Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for No More Secrets:
Secrets, secrets can be fun!
Quick synopsis:
The story of Betty Webb who served at Bletchley Park and the Pentagon in World War II.
Fact for Non-History People:
The Pentagon is the third-largest office building in the world.
Fact for History Nerds:
Bletchley Park’s activities were kept secret for nearly 30 years after the war.
My Take on No More Secrets:
Memoirs are a difficult genre to rate. The challenge becomes whether your opinion of the book is a judgement on a life well lived. Betty Webb lived one heck of a life. She was a code breaker in World War II and was one of a few people to work at both Bletchley Park and the Pentagon. No More Secrets is a chronicle of her whole life and a quick rundown of various aspects of being part of a secretive society.
From a history perspective, the book will not reveal much you can’t find in numerous other books on World War II. Since this is Betty’s book, a greater understanding of what is going on around her is often elusive. Webb does use some outside sources to fill in gaps, but anyone looking for a salacious or surprising “tell-all” will be disappointed.
Webb is also of a generation where grandstanding is anathema to them. Seriously, my conversations with World War II veterans are always an exercise in understatement. Webb is no different and I get the feeling she didn’t put everything in this book, which is her right.
Ultimately, the book is an interesting look into the life of a person who has already lived a full life and is still going strong in her 90s.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Ad Lib Publishers.)
Verdict:
Good for people who want a personal view of this time. Buy it here!
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