Turing was highly influential in the development of theoretical computer science, providing a formalisation of the concepts of algorithm and computation with the turing machine, which can be. Biography audiobooks andrew hodges alan turing the enigma part 01. To anyone trying to turn this story into a movie, the choice seems clear. The book that inspired the film the imitation game updated edition kindle edition by hodges, andrew, hofstadter, douglas, hodges, andrew. Whats missing from the imitation game the new yorker.
Alan mathison turing 23 june 1912 7 june 1954, was an english mathematician, logician, cryptanalyst and computer scientist. Its subject, the british mathematical genius who contributed to the cryptanalysis of the nazi enigma code and to the beginnings of the computer, was not an easy subject. Hodges tells how turing s revolutionary idea of 1936 the concept of a universal machine laid the foundation for the modern computer. The alan turing played by benedict cumberbatch is brusque, humorless, and brilliant. Alan turing, the figure at the center of the already much praised film, the. Alan turing biopic the imitation game features some lovely period graphics and props designed by minalima the duo behind props and graphics for the harry potter films. Thanks to indepth biographies like andrew hodges alan turing. I found the movie to be entertaining yet confusing. Anyone who has seen the movie the imitation game which was inspired by this biography knows that alan turing s story is a fascinating and a dramatic one, and it deserves to be told. Alan turing was an intense personality, not the autistic enigma portrayed in the film. Read more information about how you can see the film. The enigma the book that inspired the film the imitation game.
The american 2014 film the imitation game is loosely based on the book, with dramatization. Turing s rehabilitation from over a quartercenturys embarrassed silence was largely the result of andrew hodgess superb biography, alan turing. Alan turing was born on june 23, 1912 in maida vale, london, england as alan mathison turing. Hodges examined available primary sources and interviewed surviving witnesses to elucidate turing s multiple dimensions.
One of the last surviving wwii nazi code breakers tells her story of the greatest intelligence coup of the war and hollywoods portrayal of cryptanalyst alan turing. A gripping story of mathematics, computers, cryptography, and homosexual persecution. Alan turing as a 16yearold at sherborne school, dorset, in 1928. The book that inspired the film the imitation game updated edition. Published on jan 14, 2015 theres plenty of oscar buzz surrounding the imitation game, a film about wwii code breakers including alan turing. I enjoyed learning more about alan turing s life, and in particular about the struggles he faced and the innovations he introduced to the world. Alan turing documentary film codebreaker britain\s. Alan turing turned out to be one of our greatest minds in history. Alan turing decoded is a 2015 biography of alan turing, a 20thcentury mathematician and computer scientist, authored by his nephew dermot turing. The other answerers are absolutely right that you shouldnt go by movies.
Jim holt, new yorker andrew hodges 1983 book alan turing. List of books and articles about alan turing online. It seems he even interviewed many people who knew him. The script was adapted from the novel enigma by robert harris, about. The cover picture relates to a nondocumentary americanproduced film which. I could have typed out the phone book, and it would have worked. Alan mathison turing, 191254, british mathematician and computer theorist. The imitation game ig is a great movie which has brought a lot of attention to alan turing but if you like it, you should also watch the 20 film codebreaker cb, which can be streamed on netflix. Real imitation game codebreaker olive bailey describes. Alan turing author of computing machinery and intelligence.
The book that inspired the film the imitation game updated edition hodges, andrew, hodges, andrew, hofstadter, douglas on. I always heard references to alan turing through other books but never really knew him until i read this book. Nazi codebreaker on imitation game hero alan turing youtube. This lecture was recorded on december 7, 2014one of the last in a series of over 350 distinguished science lectures presented by the skeptics society since 1992. The enigma by andrew hodges is an enigma in its own right. Alan turing was one of the most original thinkers of the 20th century. Based on the real life story of legendary cryptanalyst alan turing, the film portrays the nailbiting. The imitation game 2014 rotten tomatoes movie trailers. There are two movies about alan turing that you can watch right now. Turing was highly influential in the development of theoretical computer science, providing a formalisation of the concepts of algorithm and computation with the turing machine, which can be considered a model of a generalpurpose computer. Taken on by british intelligence in 1938, as a shy young cambridge don, he combined brilliant logic with a flair for engineering. It stars benedict cumberbatch as british cryptanalyst alan turing, who decrypted german intelligence messages for the british government during the second world war. Scott, new york times one of the finest scientific biographies ever written. The enigma, is the indispensable guide to turings life and work and one of the finest biographies of a scientific genius ever written.
The author has obviously spent a lot of time researching many facets of alan turing s life and work. Its a contentious question, says andrew hodges, author of the acclaimed biography alan turing. Which alan turing movie really captures the father of. Although this graphic novel does share similar aspects to the movie, such as turing decoding the nazi code during ww2, the imitation game focuses more on how alan turing became the brilliant mind he was, and what happened to him after the end of ww2.
