Codebreaker: The History of Codes and Ciphers

VOYA

Human beings love secrets. Everyone enjoys being privy to facts, knowledge, gossip, and trade secrets not known to others. A popular television commercial depicts a crafty dog that has discovered a "secret family recipe" for baked beans. Dan Brown's novel, The Da Vinci Code, remained a bestseller for weeks and spawned a successful film and various shameless imitations. The Navaho Windwalkers and their World War II codes have been immortalized in novels, documentaries, and a feature film. "Unbreakable" codes and secret encrypted messages have long been staple themes of popular novels and films. Pincock's fascinating book reveals to the reader that codes and ciphers have been used by pharaohs, queens, generals, politicians, and lovers for at least 4,000 years. Mary, Queen of Scots, and Julius Caesar relied on the security provided by encrypted messages, in much the same way computer encryption is depended on to keep ATM transactions and cell-phone conversations private. The profusely illustrated volume includes profiles of famous cryptographers and decryption experts, descriptions of unbreakable codes such as the Dorabella Cipher and the Voynich manuscript, and as a special treat for the reader, an appendix containing seven codes to solve, using information from various chapters. Beautifully written, entertaining but never shallow, and replete with fascinating insights into the arcane world of cryptography, Codebreaker is that rare work-a nonfiction title that is as appealing as a fast-paced thriller. It should be an essential purchase for libraries serving young adults.