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Behind the Enigma

The Authorised History of GCHQ, Britain’s Secret Cyber-Intelligence Agency

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Behind the Enigma

By: John Ferris
Narrated by: Charles Armstrong
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Bloomsbury presents Behind the Enigma by John Ferris, read by Charles Armstrong.

'Fascinating … This monumental work completes the authorised picture of a century of British intelligence' BEN MACINTYRE, THE TIMES

'[A] revelatory look at the world of GCHQ … There is much in the book that illuminates' Mark Urban, Sunday Times

You know about MI5. You know about MI6.
Now uncover the mystery behind Britain’s most secretive intelligence agency, in the first ever authorised history of GCHQ.

For a hundred years, GCHQ – Government Communications Headquarters – has been at the forefront of innovation in national security and British secret statecraft. Famed for its codebreaking achievements during the Second World War, and essential to the Allied victory, GCHQ also held a critical role in both the Falklands Conflict and Cold War. Today, amidst the growing threats of terrorism and online crime, GCHQ continues to be the UK’s leading intelligence, security and cyber agency, and a powerful tool of the British state.

Based on unprecedented access to classified archives, Behind the Enigma is the first book to authoritatively tell the entire history of this most unique and enigmatic of organisations – and peer into its future at the heart of the nation’s security.©2020 John Ferris (P)2020 Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Europe Freedom & Security Great Britain Military Politics & Government Espionage Imperialism Russia War Imperial Japan Royalty Middle East
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Critic reviews

Fascinating … [Ferris] has rescued several great women codebreakers from obscurity … [Bletchley Park] has become embedded in national myth, but Ferris offers cool and balanced judgment … This monumental work completes the authorised picture of a century of British intelligence, a testament to how far Britain has moved away from the cult of official secrecy (Ben Macintyre)
In Ferris we have a shrewd and scrupulous historian … The references to individual people at all levels of the service are many and illuminating … Small details can bring a nod or a smile when one is reading … GCHQ shows it is alert to the role of a security and defence agency in a modern democracy, and Ferris is to be congratulated for shedding so much light upon it (Vin Arthey)
The book is at its best when sifting the role of signal intelligence (Sigint) in the Falklands war and other late imperial conflicts such as Indonesia and Palestine … Comprehensive (Luke Harding)
GCHQ emerges from the shadows … The story of the codebreakers is in fact a parallel history of the entire twentieth century … There is intriguing detailing of the organisation’s structure and systems ... Illuminating ... Absorbing (Sinclair McKay)
What happens when a tiny caste, so obsessed with keeping thing hidden that it speaks its own language of Ultra, Venona or Zircon, opens up? … The answer – not withstanding significant restriction on what Ferris was allowed to publish – is a book of revelation … Although he spent months sifting the papers in a high-security Cheltenham vault, [Ferris] does not lose sight of the big picture … There is much in the book that illuminates other aspects of postwar history, from the struggle against the Jewish underground in Palestine to the 1982 Falklands conflict … Today, [Ferris] argues, greater openness about intelligence gathering does not affect its relevance and power. His book is an example of this, and shows that the abandonment of Cold War levels of secrecy about GCHQ benefits us all (Mark Urban)
There is so much more to this secrecy-shrouded outfit, reveals Canadian historian John Ferris … Fielding formidable research, Ferris tells a global tale of mathematics, engineering, data sciences and linguistics in the service of politics, diplomacy, war and security (Andrew Robinson)
[Ferris] has written a deeply learned, comprehensive account of [GCHQ’s] achievements and occasional failures (Saul David)
A fascinating tale … It takes us with the codebreakers – mathematicians, linguists, teachers and philosophers and eccentrics – through the ages of radio, telegrams telephone and satellites to the digital present (Philip Stephens)
All stars
Most relevant
It is a history book, and it does cover a lot of ground. But having grown up in an era when secrecy was considered paramount, I was fascinated to (a) learn about the role Bletchley and GCHQ played in the Second World War, in Suez, in the Falklands, and their response to the Ed Snowden revelations. (b) to gain a new insight into the labour relations at GCHQ that used to play our evening news so often.

The book is organised into sections covering different topics and time lines, and while I was reading it the news was released about the new Australia UK USA (AUKUS) agreement, and reading this book helped me perceive that such a deal can be seen as a natural progression from what has been in place for decades.

Many other reviews here seem to be rather negative, but I think that unfair - the content meets the promise of the title in my mind, and while the subject may not be of interest to all, I am surprised anyone who was attracted by the title was then disappointed by the content.

I also found the narrator did a brilliant job. Again some others have commented that there was not enough animation in the narration, but I prefer factual content read as it is done so here, focusing on clarity of delivery let me pull out of it what interested me.

I got a lot out of this book.

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Since WW2, the United Kingdom has maintained its global influence not through its dwindling military power but its skill in hacking everyone else's calls and messages and then giving them to the United States. As this book makes clear, the so-called 'special relationship' hinges predominantly, and precariously, on the ability of Britain's 'signals' intelligence agency GCHQ to keep one step ahead in the bugging game. Given the sensitivity and importance of its work it's hardly surprising that its secrets are among the UK's most closely guarded, and that any 'authorised' history is unlikely to contain any new or startling revelations. Anyone interested in civil service internal politics may find this work fascinating but you will need expertise in cryptography to decipher the endless stream of acronyms. Those expecting tales of James Bond style derring-do and Dan Brown style conspiracies will be disappointed, as will anyone hoping for a reasoned discussion, or indeed any discussion, on the wrongs and rights of "bulk interception" of everyone's internet activity.

All cloak, no dagger

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So this is essentially a diary and report on the entire service.
It is exceptionally detailed and it’s written well in that sense. Narrator I would say had as tough a time as the listener at times to stay focused due to acronyms and thread of the book. Overall I enjoyed it but found myself having to rewind and Re listen to some chapters. No fault to Narrator it’s a highly detailed history and clearly sanitised script due to security.

Tough one to rate

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Having read GCHQ Centenary Edition by Richard Alrich I had high hopes for this. I found it much as some other listeners have commented i.e. it is like listening to a very long BBC Shipping Forecast. Had the narrator slipped in "Rockall, Fisher, German Bight" I may well not have noticed. There is undoubtedly a wealth of information and the narrator is to be commended as it cannot have been easy to orate and record such dry prose. Endless facts and military abbreviations do not a story make alas. Also I fail to see how a book that describes itself as a 'history' can leave out (at least as far as I read) the genuinely thrilling events that involved our intelligence agencies and not involve the reader far more in the human element of what went on over 100-plus years. Disappointing.

Didn't persevere with it.

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If you don't or haven't worked in this industry, at it's core, arms of control or influence, or at it's various layers, then this will be a tough nut to crack. It's not salacious nor redulant in detail, so may not hold your attention. However, if you have, then this is a significantly researched piece of work that brings it together from an historical perspective. Yes, it rightly has limitations, but from a timeline of the mundane daily work through to expectional breakthroughs over the years, that some people can relate to, then it is hard to beat.

I enjoyed it thoroughly.

For Connoisseurs

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