About the Author
Elonka Dunin (Author) ELONKA DUNIN is an American video-game
developer and cryptologist. Bestselling author Dan Brown named Nola
Kaye, a character in his novel, The Lost Symbol, after her.
Elonka has published a book of exercises on classical cryptography
and maintains cryptography-related websites about topics such as
the world's most famous unsolved codes and Kryptos, a sculpture at
the Central Intelligence Agency containing an encrypted message.
She is considered the leading Kryptos expert in the world. Elonka
is a member of the United States National Cryptologic Museum
Foundation's Board and frequently gives lectures on the subject of
cryptography.Klaus Schmeh (Author) KLAUS SCHMEH is one of the
world's leading experts on the history of encryption. He has
published thirteen books about encryption technology (mostly
written in German), as well as over 200 articles, twenty-five
scientific publications and 1,200 blog posts, which makes him the
most published cryptology author in the world. He is a member of
the editorial board of the scientific magazine, Cryptologia, and a
frequent speaker at encryption conferences in Europe and the USA.
He has given presentations at the NSA Cryptologic History
Symposium, the Charlotte International Cryptologic Symposium, the
RSA Conference in San Francisco and many more. He is known for his
entertaining presentation style involving self-drawn cartoons and
Lego models.
Reviews
The enthusiasm of the writing will likely pull the reader through
the book . . . a good introduction to cryptology. -- Chris
Christensen * Cryptologia *
Quite the best book on codebreaking I have read: clear, engaging
and fun. A must for would-be recruits to GCHQ and the NSA! --
Sir Dermot Turing, author of Prof, the biography of
his uncle, Alan Turing
Approachable, accessible, this book brings back the joy I felt when
I first read about these kinds of things as a kid. -- Phil
Zimmermann, creator of PGP cryptography, inductee to the
Internet Hall of Fame
This is THE book about code breaking. Very concise, very inclusive,
and easy to read. Good references for those who would make a code
like Kryptos. -- Ed Scheidt, Central Intelligence
Agency
What could be more exciting, challenging, mysterious, and important
in war than codebreaking? What could be a safer way to send a
compromising message to your secret lover than to encrypt the
message? If you already love spy stories and tales of business
skulduggery in supposedly unbreakable ciphers, this is at last the
single book that you must have. If you are not yet addicted to
cryptography, this book will get you addicted. Read, enjoy, and
test yourself on history's great still-unbroken messages! --
Jared Diamond is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of
Guns, Germs, and Steel; Collapse; and other
international bestsellers
Riveting. Dunin and Schmeh show us that we each have our own inner
codebreaker yearning to be set free. Codebreaking isn't just for
super-geniuses with supercomputers, it's something we were all born
to do. -- Mike Godwin, creator of Godwin's Law, former
general counsel, Wikimedia Foundation
Codebreaking is a remarkable treatment of the art of
decoding of hand-created codes. Clear and conversational in tone,
it transforms a sometimes daunting topic into an approachable and
compelling story. Its comprehensive survey of manual codes and
techniques for cryptanalyzing them is thoroughly illustrated with
real historical examples, from the Voynich Manuscript to the Zodiac
Killer's encrypted messages. An excellent book for starting a
deep-dive into cryptanalysis. -- Glen Miranker, former Chief
Technology Officer, Apple Computers
This is the book of my dreams: A super-clear, super-fun guide for
solving secret messages of all kinds, from paper-and-pencil
cryptograms to Enigma machines. With deep knowledge and skillful
storytelling, Dunin and Schmeh capture the joy and power of
codebreaking. -- Jason Fagone, author of the bestselling
The Woman Who Smashed Codes: A True Story of Love, Spies, and
the Unlikely Heroine Who Outwitted America's Enemies
This is the book we've all been waiting for, a page-turner packed
with intrigue and mystery - the first practical book on
codebreaking for the digital age. Code experts and enthusiasts
Elonka Dunin and Klaus Schmeh patiently explain the basic types of
codes and ciphers, and how to detect which scheme is being used.
