Status
Available
Collection
Publication
Free Press (2000), Edition: First Edition, 624 pages
Description
In 1942, Leo Marks left his father's famous bookshop, 84 Charing Cross Road, and went off to fight the war. He was twenty-two. Soon recognized as a cryptographer of genius, he became head of communications at the Special Operations Executive (SOE), where he revolutionized the codemaking techniques of the Allies and trained some of the most famous agents dropped into occupied Europe, including the White Rabbit and Violette Szabo. As a top codemaker, Marks had a unique perspective on one of the most fascinating and, until now, little-known aspects of the Second World War. Writing with the narrative flair and vivid characterization of his famous screenplays, Marks gives free rein to his keen sense of the absurd and his wry wit, resulting in a thrilling and poignant memoir that celebrates individual courage and endeavor, without losing sight of the human cost and horror of war.… (more)
Media reviews
User reviews
LibraryThing member DHBarry
Last night I finished my third reading of Between Silk & Cyanide. I was up to the wee hours finishing it up; it is a very hard book to put down. This is the kind of book that you almost regret finishing.
Leo Marks was a cryptographer with the British Special Operations Executive during World War
While I didn't know it on my first reading of this book, Leo Marks was also a playwright, albeit largely unknown. He brings to his autobiography a narrative style that is at times self-effacing and humorous, and at others wrenching in the depths of the emotion it conveys.
Here, take this excerpt:
"For a short while the whole class seemed to be moving in orderly mental convoy towards the promised land of Bletchley. But amongst those potential problem-masters there was one confirmed problem-pupil. I knew that if I didn't break behaviour patterns as well as codes, I would be lucky to last the term - a prospect which made me keep peace with my teachers for a personal best of about a week. The regression started when I felt a code of my own simmering inside me. This unwanted pregnancy was accompanied by morning sickness which took the form of questioning the quality of the exercises which were supposed to extend us. I was convinced that the school's methods of teaching would be better suited to a crash course in accountancy. The decline was irreversible..."
Hard to believe the man found little success as a playwright, but, then, screenplays are not a medium well-suited to prose. He should have become a novelist.
The first time I read Between Silk & Cyanide, I had no idea what a significant impact its author, Leo Marks, had made. In his book he is self-effacing to the extreme, poking fun at SOE, his superiors within that organization, and most especially himself. So it was not until after my first reading of the book, when curiosity led me to Google him, that I realized that he single-handedly changed the way the British managed their codes and the agents using them in World War II.
It reads like the plot of a Jack Higgins novel. This book has everything you’d expect to find in a novel. It has intrigue, excitement, adventure. But it packs an emotional punch that is wholly unexpected.
At the beginning of the book, Leo Marks is young. Impulsive, impetuous, brash, and convinced of his own correctness. At the end, he's still young in years; this book covers a span of only a handful of years, so the author was entering his mid-twenties when the war ended. Still impulsive and impetuous (though more inclined to spare at least a moment's thought to something stupid before he actually does it), he is also tired. The kind of bone-deep weariness that comes from life's more difficult experiences, rather than from physical labor. And he's disgusted and a little angry, after so long a time trying to work around politics and infighting in his efforts to keep agents alive.
During the war, he fell in love for the first time, and lost that love. His best friend, Forest Frederick Edward Yeo-Thomas, an SOE agent, is captured by the Nazis and tortured, and returns from captivity at the end of the war an old man in a young man's skin. Aside - Tommy's Google entry doesn't do him justice, but check it out anyway. He was a true-blue hero.
The author learned to love codes at the age of 8 in his father's book store, 84 Charing Cross Road (yes, that 84 Charing Cross Road). He loved puzzles and codes. But at the end of the war he walked away from them without a backward glance. But the war, such a small fraction of his life in years, obviously left an indelible impression, and nearly forty years later, he wrote this book. At the time, some of what he described was still so sensitive that it was not until 1998 that the British government allowed it to be published. Fortunate for us that they finally did.
I read a lot of history. In particular (though not exclusively), a lot of military history. This book is one of the finest examples of the genre I have ever had the pleasure of reading. The excerpts I've shared with you can give only a glimmer of the true impact of this book; it has to be read to be fully experienced, and it is an experience well worth the time. I haven't done it justice; it is impossible to do so. I hope you'll read the book and see for yourself.
