What did you do in the war, daddy?' It's a classic question - and maybe one that expected the answer to be stories of brave attacks on enemy lines, pressing forward against overwhelming odds. But to Gethin Russell-Jones, the question was not one to ask - he knew what his father had done and, growing up, would have summed his father's contribution to the war effort under one word: 'Nothing.' As a conscientious objector, and despite the fact that his fiancA (c)e was cracking German codes at Bletchley during the Second World War, John Russell-Jones exhibited a different kind of courage to that shown by most of his peers. Convinced that Christ's teaching forbade him to take the life of another, he faced ignominy, insults, and opposition, from the state, his friends, and even his own family. As an adult, Gethin decided it was time to look for the man his father had been, and to see if he could regain respect for him. And as he finds out what led his father to the decision he made, he discovers a man he never really knew - one who was prepared to suffer for an unpopular and unfashionable belief, and who exhibited a different kind of courage in doing so.

Mair Thomas tells her story in this fascinating memoir--that of a decoder in World War II, using all of her skills to help break the infamous German Enigma Code

The story of the World War II decoders of Bletchley Park continues to fascinate. How did Mair Thomas, a musician brought up in the Welsh valleys, find herself in the rarefied atmosphere of Hut Six, surrounded by hundreds of others, all desperately trying to break the German Enigma Code? Sworn to secrecy and working in cramped and uncomfortable conditions, Mair discovered her degree in German and Music was just what was needed. Drawn from the public schools and Oxbridge her background was very different to that of most of her colleagues and she didn't immediately fit in. This captivating memoir unpacks her daily life and explores the relationships she built. "My Secret Life in Hut Six" provides a fascinating insight into one woman's battle against Nazi Germany, vividly capturing an era of danger, strain and day to day difficulties that were brightened occasionally by visits from the top brass, such as Winston Churchill.