Say you discover an aged letter covered with mysterious symbols
tucked into an old book in the attic. An encrypted communication
from a long-dead relative, no doubt. But what does it say? Fear no
more. With over a hundred cloak-and-dagger examples, ranging from
the Emperor Ferdinand II, the Holy Roman Emperor from the House of
Habsburg in the 1640s; to the Zodiac Killer in northern California
in the 1960s, this is what you need. What a great way to introduce
a new generation to the romance of mathematics! -- Scott
Kim, who gave The Art of Puzzles TED talk, puzzle designer for
Discover and Scientific American
Elonka and Klaus have created an incredible resource in this
guidebook to codebreaking. In essence they found a code that needed
breaking and solved it for us since a practical, up-to-date source
like this did not yet exist. I cannot wait to use this book, not
only to solve any cryptograms I might stumble across, but also to
build new ones in my own works. An incredible, practical,
up-to-date resource for codebreaking which has not existed up until
now. -- Starr Long, former executive producer, Walt Disney
Company
A wonderful mix of ciphers. Beginners will be hooked on exploring
the world of encryption, and those who are experienced will find
much that is new. -- Craig Bauer, Editor-in-Chief of
Cryptologia and author of Unsolved! The History and
Mystery of the World's Greatest Ciphers
Cryptography? Ciphers? I thought this would be an easy book to
put down.
I was very wrong.
--
Steve Meretzky, co-author with Douglas Adams of
The
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy computer game
Wow! A book that promises to break the code to codebreaking itself.
For more than a decade, I led a team of experts trying to decipher
the levels of meaning in the pop-culture works of Dan Brown.
Through the publication of several such guidebooks, Elonka Dunin
stood out as primus inter pares among our experts on codes. I am
putting this book on gift lists for many occasions and for numerous
people! -- Dan Burstein, author and editor of the New York
Times-bestseller, Secrets of the Code
A fun book telling the neat and weird secret histories, plus a
practical guide to solving most any cipher. I wish that I had had a
book like this back when I was in high school. -- Bradley
Schaefer, founder of the MIT Mystery Hunt, Professor, Physics
and Astronomy, Louisiana State University
If you're looking for a source book to learn the art and science of
cracking codes, it's hard to find a better collection than the deep
and well-documented collection in this book. The original cryptext
is there along with the mathematical and practical tools for
stripping away the layer of secrecy to read the information hidden
inside. -- Peter Wayner, author of Disappearing
Cryptography, Being and Nothingness on the Net
Elonka and Klaus are two of today's leaders in the analysis of
unbroken ciphers, and with their book, you'll have the tools to
join them. Codebreaking: A Practical Guide is a fantastic resource
that describes not only the means and methods to break what once
were considered unbreakable ciphers, but also contains intriguing
histories and tales of how they've used these tools to attack
real-world ciphers that have held their secrets for years. I'd
recommend this book to anyone who's interested in learning the
combination of deduction, intuition and perseverance involved in
codebreaking. -- Wes Dafler, American Cryptogram
Association
A great resource for all types of codes and ciphers, and covers
different parts of history and cultures with the respect that is
deserved, including for Native Americans. -- Lonnie
Henderson, Master Sergeant, United States Air Force (retired),
Comanche code breaker
A fascinating collection of the world's most interesting codes and
ciphers and how to break them. Full of facts and fun. A must for
anyone who enjoys solving quirky puzzles. -- Michael Smith,
author of the #1 bestseller Station X: The Codebreakers of
Bletchley Park and The Emperor's Codes
Pure genius meets joy in this truly one-of-a-kind compendium . . .
