The science of secrecy: The secret history of codes and codebreaking / [Simon Singh]

the first few pages of this book are pretty slow, and i'm surprised i hung in there long enough to get over the slow part - i don't have much tolerance for slow beginnings. however, i'm glad i did hang in there, because this book has a heap of detail not easily available elsewhere. everyone knows about Mary Queen of Scots' fatal trust in her code, but where else will you actually see the code, or have it discussed? where else do you get readable discussion of the various types of cypher, other than Caesar's cypher, which any idiot can explain? this is the best i've seen about cryptography ...

This book is a companion to a series that the author created for the BBC. Even not having seen the series, this book provides an engaging and informative introduction to cryptography. The history of the competing sciences of cryptography and cryptanalysis are described from their origins through the present day. The work of the British code breakers of Bletchley Park, and their role in providing vital intelligence during World War II is especially emphasized. The development of asymmetric key cryptography and its impact on securing communications in the information age is also described in depth. The book concludes with a number of cryptanalysis exercised for readers to apply what they have learned. The writing style in this book is very accessible, and I would recommend it as a popular introduction to the topic.