What do you think?
Rate this book
Codebreaking: A Practical Guide
'The best book on codebreaking I have read', SIR DERMOT TURING
'Brings back the joy I felt when I first read about these things as a kid', PHIL ZIMMERMANN
'This is at last the single book on codebreaking that you must have. If you are not yet addicted to cryptography, this book will get you addicted. Read, enjoy, and test yourself on history's great still-unbroken messages!' JARED DIAMOND is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Guns, Germs, and Steel; Collapse; and other international bestsellers
'This is THE book about codebreaking. Very concise, very inclusive and easy to read', ED SCHEIDT
'Riveting', MIKE GODWIN
'Approachable and compelling', GLEN MIRANKER
This practical guide to breaking codes and solving cryptograms by two world experts, Elonka Dunin and Klaus Schmeh, describes the most common encryption techniques along with methods to detect and break them. It fills a gap left by outdated or very basic-level books.
This guide also covers many unsolved messages. The Zodiac Killer sent four encrypted messages to the police. One was solved; the other three were not. Beatrix Potter's diary and the Voynich Manuscript were both encrypted - to date, only one of the two has been deciphered. The breaking of the so-called Zimmerman Telegram during the First World War changed the course of history. Several encrypted wartime military messages remain unsolved to this day. Tens of thousands of other encrypted messages, ranging from simple notes created by children to encrypted postcards and diaries in people's attics, are known to exist. Breaking these cryptograms fascinates people all over the world, and often gives people insight into the lives of their ancestors. Geocachers, computer gamers and puzzle fans also require codebreaking skills.
This is a book both for the growing number of enthusiasts obsessed with real-world mysteries, and also fans of more challenging puzzle books. Many people are obsessed with trying to solve famous crypto mysteries, including members of the Kryptos community (led by Elonka Dunin) trying to solve a decades-old cryptogram on a sculpture at the centre of CIA Headquarters; readers of the novels of Dan Brown as well as Elonka Dunin's The Mammoth Book of Secret Code Puzzles (UK)/ The Mammoth Book of Secret Codes and Cryptograms (US); historians who regularly encounter encrypted documents; perplexed family members who discover an encrypted postcard or diary in an ancestor's effects; law-enforcement agents who are confronted by encrypted messages, which also happens more often than might be supposed; members of the American Cryptogram Association (ACA); geocachers (many caches involve a crypto puzzle); puzzle fans; and computer gamers (many games feature encryption puzzles).
The book's focus is very much on breaking pencil-and-paper, or manual, encryption methods. Its focus is also largely on historical encryption. Although manual encryption has lost much of its importance due to computer technology, many people are still interested in deciphering messages of this kind.
'Brings back the joy I felt when I first read about these things as a kid', PHIL ZIMMERMANN
'This is at last the single book on codebreaking that you must have. If you are not yet addicted to cryptography, this book will get you addicted. Read, enjoy, and test yourself on history's great still-unbroken messages!' JARED DIAMOND is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Guns, Germs, and Steel; Collapse; and other international bestsellers
'This is THE book about codebreaking. Very concise, very inclusive and easy to read', ED SCHEIDT
'Riveting', MIKE GODWIN
'Approachable and compelling', GLEN MIRANKER
This practical guide to breaking codes and solving cryptograms by two world experts, Elonka Dunin and Klaus Schmeh, describes the most common encryption techniques along with methods to detect and break them. It fills a gap left by outdated or very basic-level books.
This guide also covers many unsolved messages. The Zodiac Killer sent four encrypted messages to the police. One was solved; the other three were not. Beatrix Potter's diary and the Voynich Manuscript were both encrypted - to date, only one of the two has been deciphered. The breaking of the so-called Zimmerman Telegram during the First World War changed the course of history. Several encrypted wartime military messages remain unsolved to this day. Tens of thousands of other encrypted messages, ranging from simple notes created by children to encrypted postcards and diaries in people's attics, are known to exist. Breaking these cryptograms fascinates people all over the world, and often gives people insight into the lives of their ancestors. Geocachers, computer gamers and puzzle fans also require codebreaking skills.
This is a book both for the growing number of enthusiasts obsessed with real-world mysteries, and also fans of more challenging puzzle books. Many people are obsessed with trying to solve famous crypto mysteries, including members of the Kryptos community (led by Elonka Dunin) trying to solve a decades-old cryptogram on a sculpture at the centre of CIA Headquarters; readers of the novels of Dan Brown as well as Elonka Dunin's The Mammoth Book of Secret Code Puzzles (UK)/ The Mammoth Book of Secret Codes and Cryptograms (US); historians who regularly encounter encrypted documents; perplexed family members who discover an encrypted postcard or diary in an ancestor's effects; law-enforcement agents who are confronted by encrypted messages, which also happens more often than might be supposed; members of the American Cryptogram Association (ACA); geocachers (many caches involve a crypto puzzle); puzzle fans; and computer gamers (many games feature encryption puzzles).
The book's focus is very much on breaking pencil-and-paper, or manual, encryption methods. Its focus is also largely on historical encryption. Although manual encryption has lost much of its importance due to computer technology, many people are still interested in deciphering messages of this kind.
735 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2020
44 people are currently reading
995 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 13, 2021
WQKLXZQJVI: Q IVXVQBVW Z UIVV XFGO FU ASQK YFFM UIFJ ASV ZRASFIK, YRA ASZA SZK HFA QHULRVHXVW ASQK IVBQVE.
