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Australian Code Breakers

Our Top-Secret War with The Kaiser's Reich

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Australian Code Breakers

By: James Phelps
Narrated by: James Saunders
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About this listen

The extraordinary story of a headmaster turned cryptographer, and our top-secret war with the Kaiser's Reich.

On 11 August 1914, just days after war had been declared, Australian Captain J.T. Richardson boarded a German merchant vessel fleeing Melbourne's Port Phillip and audaciously seized a top-secret naval codebook. The fledgling Australian Navy had an opportunity to immediately change the course of the war. But what exactly had they found? Enter the Australian code breakers....

Recruited by savvy top brass, maths whizz and German speaker Frederick Wheatley worked night and day to fathom the basic principles of the code and start tracking the German Navy's powerful East Asia Squadron, led by the brilliant Maximilian von Spee. Soon Melbourne was a hub of international Allied intelligence.

This is the untold story of how a former Australian headmaster and his mostly female team cracked one of Germany's most complex codes, paving the way for the greatest Allied naval victory of World War I.

©2020 James Phelps (P)2020 HarperCollins Publishers Armed Forces Australia, New Zealand & Oceania Military Naval Forces Oceania War
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Reveals the fumblings of the British admiralty and highlights important work done by Australians during WW1. Entertaining delivery!

Great piece of Aussie history

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Excellent narrator, gripping at times. Hearing the codes put into perspective on the challenge that Wheatley faced.

I thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook.

Amazing story on a piece of untold history

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Who knew Australia fired the first shots of aggression in WWI? Exceeding the skill of Bletchley Park for its day, the story of Fred Wheatley and the Australian Navy Office is one that would defy belief and indeed would not be known if the British had their way. This is a riveting story of a collection of dedicated and capable men whose exceptional skill in ciphers and naval tactics made a significant impact on the early part of WWI - and would have had an even bigger impact had British Admiralty not debased them. James Patterson weaves a compelling story, blending historical accuracy with personable qualities if his characters. He elicits empathy for both the Germans and the Australians, but, it must be said, anger at the Brits.
This is an outstanding book - one which any lover of Australian history, military history or even true crime will find engaging and enthralling.

Heroes denied

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.