July 2011 marked the 90th birthday of Lord Asa Briggs. A Cambridge graduate, Bletchley Park code-breaker, and one of the most eminent and influential historians of our time. Briggs delves deep into his own history-from the origins of his highly distinctive name and his early education; through his recruitment into the Intelligence Corps and his wartime experiences as a cryptographer. Along the way he sets out to trace those personal relationships which have most shaped (his) life.

ASA BRIGGS is one of the most highly respected British historians. He is the author of Victorian People, Victorian Cities and Victorian Things. He has also written a five-volume history of broadcasting in the United Kingdom. He was made a life peer in 1976.