A startling and vivid account of World War I, Secret Warriors uncovers how wartime code-breaking, aeronautics, and scientific research laid the foundation for many of the innovations of the twentieth century. World War I is often viewed as a war fought by armies of millions living and fighting in trenches, aided by brutal machinery that cost the lives of many. But behind all of this an intellectual war was also being fought between engineers, chemists, code-breakers, physicists, doctors, mathematicians, and intelligence gatherers. This hidden war was to make a positive and lasting contribution to how war was conducted on land, at sea, and in the air and, most importantly, to life at home. Secret Warriors provides an invaluable and fresh history of World War I, profiling a number of the key incidents and figures that led to great leaps forward for the twentieth century. Told in a lively and colorful narrative style, Secret Warriors reveals the unknown side of this tragic conflict.
"TV producer and writer Downing recounts the complete transformation of warfare during World War I, the first industrialized war…A meticulously detailed, welcome addition to the literature of World War I, the 'first "total" war in which all the resources of the state were involved.'"
Kirkus Reviews
"Downing, a British TV producer and writer, offers an ingenious history that sets aside WWI's immense slaughter in order to concentrate on those who labored behind the scenes (primarily in Britain)…For better or worse, these military developments remain with us, and Downing delivers a riveting account of how they happened."