He died on june 7, 1954 in wilmslow, cheshire, england. Enigma is a 2001 espionage thriller film directed by michael apted from a screenplay by tom stoppard. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read alan turing. During world war ii, the english mathematical genius alan turing tries to crack the german enigma. With benedict cumberbatch, keira knightley, matthew goode, allen leech. If i had to describe this book in one word, it would be. The author has obviously spent a lot of time researching many facets of alan turings life and work. We have new and used copies available, in 2 editions. The book that inspired the film the imitation game by andrew hodges.
In the process of turning alan turing s life into a film, the demands of truth are hardly up for a fair fight against the pressures of hollywood. Alan turing, the man who winston churchill described as the single biggest contributor to the allied victory over the nazis, was a genius of our lifetime and father of the modern day computer. Andrew hodges alan turing the enigma part 01 audiobook. The enigma of intelligence written by andrew hodges. Theyre not made to be historically accurate, but instead entertaining and able to tell a story in a couple hours. Alan turing a new york times bestsellerthe official book behind the academy awardwinning film the imitation game, starring benedict cumberbatch and keira knightleyit is only a slight exaggeration to say that the british mathematician alan turing 19121954 saved the allies from the nazis, invented the computer and artificial intelligence, and anticipated gay liberation by decadesall. The book that inspired the film the imitation game by dr. Codebreaker is being presented to audiences around the world. A new york times bestseller the official book behind the academy awardwinning film the imitation game, starring benedict cumberbatch and keira. A biography of the english mathematician alan turing, who was one of the inventors of the digital computer and one of the key figures in the breaking of the enigma code, used by the germans to send secret orders to their uboats in world war ii.
Moore finally got the chance to pen a turing script when he was hired by the producers, who owned the rights to andrew hodgess acclaimed 1983 biography, alan turing. What the imitation game didnt tell you about turings. Turing brought the idea to practical realization in 1945 with his. The inspiration for a major motion picture starring benedict cumberbatch and keira knightley, alan turing. Written in a nonacademic style, it begins with turing s family history and early childhood, continuing with his contributions to britains cryptanalysis and encryption efforts in world war ii and culminating with turing s conviction for. The imitation game dramatizes the story of alan turing the new. The imitation game is a 2014 american historical drama film directed by morten tyldum and written by graham moore, based on the biography alan turing. During world war ii, the english mathematical genius alan turing tries to crack. What he accomplished during wwii and beyond just before his death will forever be remembered, and the imitation game gives us a. Based on the real life story of legendary cryptanalyst alan turing, the film portrays the nailbiting race against time by turing and his brilliant team of codebreakers at britains topsecret government code and cypher school at bletchley park, during the darkest days of world war ii. While studying at cambridge he began work in predicate logic that led to a proof 1937 that some mathematical problems are not susceptible to solution by automated computation. The enigma is a gripping story of mathematics, computers, cryptography, and homosexual persecution.
The enigma, and film depictions of turings life, like the imitation game, based on hodges book, alan turing is quickly becoming a household name, as people begin to recognize that his contributions to various fields were so influential they actually changed the course of human history. That we can are you a movie fan looking forward to seeing the imitation game starring benedict cumberbatch. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Many times i wanted to put the book away, but i finished it in spite of myself. If you prefer to read reference material, which is how i believe this book should be classified, then knock yourself out. Alan turing, especially his death, is still a mystery to this day and unless someone can create a machine that the professionalism of hourly history to research into the subject and present a succinct and well presented book is present throughout. He was highly influential in the development of computer science, providing a formalisation of the concepts of algorithm and computation with the turing machine, which played a significant role in the creation of the modern computer. The official book behind the academy awardwinning film the imitation game, starring benedict cumberbatch and keira knightley. More than three million people on six continents have seen the film on television, dvd, at film festivals, in movie theaters, at university screenings, and at other special screening events. Park during world war ii was the focus of the 2014 film, the imitation. Alan mathison turing obe frs was an english mathematician, computer scientist, logician, cryptanalyst, philosopher, and theoretical biologist. Book is an important part of history that many did not know before.
The oscarbuzzed new movie the imitation game is an. Alan turing was the mathematician whose ciphercracking transformed the second world war. Joyce grove, the house used as bletchley park in the movie, was the childhood home of james bond author ian fleming. We spoke to the pair about making notes, books and documents for the movie how designers recreated alan turing s topsecret, codecracking world in the imitation game. Julius mathison turing, alan s father, was the second son, born on 9 november 1873. Although, in the movie, alan tells denniston that he doesnt know german, turing did in fact study german and travel to germany before and after the war.
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