Churchill and the ‘Boffins’ of the First World War

This lecture touches on Winston Churchill’s relationship with some of the unsung heroes of WWII – the scientists who worked behind the scenes. Exploring some of the advances made by the ‘boffins’ during the war – including those in code-breaking, medicine and engineering – it also reveals their work’s modern-day legacy. The talk will be given by historian and writer Taylor Downing: it draws on many of the themes from his book ‘Secret Warriors: Key Scientists, Code Breakers and Propagandists of the Great War’, which he’ll be signing copies of on the night.