by Liza Mundy
Hachette Books, 2017. 416 pages. Nonfiction
The Allied forces of World War II owed much of their success, if not most of it, to the throngs of young American women who served in the U.S. Army and Navy as code-breakers. As their work demanded the utmost secrecy, their story and efforts remained all but unknown until recent declassification of World War II records. Including thorough research and interviews, readers will learn the history of women's involvement in American military, how "code girls" were recruited, their invaluable work in breaking Axis codes, and their camaraderie with their sisters-at-arms.
I love me some history, especially when I get to learn something new about a time/event I feel familiar with, and even more especially when it involves women. I loved learning about the evolution of military code-breaking in America, how societal notions of the time influenced leaders to seek out women for this important work, and the tremendous sacrifice those women made to turn the tide of WWII. This book was so well-researched, and it's clear that Mundy's research was fueled with passion for the subject. I loved how Mundy included insight into the personal lives of several women; their characters popped up throughout the book as insight into what life was like for them as well as when code-breaking victories could be attributed to their individual efforts. My favorite "character" was Dottie! I also loved reading about the group of librarians recruited who upon arrival in Washington DC, disgusted by the disorder of the records, dug into the mess and built a organization system from scratch (hail librarians!). This is a great read for fans of HIDDEN FIGURES and WWII history.
MW
No comments:
Post a Comment