This book will reward everyone from the curious novice to the
invested researcher . . . all the while providing tools for readers
to do their own explorations into the field. -- Dr Theda
Daniels-Race, M. B. Voorhies Distinguished Professor of
Electrical & Computer Engineering, Louisiana State University
What a terrific cognitive romp through some of the most important
cognitive puzzlers, challenges, sizzlers and stumpers throughout
history, written by two of the brightest minds alive! Highly
recommended for taking out one's aggression on cerebral challenges
rather than, say, Twitter and Facebook friends. I cannot wait to
curl up on the couch with this book and a strong cup of coffee. --
Dr Constance Steinkuehler, Informatics Professor, University
of California, former Senior Advisor in the White House Office of
Science and Technology Policy
THROW YOUR OTHER BOOKS AWAY! This book goes well beyond the "how"
by including historical examples, practical attacks and challenges
to solve. This high-quality cryptography resource is all you need
to truly understand many ciphers. -- Tyler Akins, developer,
Cipher Tools
At last a comprehensive book guiding readers through the world of
codes and ciphers. Lots of general information for the casual
reader, plus plenty of worked examples for enthusiasts. -- Joel
Greenberg, author of Gordon Welchman: Bletchley Park's
Architect of Ultra Intelligence and Alastair Denniston:
Code-Breaking from Room 40 to Berkeley Street and the Birth of
GCHQ
Fills a gap and is very welcome . . . Strongly recommended for
anyone interested in classical ciphers. -- Paolo Bonavoglia,
cryptologic historian, mathematics teacher at the Liceo Foscarini
(retired)
The crypto explorer's Baedeker. It introduces you to a variety of
both famous and lesser known cryptograms throughout time, while it
guides you carefully through the various processes of unraveling
their secrets. -- Frode Weierud, CERN electronics engineer
(retired), Visiting Research Scholar, Bletchley Park Trust
Plainspoken and informative, Codebreaking: A Practical Guide shows
the incredible depth of knowledge of the two authors while
retaining a clarity most books of this sort have trouble
duplicating. Both experts and novices will enjoy exploring the
pages of this wonderful tome. -- John Feil, author of
Beginning Game Level Design
If you ever wondered about secret messages on old postcards and
tombstones, in newspapers and telegrams, or are fascinated with
famous unsolved riddles like the Voynich manuscript and the Kryptos
sculpture, this book is for you. Dunin and Schmeh are two
internationally known experts on cryptology, and here they show you
step by step how to crack codes and ciphers from long before the
earliest radio transmissions and interceptions to long after the
commercial union of military technology and entertainment in
networked computing. -- Peter Krapp, Professor of Media
Studies and Informatics, Donald Bren School of Information and
Computer Sciences, University of California, Irvine
I have been a creator and solver of puzzles both virtual and
physical my whole life, I even gave my wife a GPS-enabled puzzle
box as a wedding present to lead her to our honeymoon. That being
said, I could hardly imagine even approaching the problems Elonka
Dunin and Klaus Schmeh have tackled. Fortunately for my ego, there
remain a few even Elonka has not yet solved. However, if you wish
to start down the rabbit hole, there is no better place to start
than Codebreaking: A Practical Guide. I even hear that there are a
few other hidden secrets embedded in this book! Good luck! --
Richard Garriott, computer gaming pioneer, 'Lord British'
(Ultima Online)
I don't know if it's talent or genius . . . but these people are in
a different world when it comes to good old logic and brains. It
seems that codebreaking requires imagination, stamina and courage
to follow its path to wherever it leads. Pure brilliance is barely
enough to qualify for this gig. I could never decipher or encrypt
anything in this category. I will never be solving cryptograms. But
this book will take you on an amazing journey through an incredible
maze. Darn exciting, I must say! -- David Lucas,
award-winning composer, discoverer of Blue OEyster Cult, the
cowbell guy!
