Kings, generals, and rulers of every age rely on 'encrypted' communication for the secure governance of countries and the effective administration of armies. All of them are acutely aware of what it means for messages to fall into the wrong hands . . .

Codes and Secrets deals with the eternal duel between those who invent codes and those who break them. It is a war that employs weapons from many sciences and mobilizes means that require the latest technological advancements. From mathematics to linguistics and from information theory to quantum physics, methods for breaching or securing confidentiality are sought.

As information has evolved into a highly valuable commodity and the revolution in communications has the power to change societies, it is clear that the game between 'code-makers' and 'code-breakers' is a fight to the bitter end. The historical evolution of codes and their social implications raises questions more relevant today than ever: will societies choose the protection of private privacy or more effective police control? Or is there a compromise solution?

This book attempts to predict the outcome of an open game with unpredictable consequences and finally . . .

[Excerpt from the text on the back cover of the edition]