Secret Warriors
Key Scientists, Code Breakers and Propagandists of the Great War
Author: Taylor Downing
A fresh, new take on the Great War that uncovers how wartime research laid the foundations for much scientific progress in the twentieth century.
Paperback
PRODUCT INFORMATION
Summary
A fresh, new take on the Great War that uncovers how wartime research laid the foundations for much scientific progress in the twentieth century.
Description
The First World War is often viewed as a war fought by armies of millions living and fighting in trenches, aided by brutal machinery that cost the lives of many. But behind all of this a scientific war was also being fought between engineers, chemists, physicists, doctors,mathematicians and intelligence gatherers. This hidden war was to make a positive and lasting contribution to how war was conducted on land, at sea and in the air, and most importantly life at home.
SECRET WARRIORS provides an invaluable and fresh history of the First World War, profiling a number of the key figures who made great leaps in science for the benefit of 20th Century Britain. Told in a lively, narrative style, SECRET WARRIORS reveals the unknown side of the war.Critic Reviews
“Exactly what you want from a history of the boffins and technological pioneers of the First World War. There are bluff military adventurers and clumsy gentleman scientists - The Times[A] fascinating new take on the Great War - Daily Express Secret Warriors is a compelling insight into the role intellectuals can play in the business of war - History of War magazineUnique and timely, interesting and useful - Military History[A] fascinating study - New StatesmanLucid and entertaining . . . Secret Warriors is full of interesting characters . . . The straightforward story Downing tells is a refreshing change from older treatments of science and war - NatureThe war started the long road to the world of cyber warriors, electronic eavesdropping and large-scale chemical weapons we know today. It is a fearsome legacy, and Downing charts its birth with knowledge, wit and skill - Literary ReviewDowning delivers a riveting account - Publisher's Weekly”
Exactly what you want from a history of the boffins and technological pioneers of the First World War. There are bluff military adventurers and clumsy gentleman scientists - The Times
[A] fascinating new take on the Great War - Daily ExpressSecret Warriors is a compelling insight into the role intellectuals can play in the business of war - History of War magazineUnique and timely, interesting and useful - Military History[A] fascinating study - New StatesmanLucid and entertaining . . . Secret Warriors is full of interesting characters . . . The straightforward story Downing tells is a refreshing change from older treatments of science and war - NatureThe war started the long road to the world of cyber warriors, electronic eavesdropping and large-scale chemical weapons we know today. It is a fearsome legacy, and Downing charts its birth with knowledge, wit and skill - Literary ReviewDowning delivers a riveting account - Publisher's WeeklyAbout the Author
Taylor Downing is a television producer and writer. He was educated at Cambridge University and went on to become Managing Director and Head of History at Flashback Television, an independent production company. His most recent books include Spies in the Sky, Churchill's War Lab, Cold War and Night Raid.
Back Cover
'Exactly what you want from a history of the boffins and technological pioneers of the First World War. There are bluff military adventurers and clumsy gentleman scientists' The Times The First World War was a modern, industrial and technological war, but the war effort wasn't confined to the battlefield. Chemists and engineers, doctors, code-breakers and scientists all played vital roles. Out of their contribution came dramatic developments in aviation, gunnery, intelligence, medicine and psychology, along with the development of the tank and dreadful advances in chemical warfare. In addition, the work of the greatest artists of the day was crucial in controlling the flow of information at home and managing propaganda campaigns overseas. In Taylor Downing's revelatory new take on the Great War, he explores the successes and legacies of this research and creativity. Looking afresh at archives old and new, Secret Warriors uncovers the astonishing foundations that wartime ingenuity laid for decades of scientific progress to come. '[A] fascinating new take on the Great War' Daily Express
The First World War is often viewed as a war fought by armies of millions living and fighting in trenches, aided by brutal machinery that cost the lives of many. But behind all of this a scientific war was also being fought between engineers, chemists, physicists, doctors,mathematicians and intelligence gatherers. This hidden war was to make a positive and lasting contribution to how war was conducted on land, at sea and in the air, and most importantly life at home. SECRET WARRIORS provides an invaluable and fresh history of the First World War, profiling a number of the key figures who made great leaps in science for the benefit of 20th Century Britain. Told in a lively, narrative style, SECRET WARRIORS reveals the unknown side of the war.
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