Rating: 
Summary: Outstanding Introduction To Cryptology
Review: * Simon Singh's THE CODE BOOK is an introduction to the science
of cryptology -- ciphers, codes, and codebreaking -- for the
intelligent layperson. It begins by defining elementary concepts
in the field; outlines the history of the field up to the World
War I; and then goes on to focus on specific important topics
in the field, including the breaking of the German ENIGMA cipher
machine in World War II; the cracking of Egyptian hieroglyphics
and Cretan Linear B; public-key cryptography; the controversy
over the Pretty Good Privacy encryption software package; and,
finally, quantum cryptology.This may sound like a collection of stories, but actually the
result is a nice smooth narrative that takes the reader through
the mainstream evolution of cryptology. While it is clearly
not intended for a cryptology professional, it still has plenty
of substance, while being outstandingly readable. This is not
to say that the reader doesn't have to think things over painfully at times, but that's the nature of the thing. I think some Yank crypto hobbyists might be offended that the
book largely ignores US cryptology efforts during WW II, but THE
CODE BOOK does not seem to have any strong "Union Jack" bias
(Mr. Singh is a Londoner), and I think he just chose to ignore
that topic because it is so well discussed in the classic
popular book on cryptology, David Kahn's THE CODEBREAKERS. For
example, Mr. Singh does talk about the American use of the
Navaho "code-talkers" during WW II. Incidentally, for those readers familiar with THE CODEBREAKERS,
THE CODE BOOK compares favorably. THE CODE BOOK is shorter and
much less detailed, but while Mr. Kahn is a generally competent
writer, Mr. Singh is an outstanding one, and his handle on
technology much better than Mr. Kahn's. The only technical issue I might take with Mr. Singh is that
his explanation of why the one-time-pad cipher cannot be
cracked analytically is, if not actually wrong as such,
confuses an effect for a cause. However, this is not much more
than a minor difference of opinion and certainly no fatal flaw,
and if it's the worst complaint I have, then I have to admit
I have very little to complain about. I have written up and assembled notes on this book and a few
other works in cryptology. Those curious about learning more
before investing in a book might drop me a line.
Rating: 
Summary: History and Geek stuff blended
Review: Fasinating. I've lent this book to several dubious reader and they have never stopped thanking me for this fasinating account. I've referred back to it several times. The chapters are mostly independent although the codes do build upon on another at times. Among my history buff friend< I can often dazzle them with stories from this book. Read it.
Rating:
Summary: GREG GOEBEL WAS RIGHT!
Review: I was looking at this book based on the subject; but, Greg Goebel's review made me want to buy it. I've since read it. I could comment on all of the details of how great this book is but, Goebel said it first and correctly. If you're not sure you want to splurge the extra money, read his review and know it's the truth.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent account of history of encryption
Review: I read this book few months back. Truly amazed at this book. Infact, I have bought his other book on Fermat's Last Theorem and currently reading it. Getting to the Code Book, I find it amazing to believe that the author has performed a thorough research on history of encryption before writing this book. It was surprising for me to learn that Kama-Sutra has references to encryption! It was equally surprising to learn that Arabs were inventors of a technique called frequency analysis to deciphers text messages. The flow of the book is logical and provoking. And it provides fundamental information, needed for good knowledge on the subject. Certainly modern day CTO's need to go through this book. The author has touched on all aspects of encryption - its progression from the Egyptian civilization many thousand years ago to current breakthrough's in Quantum computing. His account of competition between code-makers and code-breakers is interesting and informative. Now, I am beginning to be skeptical about RSA's encryption. One just do not know which agency has broken it. It will be indeed interesting to watch the competition between code-makers and code-breakers when quantum computing makes it possible for powerful encryption as well as breaking techniques.
Rating:
Summary: OUTSTANDING INTRODUCTION TO CODES AND BREAKING THEM
Review: Simon Singh has written an outstanding introduction into cryptology (the science of codes, ciphers and decoding and decyphering). This is a book aimed at the layperson who has some interest in mathematics and linguistics. He mixes the science behind codes and cyphers with a stronhg dose of history, which puts the amazing achievements in this science in the context of changing human history. The history in the book ranges from Roman codes through the middle ages and finally arriving to the 2nd world war and the Enigma machine. Not only is the history told in great detail, but also with some attention the reader understands exactly the process that was taken to arrive at the cyphers and their breaking. An addition portion of history told is that of the decyphering of hieroglyphics and Linear B, ancient forms of writing on which some of the tools of cryptology (especially mathematics and linguistics) were used. Simon Singh uses a formula similar to the one he uses in Fermat's Enigma (another outstanding book for amateur mathematicians): he tells a story on a subject that is tremendously complex, but makes it simple enough so that someone who is dedicated to understanding it can at least grasp the main concepts. This is a great book for amateur mathematicians, statisticians and linguists. It is also a great portion of our history that is seldom heard of. I highly recommend it as one of the best page turners I have read in a while.
Rating:
Summary: Stellar book, even for the non-technical sort
Review: This book had me captured from the very first pages dealing with the crytographic intrigues during the trial of Mary Queen of Scots. From Egypt to Mary Queen of Scots to present day public key cryptography to future quantum concepts, Simon Singh offers a typewritten drama unparalleled by many novels. The historical aspects of cryptography set together with the technical details offer the charm of a story and the depth of a dissertation. Singh has a terrific historical voice, and his explanations of even technical crytographic concepts strike home in remarkably resonant ways. This is hands-down the best explanation of cryptography I've even come close to seeing - it's just that good.
