teedy -- The surrender message -- Good-bye to Crow -- Epilogue: The mitten.

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