Churchill's War Lab: Codebreakers, Scientists, and the Mavericks Churchill Led to Victory

While Churchill's biography is the narrative force behind this book, great emphasis is placed on the technological advances made by scientific advisors in both World Wars. These included the methods for code-breaking, the first armored tanks, and the earliest radar systems, to name a few. Downing provides brief biographies of Churchill's most influential scientific advisors, including Professor Frederick Lindemann, later named Lord Cherwell, a physicist who headed the Statistical Branch. Henry Tizard, an early advocate of radar and later scientific ambassador to America, and Alan Turing, a mathematician instrumental in decoding, are among the many other advisors discussed. Churchill's most valuable generals are also recognized, including Gen. Alan Brooke and Gen. Bernard Montgomery. Most of the text, however, is dedicated to the Prime Minister himself and the details of his illustrious career. Descriptions of his meetings with Roosevelt and Stalin are particularly interesting, and the events surrounding D-Day, code-named "Overlord," make for an exciting read. Readers interested in the early stages of technological warfare will certainly find many worthwhile details in this book. For Churchill experts, though, this is probably familiar ground. (June)