Unbreakable, the Spies Who Cracked the Nazis' Secret Code by Rebecca E. F. Barone - ADVISABLE

Unbreakable: the Spies Who Cracked the Nazis' Secret Code by Rebecca E. F. Barone, 272 pages. NON FICTION. Macmillan Publishing Group LLC, 2022. $20 

Language: G (0 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: G;  Violence: G;

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO SOME 

The war over codes during the Second World War began in Poland with a group of men especially selected to help protect their country from German aggression. Marian Rejewski, Henry Zygalski, and Jerzy Rozycki, cryptology students at Poznan University, risked their lives and dedicated their time to unraveling the Enigma machine and codes. Many brilliant men and women joined them as the aggression became war. Later in the war, much of the work took place as Bletchley Park in England. May directors and decoders kept their Enigma secrets to themselves, thus jeopardizing the war effort. Eventually, the codes were broken, lives were saved, and the war ended thanks to all the brave souls who participated in this unimaginable effort. 

Barone writes with clarity and candidness about the heroism and frailties of those involved in the Enigma decoding. The story line intrigues the reader to continue in a tale that could bore with details. Glimpses into the personal lives of the coding heroes moves the story along. Somehow, Barone artfully weaves immense detail to hold the reader's attention throughout the book. She ends with biographies of the major players and a timeline of events which add to the clarity of her book- an insightful read. Most characters are white and educated. 

Michelle McKnight-FACS teacher