Try free for 30 days
-
The Bletchley Girls
- War, Secrecy, Love and Loss: The Women of Bletchley Park Tell Their Story
- Narrated by: Anna Bentinck
- Length: 12 hrs and 18 mins
Failed to add items
Add to basket failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from Wish List failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy Now for $26.99
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also picked
-
The Codebreakers of Bletchley Park
- The Secret Intelligence Station That Helped Defeat the Nazis
- By: Dermot Turing
- Narrated by: Richard Trinder
- Length: 7 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At Bletchley Park, some of Britain's most talented mathematicians, linguists, and intellectuals were assembled to break Nazi codes. It was kept secret for nearly 30 years, but we have now come to realize the crucial role that these codebreakers played in the Allied victory in World War II. Written by Dermot Turing - the nephew of famous codebreaker Alan Turing - this account provides unique insight into the behind-the-scenes action at Bletchley Park. This book brings to life the stories of the men and women who toiled day and night to crack the seemingly unbreakable enigma code.
-
The Bletchley Women
- By: Patricia Adrian
- Narrated by: Imogen Wilde, Antonia Whillans
- Length: 10 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In a different world, Evie Milton would have accepted her fate, married an aristocrat and become the doyenne of one of England’s finest estates, just like her mother. In a different world, Rose Wiley would have married her fiancé, David, established a modest homestead and brought up a brood of babies, just like her mother. But this isn’t a different world, and these women are not their mothers. Rose dreams of a life filled with more than family and duty to her husband—a life of purpose—and Evie dreams of a life far away from her rarefied existence.
-
The Girls of Bomber Command
- Bomber Command Girls, Book 1
- By: Vicki Beeby
- Narrated by: Sofia Engstrand
- Length: 10 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Pearl has given up on her dreams of being a journalist after being denied a promotion because of her gender. Joining the WAAF as a radio telephone operator for Bomber Command, Pearl's new job at RAF Fenthorpe serves two purposes – providing an income for her grandmother, and keeping a close eye on her younger sister, Thea, an instrument repairer at another Lincolnshire bomber station.
-
-
Brilliant!
- By Anonymous User on 22-12-2023
-
Wartime at Bletchley Park
- Bletchley Park Girls, Book 1
- By: Molly Green
- Narrated by: Lucy Scott
- Length: 11 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
September 1939. London is in blackout; war has been declared, but Dulcie Treadwell can think only of her heartbreak over American broadcaster, Glenn Reeves, who didn’t say goodbye before leaving for Berlin. Posted to Bletchley Park, Dulcie must concentrate on helping the war effort by cracking the German Enigma codes. The hours are long and the conditions tough, with little recognition from above. Until she breaks her first code. Dulcie finally settles into something she was born to do. But just as she’s proving her worth, a shocking betrayal leads to Dulcie’s brutal dismissal.
-
The Highland Girls at War
- The Highland Girls, Book 1
- By: Helen Yendall
- Narrated by: Charlie Mudie
- Length: 9 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Scotland, 1942. The Lumberjills, the newest recruits in the Women’s Timber Corps, arrive in the Scottish Highlands to a hostile reception from doubtful locals. The young women are determined to prove them wrong and serve their country – but they’re also all looking for something more. Can the Lumberjills get through their struggles together – even when tragedy strikes?
-
Bletchley Park and D-Day
- By: David Kenyon
- Narrated by: Greg Patmore
- Length: 9 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Since the secret of Bletchley Park was revealed in the 1970s, the work of its codebreakers has become one of the most famous stories of the Second World War. But cracking the Nazis' codes was only the start of the process. Thousands of secret intelligence workers were then involved in making crucial information available to the Allied leaders and commanders who desperately needed it.
-
-
Enigma
- By BSG_Fan on 06-07-2022
-
The Codebreakers of Bletchley Park
- The Secret Intelligence Station That Helped Defeat the Nazis
- By: Dermot Turing
- Narrated by: Richard Trinder
- Length: 7 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At Bletchley Park, some of Britain's most talented mathematicians, linguists, and intellectuals were assembled to break Nazi codes. It was kept secret for nearly 30 years, but we have now come to realize the crucial role that these codebreakers played in the Allied victory in World War II. Written by Dermot Turing - the nephew of famous codebreaker Alan Turing - this account provides unique insight into the behind-the-scenes action at Bletchley Park. This book brings to life the stories of the men and women who toiled day and night to crack the seemingly unbreakable enigma code.