Z SQTSLO VHPFOZYLV ZHW XZGAQBZAQHT AFRI ASIFRTS ASV EFILW FU XFWVYIVZMQHT, UQLLVW EQAS ZH ZYRHWZHXV FU SQKAFIQXZL VDZJGLVK FU VZXS MQHW FU XQGSVI FI XFWV. XLVZILO VDGLZQHVW, UZKXQHZAQHT WVAZQLK, ZHW GLVHAO FU GRCCLVK AF AVKA ASV IVZWVI AFF (YFAS KFLBVW ZHW RHKFLBVW).
Q EFRLW IVXFJJVHW ASQK AF ZHOFHV EQAS Z GZKKQHT QHAVIVKA FI JFIV QH XFWVK ZHW XFWVYIVZMQHT.
Z SQTSLO VHPFOZYLV ZHW XZGAQBZAQHT AFRI ASIFRTS ASV EFILW FU XFWVYIVZMQHT, UQLLVW EQAS ZH ZYRHWZHXV FU SQKAFIQXZL VDZJGLVK FU VZXS MQHW FU XQGSVI FI XFWV. XLVZILO VDGLZQHVW, UZKXQHZAQHT WVAZQLK, ZHW GLVHAO FU GRCCLVK AF AVKA ASV IVZWVI AFF (YFAS KFLBVW ZHW RHKFLBVW).
Q EFRLW IVXFJJVHW ASQK AF ZHOFHV EQAS Z GZKKQHT QHAVIVKA FI JFIV QH XFWVK ZHW XFWVYIVZMQHT.
April 4, 2023
Let's Get Cracking
If you're looking for a book that combines the thrill of hacking with the intellectual stimulation of mathematics, then this the book for you. This is a book that doesn't shy away from complex topics but is accessible enough for anyone to understand.
Dunin's book provides readers with an eye-opening insight into the world of cryptology and cryptography. She explains how patterns and codes are made and how they can be cracked. The book is filled with interesting examples and historical anecdotes, making it an engaging read that kept me hooked from start to finish.
Although it's a substantial book, with lots of technical detail, it's written in an engaging way that makes it an easy and enjoyable read. Dunin is a great author and her passion for the subject matter shines through on every page.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in cybersecurity or mathematics. Whether you're a professional in the field or just a curious reader, it is an informative and entertaining read that will leave you wanting more.
It's an excellent resource for those looking to dive deeper into the world of cryptology and cryptography, and Dunin's writing style makes it accessible to all readers.
4.4/5
If you're looking for a book that combines the thrill of hacking with the intellectual stimulation of mathematics, then this the book for you. This is a book that doesn't shy away from complex topics but is accessible enough for anyone to understand.
Dunin's book provides readers with an eye-opening insight into the world of cryptology and cryptography. She explains how patterns and codes are made and how they can be cracked. The book is filled with interesting examples and historical anecdotes, making it an engaging read that kept me hooked from start to finish.
Although it's a substantial book, with lots of technical detail, it's written in an engaging way that makes it an easy and enjoyable read. Dunin is a great author and her passion for the subject matter shines through on every page.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in cybersecurity or mathematics. Whether you're a professional in the field or just a curious reader, it is an informative and entertaining read that will leave you wanting more.
It's an excellent resource for those looking to dive deeper into the world of cryptology and cryptography, and Dunin's writing style makes it accessible to all readers.
4.4/5
September 29, 2022
To make it clear, I love codes and ciphers. The author has taken a tour of various systems, pointing out strengths and weak points, and suggestions on breaking them. There are sample cryptograms to try to solve. However, what makes the book so interesting is the large number of real-life cryptograms that we see. This includes relatively well-known ones like the Zodiac ciphers (from a serial killer) or the Kryptos problems on sculpture outside the National Security Agency headquarters, and unknown ones that cropped up on a wide-ranging German blog. Some are solved, and some are not.
If the book had been delayed a little longer, it would have presented the Zodiac ciphers differently. In the time between when the authors were finished with it and when it reached the public, the author, along with blogger Klaus Schmeh, solved the second Zodiac cipher.
If the book had been delayed a little longer, it would have presented the Zodiac ciphers differently. In the time between when the authors were finished with it and when it reached the public, the author, along with blogger Klaus Schmeh, solved the second Zodiac cipher.
June 24, 2023
Interesting, fun and challenging.
This book looks like a beast when you pick it up at over 400 pages, but the way the authors have broken it each chapter up into and explanation, how to use a type of encryption, how to break said encryption, success stories, the challenges is very smart!
That strategy makes every chapter feel like 4 mini stories.
Then by the end of the chapter you feel empowered to tackle some other ciphers on your own.
Overall a book that has the power to surprise and delight.
This book looks like a beast when you pick it up at over 400 pages, but the way the authors have broken it each chapter up into and explanation, how to use a type of encryption, how to break said encryption, success stories, the challenges is very smart!
That strategy makes every chapter feel like 4 mini stories.
Then by the end of the chapter you feel empowered to tackle some other ciphers on your own.
Overall a book that has the power to surprise and delight.
July 8, 2025
If you are interested in cryptography and you want to actually learn how to solve cryptograms, read this book. That said, this is the first book of this kind I read and definitely colors my perception of it.
I liked how applicable this book is but it does end up a bit dry. I had trouble concentrating on it for long and it took me a while to get through it.
I liked how applicable this book is but it does end up a bit dry. I had trouble concentrating on it for long and it took me a while to get through it.
February 9, 2021
Enjoyable read! This is a book I plan to go back to and try the challenges when I have a clear head and some quiet time so I can do some of the challenges.
October 13, 2023
Great book
January 9, 2025
DNF but very interesting topic.
January 13, 2025
This was ok, but I was hoping for more historical background about various codes and codebreaking. It was more of a technical, how-to manual.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews