With clear mathematical linguistic and technological demonstrations of many of the codes, as well as illustrations of some of the remarkable personalities behind them - many courageous, some villainous - 'The Code Book' traces the fascinating development of codes and code-breaking from military espionage in Ancient Greece to modern computer ciphers to reveal how the remarkable science of cryptography has often changed the course of history.ĭramatic, compelling and remarkably far-reaching, 'The Code Book' will forever alter your view of history, what drives it and how private your last e-mail really was.Īt the end of the book you will also find the world-wide Cipher Challenge for which there is a ten thousand pound reward, donated by the author, to be given to the first reader to successfully crack it.

Singh's compelling history is woven through with stories of how codes and ciphers have played a vital role in warfare, politics, and royal intrigue. Although I did not know it at the time, this was the start of a major interest in the history and science of codes and code breaking, which has resulted in a 400-page book on the subject, an adaptation of the book. In The Code Book, Simon Singh, author of the bestselling Fermat's Enigma, offers a peek into the world of cryptography and codes, from ancient texts through computer encryption. This obsession with secrecy has had dramatic effects on the outcome of wars, monarchies and individual lives. When I wrote my first book, Fermat’s Last Theorem, I made a passing reference to the mathematics of cryptography.

Since humans began writing, they have also been writing in code. The Science of Secrecy from Ancient Egypt to Quantum Cryptography

The code simon singh