Secret Britain: A journey through the Second World War's hidden bases and battlegrounds

Description

Discover the stories of the brave men and women who worked, trained and fought across the UK, from Bletchley Park in southern England all the way to Arisaig in northern Scotland, in an unbelievable effort to defeat the Nazis and win the Second World War . From the outset of the war, most of Britain felt like a mystery even to those who lived there. All road and railway signs were removed up and down the country to thwart potential enemy spies. An invisible web of cunning spread across the United Kingdom; secret laboratories were hidden in marshes, underground bases were built to conceal key strategic plans and grand country houses became secret and silent locations for eccentric boffins to do their confidential cryptography work. In Secret Britain, Sinclair McKay maps out the UK through the hidden bases and battlegrounds of WWII. These locations are full of history and intrigue, but if you don't know where to look, you might just miss them. Journeying through secret wildernesses, suburbs, underground tunnels and manor houses, Sinclair gives a glimpse into the stories of the incredible people behind the war effort, and shows how you might be able to visit these mysterious and evocative locations yourself. With his trademark warmth and compassion, Sinclair unearths the truths of the war that have remained under layers of secrecy since the war was won in 1945.

Sinclair McKay is a bestelling author and social historian. He is the author of the Sunday Times bestseller Bletchley Park Brainteasers as well as the bestselling Secret Life of Bletchley Park, which together have sold over 400,000 copies. He has authored many other books including The Scotland Yard Puzzle Book, The Tower of London Puzzle Book and Secret Britain. He writes for the Spectator and the Telegraph and spends much of his life eyebrow-deep in dusty archives! He lives in east London.

Engrossing . . . well-researched, powerfully written, and balanced. For all interested in military history and World War II. * Library Journal * Secret Britain successfully combines coverage of the importance of the interception and deciphering of messages in the UK and abroad, with insights into the private lives of the employees who did this work. * Times Literary Supplement *