Digital Fortress

By: Dan Brown

Narrated by: Paul Michael

Length: 11 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

Before the multi-million, runaway bestseller The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown set his razor-sharp research and storytelling skills on the most powerful intelligence organization on earth—the National Security Agency (NSA)—in this thrilling novel, Digital Fortress.

When the National Security Agency’s invincible code-breaking machine encounters a mysterious code it cannot break, the agency calls its head cryptographer, Susan Fletcher, a brilliant, beautiful mathematician. What she uncovers sends shock waves through the corridors of power. The NSA is being held hostage…not by guns or bombs but by a code so complex that if released would cripple U.S. intelligence.

Caught in an accelerating tempest of secrecy and lies, Fletcher battles to save the agency she believes in. Betrayed on all sides, she finds herself fighting not only for her country but for her life. It is a battle for survival—a crucial bid to destroy a creation of inconceivable genius that threatens to obliterate the balance of world power…for all time.

©1998 Dan Brown (P)2004 Books on Tape, Inc.

Critic reviews

“In this fast-paced, plausible tale, Brown blurs the line between good and evil enough to delight patriots and paranoids alike.” —Publishers Weekly

“Digital Fortress is the best and most realistic techno-thriller to reach the market in years... A chilling thrill a minute.” —The Midwest Book Review

"A disturbing, cutting-edge techno thriller that should galvanize everyone who sends or receives email or even dreams of navigating the Web." —John J. Nance, author of Pandora's Clock, The Last Hostage

This was a great book

Is typical of Dan Brown really a good book well written keeps you interested. Is Dan Brown does it again.

Interesting plot, weak research of the problem domain

The story is good, unfortunately the facts are
wrong on many places. The story could be equally riveting and understandable to non-experts without distortions of basic facts about computer technology, computer security and NSA operations. The narration is excellent.

Awesome Book!

I will read this one over and over! I loved it! I was hooked from the start and enjoyed the ending as well!

Needs updating...and not the tech.

Standard Brown " everything is burning down until the very last second " plot. Updates needed for constantly referring to a character as a "cripple" and loads of fat shaming. That was tone deaf even in 1999 and is definitely an issue 20+ years later.

Not His Best Work

The good: The character development was fantastic, the plot was interesting, and the book certainly kept me on the edge of my seat with great chapter ending cliffhangers. It flowed well, and was well organized.

The bad: I was left quite disappointed at how anticlimactic this book was.

Lots of twists and turns

Big Dan Brown fan and this book didn’t let me down. Even without much knowledge in the info sec world I was able to enjoy the story and twists. My only complaint is the end seems a bit drawn out and cliche.

Classic Dan Brown Thriller

Listened to this book years after reading it. As usual, Dan Brown doesn’t disappoint. Different from his Robert Langdon books but no less riveting, suspenseful and difficult to pause listening to. The plot twists and turns throughout were clever and unpredictable. Narrator was outstanding and quite skillful at using various accents and tones.

Twists and turns.

Just when you think you've got the plot figured out, you don't! There was a lot of great details in the believability of this book.

Secrecy/ security protrcted.

I disliked no part of the story from beginning to end and nothing g in between

Okay, not his best story

Maybe it was rushed. I liked the performance and there were parts of the story that worked well, but… there were too many long drug out parts that almost had me stop listening. It is worth the listen, just not his best work.