Leo Marks

Leo Marks (24 September 1920 – 15 January 2001) was an English writer, screenwriter, and cryptographer. During the Second World War, he led the codes office for the secret Special Operations Executive organization, supporting resistance agents in occupied Europe. After the war, Marks pursued a career as a playwright and screenwriter, drawing on his wartime cryptographic experiences. Notably, he wrote the script for the controversial film Peeping Tom, directed by Michael Powell. In his later years, Marks published a personal history of his war experiences titled Between Silk and Cyanide, which offered critical insights into the leadership of SOE. Born into a devout Jewish family, Marks was raised in London as the son of Benjamin Marks, a joint owner of antiquarian bookseller Marks & Co.More