Reviews

A compelling account of the officer who waged the intelligence battle against Napoleon's army: a forerunner to the great code-breakers of the 20th century. In 1812, with two great armies manoeuvering across the Spanish plains, each struggles to gain an advantage. Wellington was aware that he might turn the tide of the war if he defeated the French. Good intelligence was the key, but the impenetrable code used by the French, the "Great Paris Cipher" seemed indecipherable. One man, Major George Scovell, was given the impossible task. This remarkable man of low birth who struggled for advancement in the ranks of better-connected officers was the perfect subject for a fascinating, multi-faceted study.