Queen of Codes

‘One of the greatest codebreakers of the twentieth century’ Suzannah Lipscomb

An astounding story of codebreaking, personal sacrifice and a life lived in the shadows.

The history of British codebreaking is often considered a men-only preserve, ignoring the fact that the vast majority of codebreakers were women. And foremost among them was one who is largely unknown to the public: Emily Anderson.

A leading member of British intelligence, Anderson played a pivotal role in both world wars. Amongst the first codebreakers to move to Bletchley Park, she later transferred to Cairo where her exceptional skills in decoding diplomatic and military intelligence were instrumental in the first Allied victory of the Second World War, for which she was awarded the OBE. Remarkable in many ways, she was also the first female Junior Assistant in the civil service and led the fight for equal pay for women at GCHQ.

Revealing newly discovered material and sources, Queen of Codes is a fascinating narrative that will rightly seal Emily Anderson’s place at the forefront of Britain’s eminent codebreakers.