-
The Bletchley Women
- By: Patricia Adrian
- Narrated by: Imogen Wilde, Antonia Whillans
- Length: 10 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In a different world, Evie Milton would have accepted her fate, married an aristocrat and become the doyenne of one of England’s finest estates, just like her mother. In a different world, Rose Wiley would have married her fiancé, David, established a modest homestead and brought up a brood of babies, just like her mother. But this isn’t a different world, and these women are not their mothers. Rose dreams of a life filled with more than family and duty to her husband—a life of purpose—and Evie dreams of a life far away from her rarefied existence.
-
The Girls of Bomber Command
- Bomber Command Girls, Book 1
- By: Vicki Beeby
- Narrated by: Sofia Engstrand
- Length: 10 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Pearl has given up on her dreams of being a journalist after being denied a promotion because of her gender. Joining the WAAF as a radio telephone operator for Bomber Command, Pearl's new job at RAF Fenthorpe serves two purposes – providing an income for her grandmother, and keeping a close eye on her younger sister, Thea, an instrument repairer at another Lincolnshire bomber station.
-
-
Brilliant!
- By Anonymous User on 22-12-2023
-
Wartime at Bletchley Park
- Bletchley Park Girls, Book 1
- By: Molly Green
- Narrated by: Lucy Scott
- Length: 11 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
September 1939. London is in blackout; war has been declared, but Dulcie Treadwell can think only of her heartbreak over American broadcaster, Glenn Reeves, who didn’t say goodbye before leaving for Berlin. Posted to Bletchley Park, Dulcie must concentrate on helping the war effort by cracking the German Enigma codes. The hours are long and the conditions tough, with little recognition from above. Until she breaks her first code. Dulcie finally settles into something she was born to do. But just as she’s proving her worth, a shocking betrayal leads to Dulcie’s brutal dismissal.
-
The Highland Girls at War
- The Highland Girls, Book 1
- By: Helen Yendall
- Narrated by: Charlie Mudie
- Length: 9 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Scotland, 1942. The Lumberjills, the newest recruits in the Women’s Timber Corps, arrive in the Scottish Highlands to a hostile reception from doubtful locals. The young women are determined to prove them wrong and serve their country – but they’re also all looking for something more. Can the Lumberjills get through their struggles together – even when tragedy strikes?
-
Bletchley Park and D-Day
- By: David Kenyon
- Narrated by: Greg Patmore
- Length: 9 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Since the secret of Bletchley Park was revealed in the 1970s, the work of its codebreakers has become one of the most famous stories of the Second World War. But cracking the Nazis' codes was only the start of the process. Thousands of secret intelligence workers were then involved in making crucial information available to the Allied leaders and commanders who desperately needed it.
-
-
Enigma
- By BSG_Fan on 06-07-2022
-
The Bletchley Girls
- By: Anna Stuart
- Narrated by: Eilidh Beaton
- Length: 12 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Stefania Carmichael steps into the mysterious world of Bletchley Park, she immediately finds herself signing the Official Secrets Act. In whispers, she is told that she’s been recruited because of her talent for languages. Before the war ripped Europe apart, Stefania was living in Rome, charming everyone she met, and engaged to the man of her dreams, handsome and brave Matteo. And now everything has changed. With secrets swirling around the building, Stefania finds it hard to know who to trust, until she forms a close bond with two other new recruits.
-
The Silk Code
- WW2 Secret Agent, Book 1
- By: Deborah Swift
- Narrated by: Eilidh Beaton
- Length: 12 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
England, 1943: Deciding to throw herself into war work, Nancy Callaghan joins the Special Operations Executive in Baker Street. There, she begins solving ‘indecipherables’ – scrambled messages from agents in the field. Then Nancy meets Tom Lockwood, a quiet genius when it comes to coding. Together they come up with the idea of printing codes on silk, so agents can hide them in their clothing to avoid detection by the enemy. Nancy and Tom grow close, and soon she is hopelessly in love. But there is a traitor in Baker Street, and suspicions turn towards Tom.
-
Past Encounters
- By: Deborah Swift
- Narrated by: Stevie Zimmerman
- Length: 11 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Rhoda Middleton suspects her husband Peter is having an affair. But when Rhoda tracks the mysterious woman down, she finds she is not his lover after all, but the wife of his wartime best friend, Archie Foster. There is only one problem - Rhoda has never even heard of Archie Foster.
