Mysterious Messages

Mysterious Messages: a History of Codes and Ciphers

by Gary Blackwood
Dutton Children’s Books (2009)

 

Summary:
This book will appeal to math enthusiasts and history buffs alike. Gary Blackwood shows how codes and ciphers have been used from 1500 BCE to the present. He relates fascinating anecdotes of encoded messages that changed history. The book includes descriptions of different kinds of ciphers, deciphering tables, directions for building deciphering devices and instructions on how to break ciphers and codes.
 
Interesting Tidbit That I Learned:
Throughout history, people have been drawn to the romantic appeal of creating or solving an “unbreakable” code, but in reality, most ciphers are merely delaying tactics. Military codes and ciphers, for example, should remain secure until the attack has been initiated. After that, there is no secret to protect. In today’s world, where super-computers rapidly perform complicated calculations, an encryption needs to remain secure long enough for the information to be transmitted and retrieved, then the cipher is changed.
 
Recommendation:
Get this book for all the curious kids you know.
 
Links:
Review at The Bookbag
Interview with Gary Blackwood