Hijacking Enigma: The Insiders Tale

In a quiet graveyard in rural England a well–dressed man is digging at a tomb. He is careful not to disturb the occupant?s slumbers as he removes a deeply buried package. He recovers the find and drives away. Shortly afterwards, another man also approaches the grave. He, however, is disappointed. This nerve–tingling operation is part of a cat–and–mouse plot played out between the police and the possessor of a rare and valuable Enigma machine that had been stolen from Bletchley Park.

This bizarre episode in Bletchley Park?s history is as mysterious as the activities of the wartime codebreakers who worked there. In this gripping detective story Christine Large, Director of Bletchley Park, reveals the theft?s inside story and explains exactly how the person in possession of the machine was caught.

About the Author.

Dedication.

Acknowledgements.

1. Alice Digs In.

2. The Vanishing.

3. Rules and Regulations.

4. A Mock Turtle.

5. The Alphabet Cipher.

6. Nonsense From Letters.

7. Serpent!

8. The Hunting.

9. A Little Bill.

10. Rules of Battle.

11. Dream of Money–Bags.

12. Cold, Cold Sea

13. Cat And Mouse.

14. Misunderstanding.

15. Knots.

16. Man At The Helm.

17. The Landing.

18. A Cunning Conspiracy.

19. The Professor′s Song.

20. White Knight.

21. Lobster Quadrille.

22. Birthday Presents.

23. Petty Cash.

24. Hush! Hush!

25. Knave In Chains.

26. Stuff And Nonsense.

27. Alice′s Evidence.

28. Magic Watch.

29. A Tangled Tale.

30. White Kid Gloves.

31. Golden Afternoon.

32. Dead Reckoning.

Epilogue.

Bibliography.

Index.

Christine Large continues a line of individualistic Bletchley Park directors. Her career began with a law degree and includes private sector business roles and voluntary work. She has been employed by the National Federation of Women s Institutes, has been a university lecturer in business studies, a CBI London council member, chaired the governing body of London s largest state primary school and chaired a national charity.
She helped Bletchley Park as a volunteer for eighteen months before being appointed its director in 1998. Christine s mother–in–law worked at Bletchley Park during the war and her father–in–law retrieved Allied spies from overseas for Special Operations Executive. Her mission is to build on the codebreaking pioneers work, transforming the site into a heritage park famed for education and technology innovation.
Christine lives in London and is married with two daughters. Her hobbies include playing the cello and learning Russian.

"...this book is an excellent read, and well paced throughout. It is also surprisingly, full of humour." (Sunday Mercury, 28 March 2004)

"...with spies and detectives, history and extortion , this is more astounding than a Bond film." (Good Book Guide, April 2004)

"...detective story that describes the cat–and–mouse plot played out between the police and the thief of ...[the] Enigma machine..." (Museums Journal, April 2004)

"...a fascinating story with many photographs and flashbacks..." (Cryptolgia, July 2005)