Explains how different ciphers work, why they were invented, and how they were cracked, covering codes ranging from ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs and World War II's Enigma machines to the samurai code of honor.

This illustrated encyclopedia surveys the history and development of code-making and code-breaking in all areas of culture and society from hieroglyphs and runes to DNA, the Zodiac Killer, graffiti, and beyond.

The Secret Code Book is a short introduction to substitution ciphers. The chapters ease young readers into the concept of rotation ciphers and work their way up to the Vigenère cipher. Along the way, readers will also learn about geometric approaches to secret codes such as the Pigpen cipher. As a bonus, there is a brief description of frequency analysis and how it is used to crack secret codes. frper gpbqr obbx In addition, this book actively challenges readers with practice missions where answers are listed in the back. Also, there is a cut-out rotation template that is provided to make your very own cipher disk! After reading this book, you will have all the basic tools needed to create secret messages.

"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

Code-cracking skills can be put to the test in this entertaining book which teaches children how to write and decode secret messages. Includes Semaphore and Morse code, the Grid code used in the American Civil War, Egyptian hieroglyphics, number replacement and alphabet switching codes and more. Each page features a different type of code, with an explanation of how it works and a practice code to crack. All answers are available at the back of the book.

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Ever since humans first began to communicate, we’ve had secrets to keep — secrets of state, war, business, or the heart. From the moment the first secret message was sent, others were busy trying to decipher it. By rearranging, substituting, or transposing symbols, any message can be encoded or decoded — if you know how. Secrets of Making and Breaking Codes is a practical field manual designed to teach you the basic mechanics of enciphering and deciphering communications. The author has used his extensive knowledge of and experience in electronic communications and languages — as well as his decades of fascination with secret codes — to demystify the field of cryptology. Hamilton Nickels uses plain, uncomplicated English and simple, workable systems that rely on neither advanced mathematics, nor on ethereal philosophies. This is the only hands-on guide to both the simplest cipher schemes — that need little more than scratch paper and a pencil to crack — as well as more sophisticated codes that use one-time code books, pocket calculators, and the most advanced computer-based systems used by the military and diplomatic corps of most governments. Letting the wrong eyes see a secret message can often make the difference between victory and defeat, success and failure, life and death. Secrets of Making and Breaking Codes will make mastering codes easier.