Leo Marks was a cryptographer with the British Special Operations Executive during World War
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II; this book chronicles his experiences during that time. It reads like a James Bond novel, and is made all the more fascinating by the fact that it is non-fiction. Leo Marks was a superior cryptographer. He became head of communications at SOE, where he ultimately transformed code-making techniques, and trained many of the most famous agents of the time in their use.While I didn't know it on my first reading of this book, Leo Marks was also a playwright, albeit largely unknown. He brings to his autobiography a narrative style that is at times self-effacing and humorous, and at others wrenching in the depths of the emotion it conveys.
Here, take this excerpt:
"For a short while the whole class seemed to be moving in orderly mental convoy towards the promised land of Bletchley. But amongst those potential problem-masters there was one confirmed problem-pupil. I knew that if I didn't break behaviour patterns as well as codes, I would be lucky to last the term - a prospect which made me keep peace with my teachers for a personal best of about a week. The regression started when I felt a code of my own simmering inside me. This unwanted pregnancy was accompanied by morning sickness which took the form of questioning the quality of the exercises which were supposed to extend us. I was convinced that the school's methods of teaching would be better suited to a crash course in accountancy. The decline was irreversible..."
Hard to believe the man found little success as a playwright, but, then, screenplays are not a medium well-suited to prose. He should have become a novelist.
The first time I read Between Silk & Cyanide, I had no idea what a significant impact its author, Leo Marks, had made. In his book he is self-effacing to the extreme, poking fun at SOE, his superiors within that organization, and most especially himself. So it was not until after my first reading of the book, when curiosity led me to Google him, that I realized that he single-handedly changed the way the British managed their codes and the agents using them in World War II.
It reads like the plot of a Jack Higgins novel. This book has everything you’d expect to find in a novel. It has intrigue, excitement, adventure. But it packs an emotional punch that is wholly unexpected.
At the beginning of the book, Leo Marks is young. Impulsive, impetuous, brash, and convinced of his own correctness. At the end, he's still young in years; this book covers a span of only a handful of years, so the author was entering his mid-twenties when the war ended. Still impulsive and impetuous (though more inclined to spare at least a moment's thought to something stupid before he actually does it), he is also tired. The kind of bone-deep weariness that comes from life's more difficult experiences, rather than from physical labor. And he's disgusted and a little angry, after so long a time trying to work around politics and infighting in his efforts to keep agents alive.
During the war, he fell in love for the first time, and lost that love. His best friend, Forest Frederick Edward Yeo-Thomas, an SOE agent, is captured by the Nazis and tortured, and returns from captivity at the end of the war an old man in a young man's skin. Aside - Tommy's Google entry doesn't do him justice, but check it out anyway. He was a true-blue hero.
The author learned to love codes at the age of 8 in his father's book store, 84 Charing Cross Road (yes, that 84 Charing Cross Road). He loved puzzles and codes. But at the end of the war he walked away from them without a backward glance. But the war, such a small fraction of his life in years, obviously left an indelible impression, and nearly forty years later, he wrote this book. At the time, some of what he described was still so sensitive that it was not until 1998 that the British government allowed it to be published. Fortunate for us that they finally did.
I read a lot of history. In particular (though not exclusively), a lot of military history. This book is one of the finest examples of the genre I have ever had the pleasure of reading. The excerpts I've shared with you can give only a glimmer of the true impact of this book; it has to be read to be fully experienced, and it is an experience well worth the time. I haven't done it justice; it is impossible to do so. I hope you'll read the book and see for yourself.
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LibraryThing member John_Vaughan
I enjoyed this book so much that I immediately sought others authored by Leo Marks, but it seems there are none. That is a shame as he writes sparkle and wit. An engaging and instuctive read.
LibraryThing member seeker4242
When this book was published one reviewer said "if you only buy one book this year buy this".Only a select few books deserve this praise, this is one of them.In the cliche stranger than fiction Leo Marks,son of the famous bookseller of 84B Charing Cross road tells of his work as a code breaker with
But it is not the events but the style,wit and quality of the prose that grips you from the 1st word to the last.
