Kellogg has the pleasure of welcoming Dr Joel Greenberg to College for the launch of his book, The Bletchley Park Codebreakers: In Their Own Words.

The book tells the story of Bletchley Park through countless letters written by key players to former colleagues and loved ones, both during the war and in the years that followed. Having intercepted millions of German communications, the codebreakers had felt bound by the Official Secrets Act, and said little about their wartime activities – some who stayed on at GCHQ after the war were concerned that speaking out could jeopardise their pensions.

Over one hundred letters that were either recovered from family members or declassified by GCHQ, are included in this volume. In contrast to many accounts which draw on official or sanctioned material, they reveal fresh information about the clandestine operations and disclose the true feelings of the participants at Bletchley Park. The book lays bare the day-to-day experiences at Bletchley Park and uncovers the operational and technical reasons behind the organisation’s successes and failures.

Dr Greenberg will describe how the Bletchley Park story eventually emerged years after the end of WW2, and will discuss the material on which the book is based, and its significance in advancing our understanding of Bletchley Park’s contribution to the Allied victory.

The book launch will be chaired by the President of Kellogg College, Prof Jonathan Michie.

This in-person event is open to all. Refreshments will be served from 5.30 pm, the talk will begin at 5.45 pm. There will be a Q&A session after the talk, followed by a drinks reception. This event will be recorded and photographed.

If you are unable to attend after booking, please email events@kellogg.ox.ac.uk.

This book launch is part of Kellogg’s Bletchley Park Week 2023 events.