This has been on my radar for ages and I finally got around to it. Art-wise it is decent, but basic with only black and white illustrations, however tThis has been on my radar for ages and I finally got around to it. Art-wise it is decent, but basic with only black and white illustrations, however the artwork is clear and I found it easy to differentiate between characters (I sometimes struggle with telling different people apart in some graphic novels and that results in confusion with the story - this might just be my issue?). What was a standout for me is the history of Iran. The highly personal view of a child living through a giant sociological upheaval makes this very interesting and gives an outsider like myself a simplified view that really does show the everyday ramifications of living in Iran at the time. I will definitely be reading the second half of Satrapi's story and highly recommend for teen readers wanting to know a bit of world history. As an adult I would have loved more depth but this is a great starting point and highly readable....more
This is my type of War book - not really about the battles and gore (although there are a few battles and significant loss of life) - but about the beThis is my type of War book - not really about the battles and gore (although there are a few battles and significant loss of life) - but about the behind the scenes: the organisation, co-ordination, and brain power it takes to crack the codes. Its also about Australia's relationship to Britain in a time when Australia was still very much considered a backward colony by the "Mother Country", nothing more than a loyal apendage to supply cannon fodder and keep this side of the world reminded that Britain was a superpower no matter how far away she was.
This is a view of WWI that you don't normally see, after all most of the action was happening on the other side of the world. However, a quick thinking captain, a mathematician turned school teacher, and a captured codebook, changed the balance of the war and could have changed it further if the English Admiralty took their work seriously. It is a very Australian perspective, which I enjoyed.
Fast paced and full of just enough detail to keep readers informed but never overwhelmed, Australian Code Breakers kept me gripped. The edition I read was an ARC / proof so I hope the final edition has a map for readers to follow the action through the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans as several times I had to pull out an atlas. There were also a few typos but I trust they will be fixed before printing.
I would've liked a bit more detail about the women who worked with Wheatley and what their level of involvement was in the process of codebreaking for Section E; were they just typists? Or did they also work on the decryption process? A couple of comments in the book made me think they did more than make tea and type Wheatley's memos.
Overall, a great view of the early months of the war, the attitudes of the time, and the conditions on board ship. Wheatley was clearly a man who deserved more recognition from the Admiralty.