The Code Book: The Science of Secrecy from Ancient Egypt to Quantum Cryptography -- Simon Singh, Paperback

In his first book since the bestselling Fermat's Enigma, Simon Singh offers the first sweeping history of encryption, tracing its evolution and revealing the dramatic effects codes have had on wars, nations, and individual lives. From Mary, Queen of Scots, trapped by her own code, to the Navajo Code Talkers who helped the Allies win World War II, to the incredible (and incredibly simple) logisitical breakthrough that made Internet commerce secure, The Code Book tells the story of the most powerful intellectual weapon ever known: secrecy.

Throughout the text are clear technical and mathematical explanations, and portraits of the remarkable personalities who wrote and broke the world's most difficult codes. Accessible, compelling, and remarkably far-reaching, this book will forever alter your view of history and what drives it. It will also make you wonder how private that e-mail you just sent really is.

Author: Simon Singh
Publisher: Anchor Books
Published: 08/29/2000
Pages: 432
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.87lbs
Size: 7.95h x 5.27w x 0.91d
ISBN: 9780385495325

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 11.2
Point Value: 13
Interest Level: Upper Grade
Quiz #/Name: 57916 / Code Book: How to Make It, Break It, Hack It, Crack It


Review Citation(s):
New York Times 08/06/2000 pg. 24
Entertainment Weekly 09/29/2000 pg. 124
Science 06/05/2009 pg. 1267

About the Author
Simon Singh received his Ph.D. in physics from Cambridge University. A former BBC producer, he directed and co-produced an award-winning documentary film on Fermat's Last Theorem that aired on PBS's Nova series and formed the basis of his bestselling book, Fermat's Enigma. He lives in London.