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.
