The Code Book

The Science of Secrecy from Ancient Egypt to Quantum Cryptography

De: Simon Singh

Narrado por: Patty Nieman

In his first book since the bestselling Fermat's Enigma, Simon Singh offers the first sweeping history of encryption, tracing its evolution and revealing the dramatic effects codes have had on wars, nations, and individual lives. From Mary, Queen of Scots, trapped by her own code, to the Navajo Code Talkers who helped the Allies win World War II, to the incredible (and incredibly simple) logisitical breakthrough that made Internet commerce secure, The Code Book tells the story of the most powerful intellectual weapon ever known: secrecy.

Throughout the text are clear technical and mathematical explanations, and portraits of the remarkable personalities who wrote and broke the world's most difficult codes. Accessible, compelling, and remarkably far-reaching, this book will forever alter your view of history and what drives it. It will also make you wonder how private that e-mail you just sent really is.

Reseñas de la Crítica

Praise for Fermat's Enigma by Simon Singh:

"Vividly recounted...I strongly recommend this book to anyone wishing to catch a glimpse of what is one of the most important and ill-understood, but oldest, cultural activities of humanity...an excellent and very worthwhile account of one of the most dramatic and moving events of the century."
--Roger Penrose, The New York Times Book Review

"How great a riddle was Fermat's 'last theorem'? The exploration of space, the splitting of the atom, the discovery of DNA--unthinkable in Fermat's time--all were achieved while his Pythagorean proof still remained elusive...Though [Singh] may not ask us to bring too much algebra to the table, he does expect us to appreciate a good detective story."
--The Boston Sunday Globe

"It is hard to imagine a more informative or gripping account of...this centuries-long drama of ingenious failures, crushed hopes, fatal duels, and suicides."
--The Wall Street Journal

"[Singh] writes with graceful knowledgeability of the esoteric and esthetic appeal of mathematics through the ages, and especially of the mystifying behavior of numbers."
--The New York Times

"[Singh] has done an admirable job with an extremely difficult subject. He has also done mathematics a great service by conveying the passion and drama that have carried Fermat's Last Theorem aloft as the most celebrated mathematics problem of the last four centuries."
--American Mathematical Society

"The amazing achievement of Singh's book is that it actually makes the logic of the modern proof understandable to the nonspecialist...More important, Singh shows why it is significant that this problem should have been solved."
--The Christian Science Monitor

clarity

The book is very clear, yet very through.... great book. The narration is very good

An Intriguing History Lesson on the Field of Cryptography!

This book is a fascinating exploration of the history and practice of cryptography, the art and science of securing information. I chose to read it because I wanted to learn more about how cryptography has evolved over time and how it is used in various fields and applications.
One of the most intriguing aspects of the book is how it shows the dynamic relationship between cryptographers and cryptoanalysts, who are both experts in breaking codes but have different perspectives and goals. The book describes how they often communicate with each other through puzzles, challenges, and games, creating a fascinating dialogue that reveals their personalities and motivations.
The book helped me understand how secrecy is essential for protecting national security, diplomatic relations, and personal privacy. It also showed me how cryptography can be used for both good and evil purposes, depending on who is using it and why. The book made me appreciate the complexity and diversity of cryptography as a discipline that has many implications for our society.
In conclusion, this book was a great introduction to cryptography for beginners as well as an enjoyable read for anyone interested in history, culture, or mystery. I learned a lot from reading this book and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to discover more about this fascinating topic.

huge concepts explained accessibly to any enthusiast

I really really loved this book and how it explained the innerworkings of the developments in cryptography without going overboard in details of math. The narrator did a good job in tone and I just appreciated every chapter.

D jrrg errn rq frghv << you can break this

A very informative read about the history of codes and cryptography through the ages. It delivers on exactly what it promises in a well explained and organized manner. It is part history and part explanations of techniques, I'd say 3/4 vs. 1/4 respectively.
Published in 1999 this book is getting a bit old but it is still remarkably current with a surprisingly good section devoted to quantum cryptography. (I hadn’t realized how far it had been developed back in 1999)

From Early Ciphers to the Foundations of Digital Security: The Enduring Relevance of The Code Book

Equal parts thrilling narrative, intellectual history, and accessible deep dive into one of the most transformative ideas in human civilization, the Code Book takes what could easily be an intimidating subject and turns it into a captivating journey through time, showing how our desire to communicate securely has shaped wars, politics, science, and ultimately the digital world we live in today.

Singh traces the evolution of cryptography from simple substitution ciphers and ingenious manual codes to the increasingly complex systems that defined global conflict, diplomatic strategy, and scientific discovery. By the time the narrative reaches modern cryptography—public-key encryption, RSA, quantum challenges—you’ll gain insight into how cryptography became the invisible infrastructure of the 21st century. Our phones, bank accounts, online identities, secure communications, and even the backbone of the internet itself all exist because of the mathematical breakthroughs Singh brings to life.

Whether you’re a technologist, a history buff, or simply someone who appreciates a brilliantly told story, the Code Book is an essential reading that deepens your appreciation not only for the codes and ciphers themselves, but also the brilliant, persistent minds who pushed the boundaries of secrecy and security across generations. Singh makes the evolution of cryptography feel both inevitable and miraculous, and you walk away with a profound understanding of how something so ancient became the backbone of modern technology.