-
These Wartime Dreams
- By: Rosie Meddon
- Narrated by: Emma Powell
- Length: 9 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After Pearl's home is destroyed in the Exeter Blitz, so too are her dreams of performing onstage. Finding work as a bus conductress instead, a chance encounter revives her hopes once more, and soon she is singing for the troops alongside new friend Ivy. When agent Gordon Gold approaches them, Ivy jumps to sign with him and sets off for the bright lights of London. But Pearl is wary of the charming man and decides to stay, watching her friend go with a heavy heart. A year later, while Pearl is struck mute by an illness, Ivy returns - and is quick to seize the chance to fill Pearl's place.
-
The Paris Notebook
- By: Tessa Harris
- Narrated by: Lucy Tregear
- Length: 11 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Katja Heinz secures a job as a typist in Hamburg working for Doctor Viktor’s clinic, she doesn’t expect to be writing up top secret medical records. Doctor Viktor treated soldiers for PTSD at the end of the first world war – and one of the patients was none other than Adolf Hitler.... The notes in his possession declare Hitler unfit for office; exposing such a secret would destroy the Fuhrer's reputation, and perhaps even change the course of the war.
-
A Rose in the Blitz
- By: Ann Bennett
- Narrated by: Rebecca Sharp
- Length: 8 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Wealthy landowner, Hadan Rose, is dying. His daughter, May, rushes to his country estate, Rose Park, with her daughter, Rachel, to nurse him through his final days. In the afternoons, while Hadan sleeps, May tells Rachel about her wartime experiences.
-
The Secret Pianist
- By: Andie Newton
- Narrated by: Mary Galloway
- Length: 11 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The occupation has taken much from the Cotillard sisters, and as the Germans increase their forces in the seaside town of Boulogne-sur-Mer, Gabriella, Martine and Simone can’t escape the feeling that the walls are closing in. Yet, just as they should be trying to stay under the radar, Martine’s discovery of a British messenger pigeon leads them down a new and dangerous path.
-
The Hidden Storyteller
- By: Mandy Robotham
- Narrated by: Kristin Atherton
- Length: 12 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The war is over, and Germany in ruins. Posted to an Allied-run Hamburg, reporter Georgie Young returns to the country she fled seven years prior – at the onset of the conflict – to find it unrecognisable. Amidst the stark horrors of a bombed-out city crumbling under the weight of millions of displaced souls, she discovers pockets of warmth: a violinist playing amidst the wreckage, couples dancing in the streets, and a nation trying to make amends.
-
Nancy Wake
- World War Two's Most Rebellious Spy
- By: Russell Braddon
- Narrated by: Nico Evers-Swindell
- Length: 9 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This is the incredible true story of the greatest spy you’ve never heard of - as told to the author by the woman herself. At the outbreak of World War Two, Nancy Wake’s glamorous life in the South of France seemed far removed from the fighting. But when her husband was called up for military service, Nancy felt she had just as much of a duty to fight for freedom. By 1943, her fearless undercover work even in the face of personal tragedy had earned her a place on the Gestapo’s "most wanted" list.
-
-
Brilliant book
- By Avid Reader on 21-12-2023
-
Murder at the Paris Fashion House
- An Abigail Dixon Mystery, Book 1
- By: Nancy Warren
- Narrated by: Katie Beudert
- Length: 9 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Paris 1925: When news reporter Abigail Dixon trades the Chicago newsroom for the Paris fashion scene, she finds herself dazzled by the latest looks from Coco Chanel, sipping champagne at the Ritz, and interviewing a famous designer. Stepping into his luxurious atelier on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, Abigail is ready to swoon over the exquisite gowns. The last thing she expects to find is her estranged stepmother lying dead on the fitting room floor–and Abigail framed as the prime suspect.
-
Operation Tulip
- WW2 Secret Agent Series
- By: Deborah Swift
- Length: 10 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Holland, 1944: Undercover British agent Nancy Callaghan has been given her toughest case yet. A key member of the Dutch resistance has been captured, and Nancy must play the role of a wealthy Nazi to win over a notorious SS officer, Detlef Keller, and gain crucial information. But as Nancy infiltrates the Dutch SS, she finds herself catching the eye of an even more senior member of the Party. Is Nancy in too deep, or can Tom reach her before she gets caught?
