Loved this book! I am not a big WWII buff but this story specifically was so interesting. A great effort on the author to do research and craft vivid storytelling around it.

Interesting book about historical aspects of the war. I like to read about different places and time frames.

One of my favorite Historical Fiction and Non-Fiction time periods is World War II. And through in some strong women doing some remarkable things during this period already has me hooked. This one is an untold story of women who were recruited, trained and sent to work in code-breaking facilities for the American military. Could you even imagine? Great read.

This book explores and discusses the way that women help change the war during a time when women were usually seen as the weaker and less capable sex. This was not covered in your high school history book, it should have been!

Several decades after the end of World War II, access to an incredible story has been allowed, in which a group of recently graduated American women and teachers were recruited to carry out a secret mission of the greatest importance: to break the codes used by Axis countries.
This was a historic triumph for all women, as their value and ability to enter the world of Science and Mathematics had never been recognized to date. Despite the fact that, due to the type of work they carried out, their achievements were never publicly recognized, this group of women were the basis for the Allies' triumph and, most importantly, to reduce the loss of life among the Allied troops.
For the perseverance, courage, intelligence and sacrifice of these women, the world will always be indebted to them.

Maybe this was a case of having too much research material available and not wanting to waste any of it. However, I thought that this book contained way too much information about train rides, living accommodations, letters to soldiers, engagements and other domestic details. There was also a problem of having too many names. While I believe that it’s a good thing for all of these women to get recognition, none of them stood out to me, and the book became a recitation of names. I was hoping for details of the work done and how it impacted the war. There was certainly some of that, but it felt surrounded by fluff. The chronology was also wonky. It began with the recruitment of women from the Seven Sisters in 1941, then goes to an interminable introduction, then picks up with more WWII recruitment, then goes backwards to code breakers during WWI and then proceeds with the WWII story. Some of the book was informative but most of it was not really interesting to me.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

One of my favorite books of the year. Excellent book on a group of not well know ladies. A must read for WWII history buffs and those wanting to learn about women in wwii.

Loved this title as a adult reader, and I am confident that my teenage students will love it too (even thought it's tough and long).

The key is that it is really well written. It can be just read and enjoyed or used a reference book for research.

I was so touched by this story of the brave women who changed history during WWII. They were recruited and lived in camps, many with dorm style housing . What they did was top secret and they were unable to discuss it with even their families. They gave up everything to do this work for the war effort. Their story was previously largely unknown . Thank you to the author for bringing their story to life. I am in awe of how they worked as a team, away from their families and contributed so much to end the war.

Prior to reading Code Girls, I hadn't read anything about women's involvement in wars or Pearl Harbor in general so I was excited to get this one. Code Girls follows a handful of women amongst the thousands that were both recruited and chose to join the military during WWI and WWII. Reading about their contribution to the military's successes during those time periods was really fascinating but I do wish that the book would have focused more on their lives individually, rather than on the specifics of some of the code structures that they were working on. At times I found the content a little bit difficult to follow, but in general I really enjoyed this one and definitely recommend picking it up.

I am a member of the American Library Association Notable Books Council. This title was suggested for the 2018 list. It was not nominated for the award.

This readable history provides insight to the lives of the women code breakers of World War II. Young women arrived in Washington from the Seven Sisters colleges after passing a correspondence course in cryptography. Others first flocked to recruiting stations in small towns across the United States before alighting at Union Station. When pressed they would say they "did office work" never hinting to the vital role they played in the war.

Many of the young women excelled at maths or sciences though not all. The women recruited into the code breaking departments of the Army and Navy were critical to the war effort. They took their work seriously during and after the war. Their vow of silence and secrecy meant the public only knew of the exploits and heroic deeds of their brothers and husbands, until now.

From the beginnings of code-breaking efforts through the end of the war we follow the lives of several women. With them we watch how they learned to break codes, live in Washington, and navigate military life as women. It is important whatever your general views on war and conflict.

This book portrays responsible women who deciphered encoded communications when the computing power was by-and-large manual, and human. We get a glimpse of their lives in a Washington overrun with young women moving in and men shipping out.

Mundy's work, through her oral histories and research help to, with respect and care, honour the work they performed and kept confidential throughout their lives. I wish the stories of all the code breakers, including the African-American women were better told but time and their vows of secrecy makes that omission understood.

This history is of interest to a range of readers; those interested in maths and computing, linguists, and military history will all be captivated by the treasure within. I am very thankful Mundy wrote this book and gave voice to those who never before shared their stories.

OH Boy, this was pretty awesome. My mother served in the Navy during WWII (not as a code breaker) and she was so very proud of her ability to serve. I only wish that I had her still here to talk more about her service.

This was an amazing book that lays out the history of all the wonderful women that "Chose to Serve" our country.

My thanks to netgalley and Hachette Books for this advanced readers copy.

