– Focuses on the creation of codes and ciphers. It details various encryption steps, including simple and polygraphic substitution, linear substitution, transposition, and polyalphabetic systems.
: Reviewers frequently cite it as "the best single book on cryptology today". Bauer, a renowned German professor, offers unique insights—such as how specific American ciphers were compromised in WWII—that might be sensitive for US or UK-based authors to publish. Decrypted Secrets
Ideal as a classic reference work and supplementary text for university-level courses. – Focuses on the creation of codes and ciphers
as a first book. It assumes a "mathematical mindset" and familiarity with pure math terminology that may be inaccessible to casual readers. Researchers It assumes a "mathematical mindset" and familiarity with
: The text is "spiced" with historical anecdotes and personal stories, particularly focusing on the first half of the 20th century.
Decrypted Secrets: Methods and Maxims of Cryptology - Amazon UK
The book is systematically divided into two primary sections that cover the dual nature of the "secret science":