Cryptography can seem like a daunting subject, but in this book
Elonka and Klaus have made it understandable, approachable, and
most of all: fun! Filled with many real-world examples of the use
of classical cryptography techniques, the book successfully conveys
the authors' contagious passion for the art of uncovering hidden
messages. There is nothing quite like the satisfaction of applying
the skills described in this book to unlock the mysterious secret
messages. After reading this book you will be equipped with many
tools to help you do it, too! -- Dave Oranchak founder of
ZodiacKillerCiphers.com and host of Let's Crack Zodiac
Codebreaking: A Practical Guide is an extremely well-documented and
enjoyable book written by Elonka Dunin and Klaus Schmeh. The book
provides an overview of all classical ciphers and explains with
exemplary clarity how to solve them. Entertaining examples are
given at each stage and challenges are presented to the reader. A
long time has passed since we last saw a book dealing with the
solving classical ciphers. This book is a must have in any amateur
cryptographer's library. The historical perspective of the book is
also extremely important as essential background to the rich
history of our field for new students who will later specialize in
the more mathematical aspects of modern cryptology. An excellent
book! -- David Naccache, Fellow, International Association
for Cryptologic Research
Best suited for those who want to read about codebreaking with
actual examples. Many specimens with images, ranging from encrypted
postcards to historical messages, are conveniently classified in
chapters and their solutions are explained. -- Satoshi
Tomokiyo, webmaster of Cryptiana: Articles on Historical
Cryptography
A book with many interesting stories behind real historic
cryptograms. These are clustered according to the ciphers behind.
And the best thing: You are introduced to free and modern software
to break them yourself. -- Bernhard Esslinger, Professor of
Applied Cryptography at the University of Siegen, Germany
I'll say it in cleartext: This is the most useful book on
codebreaking you can have in your library. -- A. J.
Jacobs
Easy to grasp, amateur-friendly, full of real-life examples of
encryption and systematically surveys the main encryption methods
in a fresh way. A lovely starting manual for any crypto novice. --
Benedek Lang, Chair of Philosophy and History of Science
Department, Budapest University of Technology and Economics
A practical and engaging guide to the codes and ciphers that have
been used throughout history. The story behind a code is often as
important and compelling as the code itself, and Dunin and Schmeh
never fail to deliver with each one they examine. -- Scott M.
Jones, Director, Electronic Frontiers Forums Track at Dragon
Con, Atlanta
A comprehensive, yet accessible resource for a contemporary
understanding of the past and present of codebreaking. The kind of
resource that is useful for beginners, yet encyclopedic for more
experienced readers. -- Lindsay Grace, Knight Chair of
Interactive Media, University of Miami, School of Communication
Takes a fresh approach to the art of codebreaking, providing many
historical examples, each with a complete backstory. This book
treats each cipher as a mystery waiting and wanting to be solved,
and eagerly invites the reader to share in the excitement of
cracking ciphers. -- Dr James Church, Associate Professor at
Austin Peay State University, author of Learning Haskell Data
Analysis
One of the most helpful guides outside the National Security Agency
(NSA) to cracking ciphers. But even if you don't become a
codebreaker, this book is full of fascinating crypto lore. --
Steven Levy, New York Times-bestselling author of Crypto,
Hackers, and Facebook: The Inside Story
A hands-on, roller-coaster ride through the cunning world of
ciphers and codes. -- Nick Pelling, ciphermysteries.com
Two well-known code-breaking experts have joined forces and
produced a book that takes a very practical look into how one
solves historical ciphers, with a lot of useful theory along the
way. -- Rene Zandbergen, author of The Voynich Manuscript:
The World's Most Mysterious and Esoteric Codex
A fascinating glimpse into the world of ciphers, codes, and
secrets. It works equally well as a primer for the novice and as a
reference for the enthusiast. Nznmvat! -- Raph Koster,
author of bestselling game-design book, A Theory of Fun
I dare you to find a more diverse, a more mind-blowing, a more
intriguing collection of stories about codes and code breaking.
This isn't just a book about cryptography and cryptanalysis, it's a
fascinating glimpse into humankind's use of secrecy and deception
to serve a variety of interests. -- Yudhijit Bhattacharjee,
author of the New York Times-bestselling nonfiction thriller, The
Spy Who Couldn't Spell
Makes it easy for the reader to do a deep dive into the many codes
and ciphers still unsolved. This is a fantastic guide to
cryptography, Dunin and Schmeh do a masterful job of explaining
most known methods complete with historical commentary. -- Foaad
Khosmood, Associate Professor of Computer Science, California
Polytechnic State University, co-founder of the Global Game Jam
A celebration of historical ciphers and codes - from how they work
to how they can be broken. A gentle and enthralling introduction
for the novice with scores of challenge problems, a guide for the
student of classical cryptology, and a delight for the expert with
dozens of unsolved problems to attack. -- Kent D. Boklan,
National Security Agency-trained cryptologist, Professor of
Computer Science at Queens College, City University of New York
An encyclopedia of practical code breaking with a variety of
high-profile, real-life encrypted messages. It teaches everything
from how to solve parts of the famous CIA Kryptos sculpture to
encrypted prisoner messages and other crime mysteries. The book
takes a firm position that such puzzles can actually be solved and
decrypted, and provides expert guidance, methodology and examples.
