The Code Book: The Science of Secrecy from Ancient Egypt to Quantum Cryptography

by Simon Singh

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.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, History, Mathematics, Computer Science, Technology, Popular Science

432 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Simon Lehna Singh, MBE is a British author who has specialised in writing about mathematical and scientific topics in an accessible manner. He is the maiden winner of the Lilavati Award.

His written works include Fermat's Last Theorem (in the United States titled Fermat's Enigma: The Epic Quest to Solve the World's Greatest Mathematical Problem), The Code Book (about cryptography and its history), Big Bang (about the Big Bang theory and the origins of the universe) and Trick or Treatment? Alternative Medicine on Trial (about complementary and alternative medicine).

He has also produced documentaries and works for television to accompany his books, is a trustee of NESTA, the National Museum of Science and Industry and co-founded the Undergraduate Ambassadors Scheme.

Reviews

[Kilian Demuth]

Sehr informationsreiche Geschichte, die zum Ende immer interessanter wird.

[Michi P]

Wie schon "Fermats letzter Satz" ist auch "Geheime Botschaften" eine Mischung aus Geschichts- und Mathestunde. Singh führt zunächst spannend und gut verständlich in die grundlegenden Verschlüsselungsmethoden ein und zeigt auch, dass diese teilweise bis heute unlösbar sind. Danach werden Lösungsansätze fürs Code-Knacken erläutert, bevor es später an die modernen Verschlüsselungen geht. Auch wenn das Buch inzwischen bereits etwas älter ist, bleiben die Konzepte die selben. Definitiv lesenswert und spannender, als es sich vielleicht zunächst vermuten lässt!

[Liedzeit Liedzeit]

Sehr informativ, besonders der mittlere Teil, der erklärt wie mit Hilfe von Primzahlen private und öffentliche Schlüssel möglich sind. Am Schluß wird es etwas zu kompliziert für mich.

[Bookpecker]

Sehr gutes Buch. Konnte mir sehr schwierige Konzepte einfach erklären. Schade, dass es zu alt ist um den modernen Fortschritt zu bereden.