The Codebreakers The Comprehensive History of Secret Communication from Ancient Times to the Internet
Language: English
Published by Scribner, Q5, 1996
- Hardcover
- Used

Seller: Last Exit Books, Charlottesville, VA, U.S.A.Last Exit Books
AbeBooks seller since December 6, 2005
Condition: Used
£ 30.83
Quantity: 1 available
Add to basketItem description from seller
Hardcover. 8vo. Charles A. Scribners, New York. 1996. 1200 pgs. Illustrated with black and white photo plates. Revised Edition. DJ has light shelf-wear present to the DJ extremities. Bound in 1/2 cloth boards with titles present to the spine. No ownership marks present. Text is clean and free of marks, binding tight and solid, boards clean with no wear present. The magnificent, unrivaled history of codes and ciphershow they're made, how they're broken, and the many and fascinating roles they've played since the dawn of civilization in war, business, diplomacy, and espionage. Man has created codes to keep secrets and has broken codes to learn those secrets since the time of the Pharaohs. For 4,000 years, fierce battles have been waged between codemakers and codebreakers, and the story of these battles is civilization's secret history, the hidden account of how wars were won and lost, diplomatic intrigues foiled, business secrets stolen, governments ruined, computers hacked. From the XYZ Affair to the Dreyfus Affair, from the Gallic War to the Persian Gulf, from Druidic runes and the kaballah to outer space, from the Zimmermann telegram to Enigma to the Manhattan Project, codebreaking has shaped the course of human events to an extent beyond any easy reckoning. Once a government monopoly, cryptology today touches everybody. It secures the Internet, keeps e-mail private, maintains the integrity of cash machine transactions, and scrambles TV signals on unpaid-for channels. David Kahn's The Codebreakers takes the measure of what codes and codebreaking have meant in human history in a single comprehensive account, astonishing in its scope and enthralling in its execution. Hailed upon first publication as a book likely to become the definitive work of its kind, The Codebreakers has more than lived up to that prediction: it remains unsurpassed. The Codebreakers is the skeleton key to a thousand thrilling true stories of intrigue, mystery, and adventure. It is a masterpiece of the historian's art. ; 6.125 X 2.4 X 9.25 inches; 1200 pages.…
Seller Inventory # 72594
- Title
- The Codebreakers The Comprehensive History of Secret Communication from Ancient Times to the Internet
- Author
- Kahn, David
- Publisher
- Scribner, Q5
- Publication year
- 1996
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Language
- English
- ISBN 10
- 0684831309
- ISBN 13
- 9780684831305
Man has created codes to keep secrets and has broken codes to learn those secrets since the time of the Pharaohs. For 4,000 years, fierce battles have been waged between codemakers and codebreakers, and the story of these battles is civilization's secret history, the hidden account of how wars were won and lost, diplomatic intrigues foiled, business secrets stolen, governments ruined, computers hacked. From the XYZ Affair to the Dreyfus Affair, from the Gallic War to the Persian Gulf, from Druidic runes and the kaballah to outer space, from the Zimmermann telegram to Enigma to the Manhattan Project, codebreaking has shaped the course of human events to an extent beyond any easy reckoning. Once a government monopoly, cryptology today touches everybody. It secures the Internet, keeps e-mail private, maintains the integrity of cash machine transactions, and scrambles TV signals on unpaid-for channels. David Kahn's The Codebreakers takes the measure of what codes and codebreaking have meant in human history in a single comprehensive account, astonishing in its scope and enthralling in its execution. Hailed upon first publication as a book likely to become the definitive work of its kind, The Codebreakers has more than lived up to that prediction: it remains unsurpassed. With a brilliant new chapter that makes use of previously classified documents to bring the book thoroughly up to date, and to explore the myriad ways computer codes and their hackers are changing all of our lives, The Codebreakers is the skeleton key to a thousand thrilling true stories of intrigue, mystery, and adventure. It is a masterpiece of the historian's art.
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About the Author
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Last Exit Books
Charlottesville, VA, U.S.A.
AbeBooks seller since December 6, 2005
Shipping rates within U.S.A.
| Item | 5 to 14 business days | 3 to 6 business days |
|---|---|---|
| First item | £ 5.24 | £ 10.49 |
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I have been selling books for more than 20 years. I am a specialist in out of print and rare academic titles, art, history, military history and what I like to loosely describe as "Old and Interesting." Here is a helpful list of book terms that I use: Terms for Describing Condition These terms apply to books, dust jackets and magazines. As New is when the book is in the same immaculate condition in which it was published. There are no defects and the dust jacket, if issued with one, is perfect. Fine approaches the condition of "As New," but without being crisp. There may be minor defects, which are noted. Very Good describes a book that does show some small signs of wear but no tears on either binding or paper. Any defects are noted. Good describes the average used and worn book that has all pages or leaves present. All defects are noted. Fair is a well-worn book that has complete text pages but may lack endpapers, half title page, etc. All defects are noted. Poor describes a book that is sufficiently worn so that its only merit is as a reading copy. This book may be soiled, scuffed, stained or spotted and may have loose joints, hinges, pages, etc. All defects are noted. Ex-library books are always noted as such regardless of condition. Book Club Editions (BCE) are always noted as such regardless of condition. Boards are the actual hardcover material of the cover, front and back. Bookplate is usually a square illustrated sticker on which an owner writes his or her name, or on which the author has signed his or her name. Bumped refers to the bent or rounded corners of the boards. Browning or tanning refers to brown or tan looking pages or page edges that appear in some older books. Chip is a tiny piece missing from the edge of the dust jacket. Closed tear is a tiny rip in the dust jacket, but no material is missing (as in a chip). It can be "shut" and protected from further tearing with a Mylar cover. Cocked means the book is no longer square. If laid down, the book appears to be pushed (slanted) forward or backward from the spine. Creasing is where the dust jacket or pages have been bent, and then returned to its original state. Dampstain is a tan or gray stain resulting from water or other liquid damage. End papers or pastedowns are the sheets of paper pasted onto the inner covers, joining the book block to the covers. One side of the sheet is pasted to the inside cover, the other is left free (see FFEP). FFEP stands for front free-endpaper. This is the first page of any book. Though usually blank, it is a common place for an inscription. Foxing is the term used for the rust colored spots which occur on paper. This is the result of oxidation of both organic and iron impurities left behind during the paper making process. Front, top or bottom edge: These are the outside page edges. Loose is what happens to a book which has been read several times. The cover easily flaps open and the pages do not return to a tight condition. Heal or tail is the bottom of the spine. Head is the top of the spine. Mass-Market paperback is the most common paperback book, about four inches wide and seven inches high. Seen most often as "popular" fiction, science fiction and romance books. Mylar cover is the clear film that most fine bookshops use to cover and protect the dust jackets. Spine separation occurs at the head (top) of the spine where the fingers grab and pull the book from the shelf. After repeated pulling, the glue holding the outer spine board to the inner binding separates. Sunned is the fading of paper or binding as a result of sun exposure. Trade paperback is a softcover book which is generally large in size and made of better quality materials than a Mass-Market paperback. Wraps are the outer covers of a softcover (paperback) book or pamphlet.…
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Modern First Editions, Military History, Natural History, Anthropology, Art, Literature, History, Archaeology, Design, JudaicaSeller's business information
Last Exit Books
VA, U.S.A.
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You have the right to withdraw from this contract within 14 days without giving any reason.
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