If you possibly can get hold of this book and read it, you wont regret it.
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the organisation responsible for agents sent to occupied France in the 2nd world war.But it is not the events but the style,wit and quality of the prose that grips you from the 1st word to the last.
If you possibly can get hold of this book and read it, you wont regret it.
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LibraryThing member dpappas
I really enjoyed reading this book. It didn't feel like I was reading a book but that I had sat down with Leo Marks and he was telling me stories about his coding work during WWII. This was a fascinating look into the work that SOE did during the war. You can tell that Marks grew close to those he
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worked with and you could feel his grief when some of his most beloved co-workers were killed. It was heartbreaking reading about those deaths. I loved Leo's sense of humor; even with the seriousness of the war he still managed to make me laugh at odd times throughout the book. I would recommend this book to those wanting to know more about code making during WWII. Show Less
LibraryThing member AmphipodGirl
Mark's style is odd, self-deprecating, and elliptical, but this is a gripping read for all that. It brings to life the suspense of wartime espionage, as seen from a distance by a man who developed codes for secret agents to use in the field, trained the agents in those codes, and waited tensely to
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hear how the agents fared. Show Less
LibraryThing member BrianDewey
Marks, Leo. Between Silk and Cyanide: A Codemaker's War 1941--1945. The Free Press, New York, 1998. A can't-put-it-down book! Marks's style is light and engaging (perhaps too light? Things went too fast in the beginning). I was drawn in and captivated by the story of deception, codemaking, and the
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utterly overwhelming heroics of WWII. Initially, I was disappointed because he didn't go into the details of how the codes worked. By the end, I cared too much about the lives of the agents in the field to care. Show Less
LibraryThing member celephicus
Excellent book, if the author comes across as a cocky young Jewish clever d*ck, that's because he is. But he saved countless lives and was haunted by the brave men & women who were captured by the Gestapo.
A different view of British WW2 cryto, Bletchley Park employed a cast of thousands, Marks was
The description of where he demonstrates the vulnerability of the infamous poem code to SOE's boss is a classic. His boss escapes by reading the paper and then ensuring that Marks can never make a report that will allow the information to escape SOE. I am sure it inspired the scene towards the end of [Cryptonomicon] where Randy lectures to Comstock on crypto.
A different view of British WW2 cryto, Bletchley Park employed a cast of thousands, Marks was
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a one man show, with his girls providing some backup as well. I would have liked more detail on the codes, in an appendix would be better. The description of where he demonstrates the vulnerability of the infamous poem code to SOE's boss is a classic. His boss escapes by reading the paper and then ensuring that Marks can never make a report that will allow the information to escape SOE. I am sure it inspired the scene towards the end of [Cryptonomicon] where Randy lectures to Comstock on crypto.
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LibraryThing member Tod_Christianson
This is one of the best books on the history of World War 2 that I have ever read.
LibraryThing member jaygheiser
The guy has a bit of an ego, and the book is too cutsey, but Marks is a sucessful screenwriter and it reads well. I would recommend this for anyone looking to learn more about cryptography. It makes the operational issues of creating and analyzing encry
LibraryThing member Oreillynsf
I absolutely loved this book. The personal story of a British codemaker in World War 2, this vivid diary is extremely entertaining. The author provides lots of information and thinking around the making and breaking of codes -- if you are a "puzzle person" as am I, these parts in particular will be
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riveting. At times quite honest, at times self serving, it's a great read that leaves you with a twinkle in your eye. Show Less
LibraryThing member KatieWallace
My Favorite non-Fiction book. The writer is absolutely brilliant and will blow you away. A fascinating angle on WWII history.
LibraryThing member untraveller
Good book reminding me of my days in the 'intelligence field', a misnomer if ever there was one. I never really got the hang of the way the different codes worked, but I believe that was intentional....can't have the hoi polloi picking up any ideas now, can we?
LibraryThing member 2wonderY
Lots of subtle dry self-deprecating wit. But it went on too long with too much minutia. Interesting read for a spy fan.
