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

I like codes, secret writing, and cryptography. I don't have the mathematical chops to make a profession of it, but I remember the "lesson" in frequency analysis that makes up a lot of the plot of Poe's "The Gold Bug". Plus I fondly read one of the prolific Clifford Pickover's books on codes some years back and enjoyed it.

While there is analysis of types of codes and cryptography in Simon Singh's book, his strength and the main thrust of the book is the tension between code-makers and code-breakers, and the history of how those codes were used. From Mary Queen of Scots fateful use of a breakable code which lead to her death, through the German Enigma machine, to the battles over PGP today, Singh touches on the evolution of the science show more of secrecy through the stories of the people on both sides of the divide. The writing is clear and fluid, and the examples show that Singh understands his own subject very well.

If you have an interest in the history of cryptography or allied subjects, the Code Book is a very good primer on the subject. show less

This is a really excellent book. It is beautifully written, with numerous clear descriptions of tricky concepts. Best of all, it is peppered with first rate anecdotes and fascinating historical context.

Overall, it is a real page turner that I found hard to put down. I feel it is somewhat harsh to reduce from a five star review simply because as the book gets nearer to the present day, it feels more out of date.
It was published in 1999 and the sections on "modern" computing and developments are inevitably rather dated.

Nonetheless, the first 80% of the book is timeless and was a pleasure to read. I will definitely read his subsequent book before long.

On the surface of it, The Code Book is a very unglamorous book - a somewhat analytical book filled with technical jargon on the history of cryptography, starting from its first mentions in written record to the somewhat confusing introduction to quantum computing and quantum cryptography.
But on a deeper glance, Simon Singh reveals himself as a passionate and intense geek who wants to explain how our communication is encrypted and decrypted to laypeople, who might not know what algorithms and modulus functions are but who deserve to know what cryptography is. It is telling that most of the concepts he teaches are through stories - why a particular cypher was invented and how history could have been much different if a few specific show more messages were still secure. It was heartening to note that even knowing all the basics - there was a lot of stuff to absorb - including the inner workings of Enigma used in WW2, the decryption of Linear B, an extinct Mediterranean language.
The Code Book's ending chapters have dated horribly, though. Simon envisioned a future where the public would need cryptography because they would be emailing forms containing their credit card information to retailers for e-commerce. Amazon took this concept to a hitherto unforeseen level. Moore's Law has stagnated, the debate on cryptography has changed immensely, for better or worse - and quantum computing remains as nascent as ever. Still, the basics of cryptography have remained the same - for that alone; this is a fine read. show less

[b:The Code Book|17994|The Code Book The Science of Secrecy from Ancient Egypt to Quantum Cryptography|Simon Singh|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1320438401s/17994.jpg|1031975] is an excellent account of the history of cryptography that spawns many generations. The book is an account of codes and ciphers and how are they a fundamental building block in the evolution of mankind. It tells the story of the most important intellectual weapon ever known: Secrecy.

Since human beings started writing they have been writing in codes and [a:Simon Singh|10894|Simon Singh|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1263127928p2/10894.jpg] has a very powerful way of narrating this amazing story. A story where we came to know about much known and some lesser show more known people. How their creation has altered history and continues to do so everyday. The writing is fresh crisp and will incite the interest even in readers who dislike this field. His insight into the role played by codes and ciphers is exemplary. The various anecdotes are well suited and add up to the fun quotient of the book. Through his book you will be transferred to a different world, where you are tirelessly trying to break German Enigma machines in World War II or sympathizing with Queen Mary of Scots who is trapped by her own code.

The book is a must read for everyone. For its a story less known and even rarely told. To top it off, there's a sneak peak into the future. Overall, read it for such a story deserves to be read if just for the sake of freedom of speech that we enjoy or have the illusion which is shattered in this book. show less

Coming on 20 years after the book was written, it’s still quite awesome despite all our subsequent advances in cryptography.

Or rather, I should say, we’re still living in the same world already transformed by pretty good encryption. The methods for breaking the security still falls in the same category as usual: interception. Of course, the means of interception has gotten amazingly good and creative as hell, but that isn’t the primary scope of this book.

Rather, it’s about an awesome crash course in the history of encryption from the Middle Ages or earlier, say Roman or Greek, all the way forward to mechanical solutions a-la Babbage and right into the thrilling good stuff of WW2, including Turing and the awesome Code Talkers. show more

The advances since then are almost stunningly fascinating, however, and aside from Zimmerman’s courageous advent of PGP, the REST of the story may well be trapped under National Security blankets still.

Alas. What I wouldn’t give to get a backstage pass to those goings-on. :)

Well written, accessible, and rather thorough, this book remains one of the best books on encryption for laypersons. Highly recommended. show less

Hiding secrets (i.e., cryptography or the science of encryption) has become an increasingly important topic in the modern Information Age. It’s not just the stuff of the military and diplomacy. We cannot communicate secrets like credit card numbers over the Internet without it. In this book, dated around the turn of the millennium, Singh shares the history of encrypting messages. He begins to forecast its impact in the twenty-first century while noting exciting trends in the directions of quantum computing and quantum cryptography.

Near the beginning of the Common Era, Julius Caesar famously used a “caesar cipher” to cloak his messages. Conceptually, it’s so easy to implement that my elementary-school-aged daughter learned about show more it. But soon, it became just as easy to break it. This war between code-makers and code-breakers has continued throughout history. Singh tells us of the major battles of this war in a lively and informative way. He provides both the historical setting and technical details behind these events.

Some of the most interesting stories surround the events of the twentieth century’s world wars. Singh tells each of these stories, with particular depth surrounding the British efforts. Alan Turing and others from England’s eclectic Bletchley Park are described in detail. Described in just as exciting of a manner are modern mathematical efforts around digital encryption. RSA and DES encryption are meticulously explored. Obviously, efforts in the new millennium, in which the Internet has tremendously grown in importance, are not described because of the publication date. Nonetheless, the general trajectory of the field can be ascertained by this historical dive.

Indeed, history conveys ideas with extreme accuracy, so this book introduces readers to the field in an accessible way. Anyone looking to learn about cryptography from real-world methods can gain from this treatment. It does not enter into mathematical minutiae and leaves that to other introductions. Instead, as a history, it deals with pragmatics by an approach that non-mathematicians can appreciate. Singh has adapted this text into a later version that is directed to interested young people. Together, either of these books will orient curious readers about this increasingly important field. show less

Some of us never gave codes more than a passing thought beyond the comedy of Ralphie Parker’s Little Orphan Annie Decoder Ring in the movie A Christmas Story. Many of us never suspected that code-making and code-breaking have been such powerful forces in our own history, from the decipherment of ancient languages to the defeat of Nazi Germany to the development of the modern computer. An exhaustive study, yet never tedious, Singh’s talented prose transmits his own powerful fascination and enthusiasm for the theme to the reader, striking just the right balance in the challenge of coherently presenting the complexity of the subject while formulating its elucidation for a mass audience.