Leo Marks (1920–2001)

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 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)… (plus d'informations)