-
Behind Palace Doors
- By: Major Colin Burgess
- Narrated by: Bob Sinfield
- Length: 6 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this affectionate and often hilarious inside story of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, her former equerry Major Colin Burgess reveals what life was like living with the most private of all the Royals. Behind Palace Doors is a unique and warmly remembered historic insight into one of our longest-surviving institutions. Constantly fascinating and packed with previously untold stories, this is also a celebration of a life gone - and a way of life fast disappearing.
Publisher's Summary
Historian and broadcaster Tessa Dunlop tells the story of the women of Bletchley Park through exclusive and unprecedented access to the women themselves. The Bletchley Girls weaves together the lives of 15 women who were all selected to work in Britain's most secret organisation - Bletchley Park.
It is their story, told in their voices; Tessa met and talked to 15 veterans, often visiting them several times. Firm friendships were made as their epic journey unfolded on paper. The scale of female involvement in Britain during the Second World War wasn't matched in any other country.
From eight million working women, just over 7,000 were handpicked to work at Bletchley Park and its outstations. There had always been girls at the park, but soon they outnumbered the men three to one. A refugee from Belgium, a Scottish debutante, a Jewish 14-year-old and a factory worker from Northamptonshire - the Bletchley Girls confound stereotypes. But they all have one common bond: the war and their highly confidential part in it.
In the middle of the night, hunched over meaningless pieces of paper, tending mind-blowing machines, sitting listening for hours on end, theirs was invariably confusing, monotonous and meticulous work, about which they could not breathe a word.
By meeting and talking to these fascinating female secret keepers who are still alive today, Tessa Dunlop captures their extraordinary journeys into an adult world of war, secrecy, love and loss. Through the voices of the women themselves, this is a portrait of life at Bletchley Park beyond the celebrated code breakers; it's the story of the girls behind Britain's ability to consistently outsmart the enemy and an insight into the women they have become.
More from the same
What listeners say about The Bletchley Girls
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 22-04-2023
The Bletchley Girls - A Review
This is a refreshing perspective on the lives and roles of young women who worked at Bletchley. It provides insights directly from the mouths and recollections of girls who did the work and lived the life. It is refreshing because the experiences of the participants is their reality unfiltered by a third party and unlike so many historical novels , uncoloured by a male perspective. Once read, the book leaves one with a thorough sense of having been there and, what life was like for young women of that time.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Fiona O'Connell
- 11-02-2017
Loved it
I loved this book! A wonderful account of 15 very different Bletchley women, but also a great social history of that time.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Matgood Toothews
- 11-03-2017
Brilliant. Thank you.
Thank you for telling this story and celebrating the work that the women did. Thank you especially for mentioning in such kind words, my Great Aunty Phoebe Senyard. During her life, she never told us she worked at Bletchley. Nevertheless, she had a huge impact on me. She was my heroine and always will be.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anne
- 26-02-2016
One of the best books that I have listened to.
Fascinating , so well narrated and attention grabbing and very hard to have to put down, thoughtfully written. Bought to life an era in recent history that was shrouded in secrecy for many years and the day to day thoughts of some of the amazing women who worked tirelessly as part of Britain's war machine. The tip of the iceberg with this book makes me want to discover more fascinating stories of amazing people. Hoping to hear more gems from this author.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Marjo
- 29-05-2017
Timely Tribute
Fascinating detail of the Bletchley Girls' roles. Not all were stationed at BP; some had never heard it mentioned, but all played a role and kept it secret until the first book was published in 1974.
Highly recommended.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Katelyn
- 23-10-2017
Underwhelmed
With the content and research it should have been an interesting listen. However the writer was so intent on forcing her point that women were underrated, undervalued and underestimated that the actual story gets blurred behind a kind of women's rights push. A women myself, I fully understand and appreciate the importance of the role women played in the way but don't like to feel that I'm being indoctrinated.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- 🦋 Percyville 🦋
- 10-06-2018
"Highly Recommend"
I loved this book, well researched & well narrated.
15 Veterans accounting their involvement in the Second World War reflecting the importance of the role they played which is part of our history today.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Lauren Wilson
- 09-07-2022
Very sketchy
Could not get into this book. Did not hold my interest considering the subject. Did not finish the listen.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!