Decoding the devil : Black women codebreakers and the secret war against Stalin's bomb / Sarah Valentine.
"As groundbreaking as Code Girls and Hidden Figures, this is the shocking true story of two segregated codebreaking units racing to unlock Stalin's atomic secrets in the face of a rapidly expanding Soviet nuclear threat at the dawn of the Cold War"-- Provided by publisher.
Facing the global threat of a rising Communist world power in the aftermath of World War II, the U.S. employed hundreds of Black Americans to speed read Russian communications and gather essential information on the US's most dangerous nuclear rival. The result was the creation of a segregated civilian codebreaking unit known as the Traffic Processing Division--The Plantation. Despite wage discrimination, grueling hours, strict quotas, and harsh conditions, the Plantation's 100 college-educated Black women made invaluable breakthroughs in United States' Soviet intelligence even as the Red Scare and the backlash against civil rights eroded their democratic freedoms at home. Their underappreciated top-secret work led directly to victory over the USSR and the end of the Cold War thirty years later. In this thrilling history, Sarah Valentine tells their remarkable story in full for the first time. Decoding the Devil pays long overdue tribute to these little-known Black cryptologists' critical contributions to national security during the civil rights era, and offers a fresh perspective on the Cold War and American heroes of color.
Record details
- ISBN: 9780063305472
- ISBN: 006330547X
- Physical Description: xxxii, 327 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations ; 24 cm
- Edition: First edition.
- Publisher: New York, NY : HarperCollins Publishers, [2026]
- Copyright: ©2026
Content descriptions
- Bibliography, etc. Note:
- Includes bibliographical references (pages 310-327).
Search for related items by subject
- Subject:
- Carr, Iris
Eagleson, Helen, 1915-2007
Just, Ethel, 1885-1959
Kenny, Minnie
McElwaine, Naomi
Shumovsky, Stanislav, 1902-1984
United States. National Security Agency
African American women cryptographers > History > 20th century.
Women cryptographers > United States > History > 20th century.
Cryptographers > United States > History > 20th century.
Cryptography > United States > History > 20th century.
Discrimination in employment > United States > History > 20th century.
Atomic bomb > Soviet Union > History.
Cold War.
Arlington Hall Station (Va.) - Genre:
- Biographies.
Available copies
- 11 of 21 copies available at NC Cardinal. (Show)
- 2 of 2 copies available at Carteret County Public Library.
Holds
- 1 current hold with 21 total copies.
Show Only Available Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beaufort Main | 327.127 VALEN (Text) | 34208900291864 | Adult New Nonfiction | Available | - |
| Newport | HISTORY MODERN VALEN (Text) | 34208900291856 | Adult New Nonfiction | Available | - |
