Enigma - Zeno Agency Ltd.

New French Cover for THE IMITATION GAME Tie-In

Posted on Monday, February 16th, 2015

Here is a new French cover for the tie-in edition of Andrew Hodges‘s ALAN TURING: THE ENIGMA. The book is published in France and Quebec by Michel Lafon.

Here’s the book’s French synopsis…

Génie de l’informatique et héros de la Seconde Guerre mondiale, Alan Turing est célèbre pour avoir décrypté les communications codées de l’armée allemande en venant à bout d’Enigma, la machine de chiffrement utilisée par les nazis, réputée inviolable.

Il faut dire que lorsqu’il « casse » le code secret allemand, à moins de 30 ans, le mathématicien n’en est pas à son premier coup d’éclat. Déjà, en 1936, il a dessiné les contours d’une première machine programmable, ou « machine de Turing », capable d’effectuer n’importe quel calcul mathématique : c’est l’ancêtre de l’ordinateur.

Après la guerre, Alan Turing poursuit ses recherches et se consacre en pionnier aux possibilités offertes par l’intelligence artificielle. Mais l’ex-héros national est persécuté à cause de son homosexualité et condamné en 1952 à la castration chimique. Deux années plus tard, à l’âge de 41 ans, Alan Turing met fin à ses jours en croquant une pomme empoisonnée au cyanure.

Cette biographie, qui mêle histoire des sciences, politique et philosophie, nous dévoile la vie hors norme de l’inventeur, longtemps méconnu, qui a révolutionné nos vies.

And the English-language synopsis and covers (below)…

It is only a slight exaggeration to say that the British mathematician Alan Turing (1912-1954) saved the Allies from the Nazis, invented the computer and artificial intelligence, and anticipated gay liberation by decades — all before his suicide at age forty-one. This acclaimed biography of the founder of computer science, with a new preface by the author that addresses Turing’s royal pardon in 2013, is the definitive account of an extraordinary mind and life.

Capturing both the inner and outer drama of Turing’s life, Andrew Hodges tells how Turing’s revolutionary idea of 1936 — the concept of a universal machine — laid the foundation for the modern computer and how Turing brought the idea to practical realisation in 1945 with his electronic design. The book also tells how this work was directly related to Turing’s leading role in breaking the German Enigma ciphers during World War II, a scientific triumph that was critical to Allied victory in the Atlantic. At the same time, this is the tragic account of a man who, despite his wartime service, was eventually arrested, stripped of his security clearance, and forced to undergo a humiliating treatment program — all for trying to live honestly in a society that defined homosexuality as a crime.

Andrew Hodges’s ALAN TURING: THE ENIGMA is published in the UK by Vintage Books and in the US by Princeton University Press.

In related news, THE IMITATION GAME won the prestigious Writers Guild Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. The movie also won the USC Libraries Scripter Award back in January. So, you know, you should really go see it. And then read the book.

Andrew Hodges Event This Sunday at CalTech

Posted on Tuesday, December 2nd, 2014

At 2pm this Sunday, December 7th, Caltech University is hosting Andrew Hodges for a lecture about his critically-acclaimed book ALAN TURING: THE ENIGMA. The lecture will take place in the Baxter Lecture Hall. Seating is limited, so admittance will be purely on a first come first served basis. Tickets are $10 for Skeptics Society members and the JPL/Caltech community, $15 for nonmembers.

The lecture will be followed by a book signing, and the organisers of the event will have copies of the book available for purchase.

Andrew’s book has been much in the news recently (here and also mainstream media) because it is the inspiration behind the Benedict Cumberbatch-starring movie THE IMITATION GAME, which opened in US cinemas last week. Movie tie-in editions of the book were published last week by Vintage Books (UK), Princeton University Press (North America) and Michel Lafon (France/Quebec).

Publication Day: Andrew Hodges’s THE ENIGMA in French!

Posted on Tuesday, November 11th, 2014

We reported yesterday on the release of the new, THE IMITATION GAME US tie-in edition of Andrew Hodges‘s superb biography, ALAN TURING: THE ENIGMA. Today, the book is also released in French. ALAN TURING, L’ÉNIGME is published by Michel Lafon, and is available in France and Quebec (the Canadian English language release is December 2nd).

Here’s the French-language synopsis…

Génie de l’informatique et héros de la Seconde Guerre mondiale, Alan Turing est célèbre pour avoir décrypté les communications codées de l’armée allemande en venant à bout d’Enigma, la machine de chiffrement utilisée par les nazis, réputée inviolable.

Il faut dire que lorsqu’il « casse » le code secret allemand, à moins de 30 ans, le mathématicien n’en est pas à son premier coup d’éclat. Déjà, en 1936, il a dessiné les contours d’une première machine programmable, ou « machine de Turing », capable d’effectuer n’importe quel calcul mathématique : c’est l’ancêtre de l’ordinateur.

Après la guerre, Alan Turing poursuit ses recherches et se consacre en pionnier aux possibilités offertes par l’intelligence artificielle. Mais l’ex-héros national est persécuté à cause de son homosexualité et condamné en 1952 à la castration chimique. Deux années plus tard, à l’âge de 41 ans, Alan Turing met fin à ses jours en croquant une pomme empoisonnée au cyanure.