Rating:
Summary: Mathematical knowledge can be critical for survival
Review: Cryptography does not involve large numbers of men hacking each other to pieces with swords and spears or blowing each other to bits with powder and shot. Furthermore, the most significant achievements in cryptography are often covered in layers of government secrecy that take decades to be removed. Therefore, very few know how great a role it has played in the resolution of armed conflict. Singh lays out the history of cryptography, explaining the basics of the various codes while listing where they were used.
Without question, the expertise of small numbers of code breakers has dramatically altered the course of history. The famous Zimmerman note from a German diplomat to the leadership of Mexico during World War I offered German support for Mexico reclaiming the American southwest if Mexico would declare war on the United States. The anger that it engendered in the U. S. swept away the last isolationist sentiment and precipitated U. S. entry into World War I. It was encrypted before being sent, but the code was cracked by the British, who then made the contents public.
The incredible expertise of the British code breakers in cracking German codes in World War II may have been the difference in keeping Britain fighting during those dark days when she stood essentially alone against the mighty German military. In fact, many technical historians argue that the person most responsible for Britain surviving the German onslaught was not Winston Churchill, but the chief code breaker, Alan Turing. Turing's group was able to break the German military codes, thought to be unbreakable by the Germans, and the British were then able to concentrate their forces where the threats were greatest. So accurate was the British intelligence that one of their greatest problems was deciding when not to use it so that the Germans would not learn that they were reading the messages.
In one of the most interesting stories in the book, Ian Fleming, the creator of the fictional super-spy James Bond, devised a scheme whereby the British would crash a German plane near a German ship. The British crew of the plane would then bail out and capture the German ship, capturing all the code books. The plan was ultimately scrapped, to the disappointment of Turing and his group.
The cast of characters who have been significant in the advancement of cryptography contains some very unusual people. This is best summed up by the comment Winston Churchill made to the head of the Secret Intelligence Service when he visited the code breakers at Bletchley, "I told you to leave no stone unturned, but I didn't expect you to take me so literally." Some of the pictures in the book also reinforce this view. Nevertheless, they were brilliant people, and you learn how they were able to literally conquer incredible odds. Most started with situations where the number of possibilities was astronomical, and yet with ingenuity, persistence, luck and occasionally dirt tricks, they were able to reduce the numbers down to a level where it was possible to find a solution.
This is a superb popular history of cryptography, written at a level that everyone can understand and shows a history of human conflict that is often deeply hidden from view. It also demonstrates how critical mathematical knowledge can be in the life of a nation. Published in the recreational mathematics e-mail newsletter, reprinted with permission.
Rating:
Summary: Very Entertaining and Informative
Review: This is the only book on cryptography I have read so I haven't much to compare it to. It was written in a rather light style (maybe too light at certain times) but maintained a steady pace. I was particularly interested in Singh's chapter on modern public key cryptography and the discovery that assymetrical functions could be used as encryption/decryption keys. A good book that's easy to understand throughout.
Rating:
Summary: "Popular science" that is accurate and easy to read
Review: I'm sure everyone is familiar with the idea of the "monoalphabetic cipher," wherein a message is written in code by letting one letter represent another. To the untrained eye, the resulting text looks like gibberish without any structure. This is the starting point of Simon Singh's excellent primer on the nature of codes and ciphers, and he quickly points out the inherent weakness of the monoalphabetic cipher. As fans of game shows like Wheel of Fortune know, some letters are more common than others; the cipher is easily broken by frequency analysis - the most common letters in the enciphered text are going to be E, A, and S, for example. So, in fact, the enciphered text DOES have structure, and it's there for the deciphering by a codebreaker. The strength of Singh's book is its readability and structure. He introduces various methods of encoding information, points out the weaknesses that were exploited to break the code, then how the cryptographers came up with a new code to foil the codebreakers. Singh especially stresses the practicality of each method - there are very simple encoding schemes that are actually unbreakable, but also completely impractical for everyday use. This is especially important to the military - what good is a battlefield code if it takes too long to decode? Early chapters are of historical interest, but also contain codes and ciphers that are very easy to understand, so the reader gets comfortable with the language and problems of cryptography. Each chapter presents a more complex cipher than the previous, and each time Singh explains it easily, even such convoluted automations as the Nazi Enigma machine. He offers some fascinating diversions into ancient language elucidation (e.g., heiroglyphics), and eventually ends with a discussion of quantum computers and quantum cryptography. This is an area especially challenging to explain to the lay reader - based on the other reviews, he has done well. This section is clear and fascinating to read. As a chemist familiar with quantum mechanics, I can assure you that the scientific facts are presented accurately, much to the author's credit. Therefore, I highly recommend this book as an insightful, educational, and enjoyable introduction to cryptography. You will learn a lot, and will enjoy learning it.
Rating:
Summary: An Entertaining Read
Review: While technical books are noted for draining the reader's mental resources, the Code Book deviates from the norm as it explains very intricate mathematical concepts in layman's terms. Couldn't find a more entertaining technical book while truly being enlightened on the world of cryptography. I can't wait to read this author's book on Fermat's Last Theorem.
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