LibraryThing member Sopoforic
This one is absolutely as gripping as any novel I've read. The ending wasn't completely satisfying, but that can easily be forgiven, since the book recounts true events, and life isn't always satisfying. This book is highly recommended.
LibraryThing member KWharton
I have just started this book and I'm really enjoying the author's style of writing. It is lively and funny.
LibraryThing member KWharton
I have just started this book and I'm really enjoying the author's style of writing. It is lively and funny.
LibraryThing member jamespurcell
A good book and generally interesting but too long
LibraryThing member rivkat
British codebreaker’s memoir of WWII, where he tried to keep agents safe and occasionally succeeded. Dry British humor and lots of bureaucratic infighting.
LibraryThing member nancynova
Another WWII book that's quite different. Unbelievable that Leo Marks was a master cryptographer and was only in his 20's. Irreverent, funny, sarcastic and readable describing very hard to describe methods of encrypting agents messages and the value of communications in war and peace time.
This on
This on
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will move along to a non-BC reader in Utah. Show Less
LibraryThing member Chris_El
One of the best books I've read all year.
The memoir of Leo Marks. A code breaker/code maker for the SOE during WWII in Britain. Bloody brilliant chap with a hilarious sense of dry, wry, British humor. A humorous excerpt:
My long lost corporal was waiting for me outside the NDO's office. His
I knew how he felt. I was born short. I thanked him for his help, but he continued standing there. I wondered if he'd taken short again. "Dismiss?" I suggested tentatively?
He saluted and turned to go. "By the way Corporal, what was wrong with your Sergeant's foot?"
"He dropped his wife on it sir."
"Give them both my regards."
I went inside to face my night.
He mentions several of the poems he wrote, many were used by agents as past of their poem codes. One I liked:
I danced two waltzes
One foxtrot
And one polka
With no partner
That they could see
And I hope I did not tire you.
I glided round
The other ballroom
The one called life
Just as alone
And have to thank you
For giving me
The sprinkling of moments
Which are my place at the table
In a winner's world.
Keep a space for me
On your card
If you are dancing still.
The memoir of Leo Marks. A code breaker/code maker for the SOE during WWII in Britain. Bloody brilliant chap with a hilarious sense of dry, wry, British humor. A humorous excerpt:
My long lost corporal was waiting for me outside the NDO's office. His
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complexion was the colour of his uniform. "Very sorry sir. I was taken short."I knew how he felt. I was born short. I thanked him for his help, but he continued standing there. I wondered if he'd taken short again. "Dismiss?" I suggested tentatively?
He saluted and turned to go. "By the way Corporal, what was wrong with your Sergeant's foot?"
"He dropped his wife on it sir."
"Give them both my regards."
I went inside to face my night.
He mentions several of the poems he wrote, many were used by agents as past of their poem codes. One I liked:
I danced two waltzes
One foxtrot
And one polka
With no partner
That they could see
And I hope I did not tire you.
I glided round
The other ballroom
The one called life
Just as alone
And have to thank you
For giving me
The sprinkling of moments
Which are my place at the table
In a winner's world.
Keep a space for me
On your card
If you are dancing still.
Show Less
LibraryThing member nogoodboyo
The author was a very young cryptographic expert for SOE during World War II, and was in charge of ensuring the security of the codes the agents being sent into occupied Europe were given to use when they sent back radio messages. A well-known story, but written from a unique viewpoint and in a
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personal and sometimes very emotional style. Show Less
LibraryThing member labfs39
A fantastic, humorous, very well-written memoir by Britain's top codemaker and Director of Communications for SOE during WWII. At age 23 Marks leaves home hoping to do his bit for his country. While everyone else in his cryptographic class heads off for Bletchley Park, Leo ends up on Baker Street
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with the SEO. He becomes the head of code making for the British. His story is honest, self-deprecating, and funny. But he never forgets the agents lost, especially Violette Szabo and Yeo-Thomas. The title refers to a conversation Marks had to convince the purse-string holders to produce his codes on strips of silk. He says the agents lives may very well come down to his silks, or cyanide. Highly recommended. (Read and reviewed in 2017) Show Less
Subjects
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1998
Physical description
624 p.; 9.25 inches
ISBN
068486780X / 9780684867809