Alan Turing

Unlocking The Enigma

By: David Boyle

Narrated by: Barnaby Edwards

Alan Mathison Turing. Mathematician, philosopher, codebreaker, a founder of computer science, and the father of Artificial Intelligence, Turing was one of the most original thinkers of the last century - and the man whose work helped create the computer-driven world we now inhabit.

But he was also an enigmatic figure, deeply reticent yet also strikingly naive. Turing's openness about his homosexuality at a time when it was an imprisonable offense ultimately led to his untimely death at the age of only 41.

In Alan Turing: Unlocking the Enigma, David Boyle reveals the mysteries behind the man and his remarkable career. Aged just 22, Turing was elected a fellow at King's College, Cambridge on the strength of a dissertation in which he proved the central limit theorem. By the age of 33, he had been awarded the OBE by King George VI for his wartime services: Turing was instrumental in cracking the Nazi Enigma machines at the top secret code breaking establishment at Bletchley Park during the Second World War.

But his achievements were to be tragically overshadowed by the paranoia of the post-War years. Hounded for his supposedly subversive views and for his sexuality, Turing was prosecuted in 1952, and forced to accept the humiliation of hormone treatment to avoid a prison sentence. Just two years later, at the age of 41 he was dead. The verdict: cyanide poisoning.

Was Turing's death accidental as his mother always claimed? Or did persistent persecution drive him to take him own life?

Alan Turing: Unlocking the Enigma seeks to find the man behind the science, illuminating the life of a person who is still a shadowy presence behind his brilliant achievements.

©2014 David Boyle (P)2014 Audible Studios

Critic reviews

"The tone of the book may be gloomy but there is plenty of entertainment value..." (Anne Ashworth, The Times

"He tells these stories, on the whole persuasively and with some startling asides." ( New Statesman)

"A book that is engagingly sensitive to the sentiments of what is sometimes called 'middle England'" (Dominic Lawson, Sunday Times)

Both the machine and the man

science, mathematics, computing, biography

The only thing that I knew about Alan Turing before this book was a few things about his role in cracking the Enigma Code in WW2. This limited biography explores his role in advancing the computer sciences and development of A I. There is also detailing of his being persecuted by his own government because of his homosexuality.
Barnaby Edwards is very good as narrator.

Thank you

I appreciate this short and informative education on a great person who helped make our world a better place.

Superb

This presents a concise overview of Turing’s life and work while maintaining a personal touch as regards the aspect of his sexuality.

Average

The Book treats Turing’s live pretty shallowly, it goes through it pretty fast and just drops names. Not even the homosexuality and the difficulties it posed at that time is approached very deeply. It just seems to be like a long press article about Turing and Enigma for people with average education. (A bit better than “The Sun”’s articles though, but not very much.

Turing From 30,000 Feet! 😱

Just saw the movie and enjoyed it very much.
The movie, while very appealing as an engrossing story took considerable liberty with its portrayal of Turing the man, choosing to emphasize the persecution of Turing the homosexual.
While as a physician I am uncomfortable with the idea of chemical castration as a criminal punishment, I certainly have many patients who have had "chemical castration" as a part of their treatment for prostate cancer. No such symptoms as portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch in "The Immitation Game" occur in my patients. The symptoms of Turing the actor are consistent with those of a man under extreme duress and in the midst of a nervous breakdown. Perhaps in this case a distinction without a difference. 😱

Insight

While the unsolvable enigma of Alan Turing persists, this is an interesting look at Turing the person: his work, sexuality, introversion, quirks, and habits. It’s so sad that societal repression of people who are different continues unabated, with no end of discrimination in sight. Turing’s enormous talents were exploited, but in the end they could not protect him.

Great book

What made the experience of listening to Alan Turing the most enjoyable?

Everything. Informative. Entertaining.

What other book might you compare Alan Turing to and why?

I can't think of any right now.

What about Barnaby Edwards’s performance did you like?

Very-well read.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes.

Any additional comments?

A wonderful book if you have any interests in technology and/or gay rights.

There will always be question

Amazing story. Why was the apple never checked for poison? Did the intelligence not want to know how he died?

Interesting overview

Interesting overview but somewhat shallow story of Alan Turing. Would have been so much more if the story covered the “life” and “ times” of Alan Turing. Instead the story put put too much emphasis on the “Turing Model” or “Tiring Method” without making it overly clear, on a simple and easy to grasp, basis. I suppose more reading or research is needed in order to filly appreciate and understand the brilliance and intelligence of this giant of a code breaker and computer pioneer.

Fascinating look at a fascinating man

I’d been hearing Turing’s name a lot since the release of the movie, The Imitation Game, but I really didn’t know much about him. That changed after reading this book. Though it is not very long, it is a wonderfully in depth look at a fascinating man. Very well-written and presented.
I listened to the audio version and the narrator, Barnaby Edwards, did such a fantastic job. He made it even more interesting. If you are a history buff, particularly regarding the history and early development of computers, I think you will enjoy this book.