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Secret Britain

A journey through the Second World War's hidden bases and battlegrounds

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Secret Britain

By: Sinclair McKay
Narrated by: Sinclair McKay
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About this listen

 Discover the stories of the brave men and women who worked, trained and fought across the UK, from Bletchley Park in southern England all the way to Arisaig in northern Scotland, in an unbelievable effort to defeat the Nazis and win the Second World War .

From the outset of the war, most of Britain felt like a mystery even to those who lived there. All road and railway signs were removed up and down the country to thwart potential enemy spies. An invisible web of cunning spread across the United Kingdom; secret laboratories were hidden in marshes, underground bases were built to conceal key strategic plans and grand country houses became secret and silent locations for eccentric boffins to do their confidential cryptography work.

In Secret Britain, Sinclair McKay maps out the UK through the hidden bases and battlegrounds of WWII. These locations are full of history and intrigue, but if you don't know where to look, you might just miss them. Journeying through secret wildernesses, suburbs, underground tunnels and manor houses, Sinclair gives a glimpse into the stories of the incredible people behind the war effort, and shows how you might be able to visit these mysterious and evocative locations yourself.

With his trademark warmth and compassion, Sinclair unearths the truths of the war that have remained under layers of secrecy since the war was won in 1945.

(P) 2021 Headline Publishing Group Ltd©2021 Sinclair McKay Europe Freedom & Security Great Britain Military Politics & Government Espionage England War United Kingdom

Critic reviews

Engrossing . . . well-researched, powerfully written, and balanced. For all interested in military history and World War II.
Secret Britain successfully combines coverage of the importance of the interception and deciphering of messages in the UK and abroad, with insights into the private lives of the employees who did this work.
All stars
Most relevant
Loved the info in the book and the details of the closest stations etc is 1st class.

The narrator wasn't the best for me but thoroughly enjoyed the book and learned some things I didn't know existed.
Only downside was some of the facts on the parts I did know were not 100% correct but that didnt taje away from the enjoyment

Great info

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I found this Audible book very interesting with facts & information that one did not know : loose lips cost lives .
The narrator made the journey round hidden sites in the UK effortless. With gusto & passion.
The only let down was I felt there must be many more sites to be uncovered that wasn’t covered.

Secret performance of the British Public.

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Great listen, well researched and well narrated. well worth getting in my opinion 5/5 very good

Fully recommend

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A great listen with some amazing stories and facts with some interesting places to visit .

Great history

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I dithered between 4 or 5 stars at first as some of the stories won't be particularly new to keen WW2 history fans. But Sinclair made up for it as the book went on. The enjoyable twist on the normal secret history book is the social and the geography aspect, it adds interest and brings the stories alive.

At times McKay's narration style is more personalised, like a podcast. No bad thing actually, it's like a mate giving you tips on how to have a day out!

lovely stuff

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