Prof: Alan Turing Decoded

Description

**Following hot on the heels of The Imitation Game, this is the first modern biography of Alan Turing by a member of the family—Alan’s nephew, Sir Dermot Turing.** Alan Turing was an extraordinary man who crammed into a life of only 42 years the careers of mathematician, codebreaker, computer scientist, and biologist. He is widely regarded as a war hero grossly mistreated by his unappreciative country and it has become hard to disentangle the real man from the story. It is easy to cast him as a misfit, the stereotypical professor. But actually Alan Turing was never a professor, and his nickname "Prof" was given by his codebreaking friends at Bletchley Park. Now, Alan Turing’s nephew, Dermot Turing, has taken a fresh look at the influences on Alan Turing’s life and creativity, and the later creation of a legend. Dermot’s vibrant and entertaining approach to the life and work of a true genius makes this a fascinating read. This unique family perspective features insights from secret documents only recently released to the UK National Archives and other sources not tapped by previous biographers, looks into the truth behind Alan’s conviction for gross indecency, and includes previously unpublished photographs from the Turing family album.

Description

Alan Turing was an extraordinary man who crammed into a life of only 42 years the careers of mathematician, codebreaker, computer scientist and biologist. He is widely regarded as a war hero grossly mistreated by his unappreciative country and it has become hard to disentangle the real man from the story. It is easy to cast him as a misfit, the stereotypical professor. But actually Alan Turing was never a professor, and his nickname 'Prof' was given by his codebreaking friends at Bletchley Park. Now, Alan Turing's nephew, Dermot Turing, has taken a fresh look at the influences on Alan Turing's life and creativity, and the later creation of a legend. For the first time it is possible to disclose the real character behind the cipher-text: how did Alan's childhood experiences influence the man? Who were the influential figures in Alan's formative years? How did his creative ideas evolve? Was he really a solitary, asocial genius? What was his wartime work after 1942, and why was it kept even more secret than the Enigma story? What is the truth about Alan Turing's conviction for gross indecency, and did he commit suicide? What is the significance of the Royal Pardon granted in 2013? In Dermot's own style he takes a vibrant and entertaining approach to the life and work of a true genius.

Subjects

Other Editions

• Prof: Alan Turing DecodedThe History Press2015-01-01
• ProfHistory Press Limited, The2015-01-01
• ProfHistory Press Limited, The2016-01-01
• Alan TuringPaperbackPitkin2017-09-01
• Alan TuringPavilion Books2019-01-01
• Alan Turing DecodedHistory Press Limited, The2021-01-01