Bletchley Park historian Joel Greenberg published a book about Gordon Welchman (1906-1985), one of the forgotten and lesser-celebrated geniuses who worked at Bletchley Park, home to British codebreakers in World War Two. The book Gordon Welchman, Bletchley Park's Architect of Ultra Intelligence can be purchased for 25 pounds in the museum's online bookshop. This is the second book by the author about the British codebreakers, the first one recollects how encrypted German communications were decrypted (The Hut Six Story, which can also be bought in the online shop for 9 pounds).

Welchman started to work at Bletchley Park on 4 September 1939. In a couple of months, he processed the work done by Polish codebreakers before the war, and 're-invented' some parts of their work. He was the first to recognise that the capacity of Bletchley Park had to be substantially expanded in order to be able to decrypt messages sent by the German Enigma. He devised a plan for such expansion, which served as a working model until the end of the war. Together with Alan Turing, he developed a radically new approach to machine cryptanalysis (analysis of cryptographic systems and research of codebreaking). From 1943 on, Welchman led all machine developments. He moved the United States in 1948, and taught at MIT for a long time – he was the first to deliver courses to students on how computers worked.

The book launch will take place at 10.30 on 23 April. It will be attended by Welchman's family, and Greenberg will donate Bletchley Park valuable documents he came into possession during his research. Another event will be held on 18 May, when Bletchley Park will present Dr. Joel Greenberg, who will talk about Welchman.