Codes, Ciphers and Secret Writing"A fascinating, challenging book."―"A.L.A. Booklist "Learn to use the most important codes and methods of secret communication in use since ancient times. Cipher and decipher codes used by spies. Explore the famous codes that changed the fate of nations and political leaders. And enjoy hours of fun experimenting with cryptography―the science of secret writing. Beginning with simple letter substitutions and transposition ciphers, world-famous science writer Martin Gardner explains how to break complicated polyalphabetical ciphers and codes worked with grids, squares, triangles, and charts. You'll learn codes that are keyed to typewriters and telephone dials . . . even codes that use playing cards, knots, and swizzle sticks. Experiment with invisible writing―inks that glow in black light and turn red under heat―and explore the possibilities of sending messages through outer space to unknown worlds. Using this book, you can solve the historically famous Playfair Cipher used by Australia in World War II, the Pigpen Cipher used by Confederate soldiers during the Civil War, Thomas Jefferson's Wheel Cipher, the Beaufort system used by the British Royal Navy, codes devised by authors for heroes in literature―Sherlock Holmes, Captain Kidd, and the Shadow. And you will enjoy experimenting with bizarre methods of message sending―the Dot Code, Knot Code, Swizzle Code, and more. Young cryptanalysts, cipher fans, and puzzlists of all ages will find hours of intrigue and challenge in "Codes, Ciphers and Secret Writing. ""A stimulating must for the intermediate cryptographer."―"The Kirkus Reviews "Unabridged Dover (1984) republication of the work originally published by Simon & Schuster, 1972. |
Contents
Introduction | 7 |
Easy Substitution Ciphers | 21 |
How to Break Substitution Ciphers 335 | 35 |
Hardtobreak Polyalphabetic Ciphers | 43 |
Simple Code Machines | 53 |
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Common terms and phrases
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Alberti Disk alphabet key beeps blacklight cardboard triangle cells cipher alphabets cipher harder cipher text clockwise Codebreakers coded message column cryptanalysts cryptogram cryptography David Kahn digits dots edge encoding and decoding extra symbol four positions harder to crack history of cryptography invented invisible ink Karl Fulves key number key word left to right MAGIC Martians Martin Gardner matrix method nine letters original message pair of letters pattern word pencil picture planet Playfair cipher plow path polyalphabetic PRACTICE RIDDLE printing procedure radio rail fence cipher rotating scrambled Scytale secret writing SELF-WORKING sheet of paper shift cipher shown simple six letters solving spiral strip substitution cipher Swizzle Stick Theodore Annemann transposition cipher tube turn typewriter paper Write the alphabet written Zetans