The Reader of Gentlemen's Mail: and the Birth of American Codebreaking

David Khan

ISBN 10: 0300098464 / ISBN 13: 9780300098464

Published by Yale University Press,, New Haven and London, 2004

About this Item

First edition and printing. Ex library book. Only signs of previous use is stamp on title page with 'Withdrawn From Library Collection' on title page with 'Calcasieu Parish Public Library Lake Charles, Louisiana 70601' and stamp on top cut edge. In fine black cloth boards, silver titles to back strip. The covers are very clean, tight and straight. Very white end papers and cut edges. The book block is tightly bound, square and very clean and in fine condition. No inscriptions or annotations etc. In near fine dust jacket with head of author on photo to front, black and white titles. The covers are very clean, slight edge-wear. Not price clipped.

Seller Inventory # 56141

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Reader of Gentlemen's Mail: and the Birth of American Codebreaking
• Publisher: Yale University Press,, New Haven and London
• Publication Date: 2004
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0300098464
• ISBN 13: 9780300098464
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Condition: Fine
• Dust Jacket Condition: Near Fine

About this title

Synopsis

One of the most colourful and controversial figures in American intelligence, Herbert O. Yardley (1889-1958) gave America its best form of information, but his fame rests more on his indiscretions than on his achievements. In this highly readable biography, a premier historian of military intelligence tells Yardley's story and evaluates his impact on the American intelligence community. Yardley established the nation's first codebreaking agency in 1917, and his solutions helped the United States win a major diplomatic victory at the 1921 disarmament conference. But when his unit was closed in 1929 because "gentlemen do not read each other's mail", Yardley wrote a best-selling memoir that introduced - and disclosed - codemaking and codebreaking to the public. David Kahn describes the vicissitudes of Yardley's career, including his work in China and Canada, offers a capsule history of American intelligence up to World War I, and gives a short course in classical codes and ciphers. He debunks the accusations that the publication of Yardley's book caused Japan to change its codes and ciphers and that Yardley traitorously sold his solutions to Japan.

About the Author

David Kahn is author of the best-selling The Codebreakers: The Story of Secret Writing, Hitler's Spies: German Military Intelligence in World War II, Seizing the Enigma: The Race to Beat the German U-Boat Codes, and Kahn on Codes: Secrets of the New Cryptology.