Cette biographie, qui mêle histoire des sciences, politique et philosophie, nous dévoile la vie hors norme de l’inventeur, longtemps méconnu, qui a révolutionné nos vies.

And don’t forget, as we also mentioned yesterday, the film opens in British cinemas this Friday!

ALAN TURING: THE ENIGMA Free with Tomorrow’s Telegraph!

Posted on Saturday, November 8th, 2014

To celebrate the highly-anticipated release next week of THE IMITATION GAME, the Sunday Telegraph has teamed up with Studio Canal to offer readers a free, abridged version of the book (above) that inspired the film: Andrew Hodges‘s masterful ALAN TURING: THE ENIGMA, published by Vintage in the UK and Princeton University Press in the US. The newspaper will include a voucher and information for collecting the book from 1,200 bookshops nationwide.

Here are the covers for the three tie-in editions (UK, US, and French)…

THE IMITATION GAME opens in cinemas in the UK on November 14th, 2014.

Here are just a handful of the great reviews ALAN TURING: THE ENIGMA has received…

‘This rather shadowy figure has now finally been lifted into the light of day… it has to be said that Andrew Hodges has put together an extraordinary story.’ — Sunday Telegraph

‘Hodges’s biography is sensitive, sympathetic and uncompromisingly intellectual. The maths is extremely hard work – but helps the lay reader to appreciate the scale of Turing’s achievements.’ — Independent on Sunday

‘Life and work are both made enthralling by Hodges, himself a scientist.’ — Sunday Times

‘Andrew Hodges, in this fine biography… brings Turing the thinker and Turing the man alive for the reader and thus allows us all to share in the privilege of knowing him.’ — Financial Times

‘This is not a book to be argued about. It is a book to be read.’ — New Scientist

‘One of the finest scientific biographies ever written.’ — New Yorker

Cover Reveal: French Language IMITATION GAME Tie-In

Posted on Friday, October 17th, 2014

THE IMITATION GAME, the movie inspired by Andrew Hodges‘s ALAN TURING: THE ENIGMA, has been gathering a lot of positive attention, recently. Not only did the movie open to rave reviews at the Toronto Film Festival (not to mention other film festivals), but we also unveiled the English-language tie-in editions for Hodges’s book. Above is the French-language edition, which is due to be published in France and Canada by Michel Lafon in December 2014. Here’s the synopsis…

Based on the real life story of legendary cryptanalyst Alan Turing, this is the official film tie-in for THE IMITATION GAME, a the nail-biting race against time by Turing and his brilliant team of code-breakers at Britain’s top-secret Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park, during the darkest days of World War II.

This film tie-in tells the true story behind the nail-biting race against time following Alan Turing (pioneer of modern-day computing and credited with cracking the German Enigma code) and his brilliant team at Britain’s top-secret code-breaking centre, Bletchley Park, during the darkest days of World War II. Turing, whose contributions and genius significantly shortened the war, saving thousands of lives, was the eventual victim of an unenlightened British establishment, but his work and legacy live on.1954, aged 41, Alan Turing committed suicide and one of Britain’s greatest scientific minds was lost.

Here are just a handful of reviews the biography has received…

‘One of the finest scientific biographies ever written.’ — New Yorker

‘Andrew Hodges, in this fine biography… brings Turing the thinker and Turing the man alive for the reader and thus allows us all to share in the privilege of knowing him.’ — Financial Times

‘This rather shadowy figure has now finally been lifted into the light of day… it has to be said that Andrew Hodges has put together an extraordinary story.’ — Sunday Telegraph

ALAN TURING: THE ENIGMA is published in the UK by Vintage Books and in the US by Princeton University Press. The English-language tie-in editions (below) will be published in November 2014.

THE IMITATION GAME News and Teaser Trailer!

Posted on Friday, July 25th, 2014

ImitationGame-Still1 — Weinstein/StudioCanal

Here at Zeno Towers, we’re very excited about the upcoming THE IMITATION GAME, the movie adaptation of Andrew Hodges‘s critically-acclaimed ALAN TURING: THE ENIGMA. Today, we have a number of great pieces of news to share with you.

First up, the BBC has reported that the movie will open the London Film Festival on October 8th at the Odeon Leicester Square. The film stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Alan Turing, with Keira Knightley, Mark Strong, Charles Dance, Mark Strong, Matthew Goode and Rory Kinnear also starring.

The film’s distributor, Studio Canal, has announced that THE IMITATION GAME will receive a wider release in cinemas in the UK on November 14th, 2014.

Most exciting of all, however, is the new teaser trailer, released through Studio Canal’s YouTube channel. You can also watch it below…

There have also been some excellent very early – not to mention unofficial – responses reported, following a secretive test screening in New York. London Film Festival Director Clare Stewart told the BBC that the film featured ‘extraordinary performances’ and that the film ‘does cinematic justice to Alan Turing’s vision, determination and personal story as well as his enduring impact on British history and contemporary life.’ Empire Magazine were able to get their hands on a couple of new stills from the film, one of which includes Charles Dance – perhaps best known to SFF fans as Tywin Lannister in the HBO adapatation of Game of Thrones.

Andrew Hodges‘s biography, ALAN TURING: THE ENIGMA, is published in the UK by Vintage and in the US by Princeton University Press. It has been translated multiple times for other foreign markets. You can keep up to date on news about the film via its official Twitter account and, of course, here.