This was really good, but the explanation of codes and ciphers was way over my head. It really shone for me when the stories of the women took precedence, and the actual mechanics of code-breaking were in the background. Still, this is a good example of narrative non-fiction, and I think this has a large audience.

I knew a tiny bit about codes. Now I know more. I had never heard of ‘code girls.’ I’m glad I know more. Because they did not write the histories afterward, nor the first-person memoirs, much of this information could have been lost. Code Girls: The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers is a fascinating story.

Why were music majors and school teachers as well as math majors highly desired as code breakers? Mundy shares names, personalities, and interesting exchanges of these previously unknown women. Everything from difficulties finding housing to “coming to work with bobby socks, flat shoes, and a pleated skirt that billowed and swung” are woven seamlessly into the meticulously researched book.

An example: One code breaker wanted to go to college, but her family said they needed her income. She worked for a lawyer and taught herself how to execute legal documents while part of her earnings went to pay her brother’s college tuition. “Enlisting in June 1943, she picked the Navy because her father had served in it in WWI. Being underage, she needed a parent’s consent. Her father would not give it, but her mother did…a pound too light, Ruth ate as much as she could and managed to pass the weight requirement. The lawyer she worked for wept when she left.”

While familiar with American culture and women’s roles during WWII, I especially found Mundy’s observations powerful. Women were able to break into the field because cryptology was a new field and because men were being shipped abroad to fight in a different way. It was not a compliment that women were considered better suited for code-breaking work. In the 1940’s some thought they were “better equipped for boring work that required close attention to detail.” Jobs at the time were strictly separated by gender. “There were newspaper want ads that read ‘Male help Wanted’ and others that read ‘Female Help Wanted.’”

Of about 20,000 American code breakers, about 11,000 were women. The vast amount of research Mundy did, including many oral interviews take up the last 20% of the book. How Mundy organized such a huge amount of information into an interesting and informative read is beyond me.

Dot, Mary Lou, Nelle, Agnes, Wilma, Delia Ann, Ruth, Myrtle. You will be remembered. Deservedly so.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for granting access to an arc of this book for an honest review.

Hachette Books and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Code Girls: The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers of World War II. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Author Liza Mundy takes a comprehensive look at the more than ten thousand women who served as code breakers during World War II. Many of the women had attended college for teaching, although women from other professions were chosen as well. Having to pay their own way to Washington DC, many of the women found themselves in substandard housing with very tight quarters. Although they were earning much more than their previous jobs, men were paid a larger salary for the same work. These cryptographers helped the United States in the effort to end the war, although the secretive nature of their jobs meant that their success remained hidden from public record for many years.

In her effort to try and humanize the women, the author went into too much detail about their personal lives. I wanted to read a history book about code breakers and how their efforts helped to turn the tide of World War II. Code Girls gets bogged down because of this and makes it drag in the middle. If the book were tightened up a bit, it would have had a larger impact. Despite all of this, I definitely learned a great deal about these courageous women. Readers who are fans of World War II history may find Code Girls to their liking.

This was one of my favorite books of 2017. The story of these code breakers is fascinating, and the telling here terrific.

It took me a while to get around to this book. I think it's because the premise reminded me of Hidden Figures, which I read not too long ago, and my reading preferences tend to change from book to book. However, after finally picking up the book and giving it a shot, I'm so disappointed in myself that it took me so long to read it! The story of these brilliant women was so satisfying and inspiring. The writing was incredibly and it felt like I was reading fiction (which for me is necessary in order for me to enjoy non-fiction). I really felt connected to the time period during which the events of the book took place. After finishing the book, I felt a strong urge to finally learn how to code (something I've wanted to do for a while)! This is a story that needed to be told, and the author did a great job with it. This is an inspiring book that so many people would benefit from reading.

While I know much about the British codebreakers of WW2 and Bletchley Park, I knew nothing of the American side of this. I read this book as an ARC.

Code Girls provides this important history in a very readable book. It follows the women who were recruited from all kinds of backgrounds to break the Japanese Army and Navy codes in WW2. They did most of the work, not men, though there were a few. It also provides many insights into the war's progress. Superbly researched and written, and a joy to read.

I highly recommend it to all those who read military history.

The Code Girls: The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers
by Liza Mundy
October 2017
Non-fiction
I received this digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review from NetGalley. A remarkable true account of the many women who were instrumental in the WWII era. Their stories, not unlike many other women over the years, have gone unspoken due to the classified nature of their work. The author thoroughly researched the women who were vital in the history of code breaking during WWII. She brings these women to life and provides a voice to those who are still alive. These well-educated women were vetted specifically for this complex task. Although they were unable to disclose the importance of their work, it is clear that the work provided tremendous pride and satisfaction. The story was a little slow and dry at times but understandable given the attention to detail and accuracy. There are many memorable characters who played major roles in protecting our country with their unique ability to decipher complex codes from different countries. It fascinates me how important women were to the national security of our country.