Why a Booktrail?
1930s – 1940s: Who was Alan Turing? The Man behind the Myth
Turing: Pioneer of the Information Age
What you need to know before your trail
Alan Turing is regarded as one of the greatest scientists of the 20th century. But who was Turing, and what did he achieve during his tragically short life of 41 years? Best known as the genius who broke Germany’s most secret codes during the war of 1939-45, Turing was also the father of the modern computer. Today, all who ‘click-to-open’ are familiar with the impact of Turing’s ideas.
Locations
Reset- England - Buckinghamshire - Bletchley
- A: Bletchley Park - The train station
- B: Hut 12
- C: Hut 11
- D: The Cottages
- E: Bletchley Park Mansion
Travel Guide
Bletchley Park
Alan Turing was not ‘famous’ or well known in any way during his lifetime. Today however, he is famous for being the man who conceived modern computing and played a crucial part in the Allied victory over Nazi Germany in WW2.
Tragically, he was also a victim of mid-20th Century attitudes to homosexuality – he was chemically castrated before dying at the age of 41 from cyanide poisoning. It is still uncertain whether it was suicide or not.
When you get to see Alan Turing’s desk – speechless. This man’s story is more than retold here – there’s even a brick in an honorary wall bearing his name. And his office was so small! Oh and that huge machine he built – remarkable. There are no words to describe what he achieved and what it’s like standing in the very spot he made history.
Booktrail Boarding Pass: Turing: Pioneer of the Information Age
Destination: Bletchley Author/Guide: Jack Copeland Departure Time: 1912 – 1954
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