The Code Book: How to Make It, Break It, Hack It, Crack It - Paperback

by Simon Singh (Author)

"As gripping as a good thriller." --The Washington Post

Unpack the science of secrecy and discover the methods behind cryptography--the encoding and decoding of information--in this clear and easy-to-understand young adult adaptation of the national bestseller that's perfect for this age of WikiLeaks, the Sony hack, and other events that reveal the extent to which our technology is never quite as secure as we want to believe.

Coders and codebreakers alike will be fascinated by history's most mesmerizing stories of intrigue and cunning--from Julius Caesar and his Caeser cipher to the Allies' use of the Enigma machine to decode German messages during World War II.

Accessible, compelling, and timely, The Code Book is sure to make readers see the past--and the future--in a whole new way.

"Singh's power of explaining complex ideas is as dazzling as ever." --The Guardian

Front Jacket

It's known as the science of secrecy. Cryptography: the encoding and decoding of private information. And it is history's most fascinating story of intrigue and cunning. From Julius Caesar and his Caesar Cipher to the code used by Mary Queen of Scots and her conspiracy to the use of the Engima machine during the Second World War, Simon Singh follows the evolution of secret writing.
Accessible, compelling, and timely, this international bestseller, now adapted for young people, is sure to make readers see the past--and the future--in a whole new way.

"From the Hardcover edition.

Author Biography

Simon Singh is the bestselling author of Fermat's Enigma, The Code Book, Big Bang, Trick or Treatment?: Alternative Medicine on Trial, and The Simpsons and Their Mathematical Secrets. He lives in London.