It is superbly illustrated and written, once you start reading, it
is very hard to stop! It provides solid historical and
cryptanalytic and linguistic background knowledge and it has great
educational value. -- Nicolas Courtois, cryptology lecturer
at University College London
Essential reading for anyone interested in solving ciphers. Elonka
Dunin and Klaus Schmeh have well-established reputations as skilled
writers about cryptology. This book excels, with over 100 examples
of historical ciphers. Dunin and Schmeh explain how many were
solved, while leaving others for enthusiasts to unravel. --
Ralph Erskine, co-editor of The Bletchley Park Codebreakers;
member of the editorial board of Cryptologia
Filled with over 200 classic and little-known enciphered documents
and puzzles, this book guides the reader through the underlying
principles of encipherment, the principles and processes involved
in deciphering, and the ultimate outcome. -- Tom Perera,
Enigma expert
A fascinating look into the hidden world of making - and breaking -
secret codes and ciphers, filled with intriguing stories of urgent
messages sent by criminals, spies, and even lovers throughout
history. -- Bob Bates, Lifetime Achievement Award recipient,
International Game Developers Association
An inspiring, profusely illustrated encyclopedia of challenges, set
in their original cultural and historical context. A delight for
experts and beginners. A thoughtful workbook companion to David
Kahn's classic, The Codebreakers. -- Nicholas Gessler, PhD
Anthropology, UCLA, Duke University (retired), author of 'The
Computerman, the Cryptographer and the Physicist' in Alan Turing:
His Work and Impact
It was time for a book like this. This masterpiece is both an
extension as well as a successor of the existing and nowadays
partially outdated works about (unsolved) codes and cryptography -
from Helen F. Gaines to David Kahn. -- Tobias Schroedel, IT
security expert and comedy-hacker, as seen on sternTV
Cryptography is but a game of secrets - who better than a game
developer to walk you through the science, art, and history of this
remarkable field? -- Dan Kaminsky, security researcher,
Chief Scientist, White Ops
This brilliant, passionate, irresistible book has it all: twisty
mystery, codebreaking, secrets, encrypted messages! What's not to
love? -- Nancy Austin, co-author of New York Times #1
bestselling A Passion for Excellence
This book not only breaks down the art of codebreaking in a manner
comprehensible to a layperson like myself, but it contextualizes it
in a series of compelling vignettes; recounting encrypted secrets,
schemes and mysteries woven into a history of human dramas, great
and small. This combination of puzzle and story makes for an
eminently devourable read! -- Tracy Butler, author and
artist of the award-winning webcomic Lackadaisy
A treasure chest with a plethora of historical illustrations and
photos chronicling cryptography dating from centuries ago all the
way up to today.This is a great gift book for young and old, and a
fitting augmentation to any library's collection. -- Joe
Torre, Senior Hardware Engineer (retired), Amiga Computers
I hope this book will inspire more people to take an interest in
the exciting hobby of cryptology. Well, at least that one prodigy
who finally decodes the Voynich manuscript . . . -- Oliver
Knoerzer, author of the webcomic Sandra and Woo
Qvjuh huqtydw jxyi reea, yj'i xqht je ijef coiubv vhec mhyjydw
uluhojxydw yd syfxuhi! Vehjkdqjubo, Y qc qrbu je huiyij. --
Iecuedu Mu Vekdt, Rheaud qdt Ierrydw Ekjiytu qd Uisqfu
Heec
Another kind of Applied Cryptography. -- Whitfield
Diffie, Turing Laureate and member of the NSA Cryptologic Hall
of Honor, creator of public-key cryptography
