The Code Book
by Simon Singh
★ Top 25 book of 1999 · #14 on Best Books of 1999
Singh traces the story of encryption and how secret codes have shaped wars, nations, and individual lives, from Mary, Queen of Scots to the Navajo Code Talkers. Clear explanations and vivid portraits of codemakers and codebreakers accompany the narrative.
Best for: Curious readers who enjoy history, mathematics, and the hidden world of secrecy
The Code Book is #14 on BookWard's Best Books of 1999, out of 52 1999 books that cleared our data bar.
What The Code Book is about
Simon Singh tells the story of secret writing and its evolution. He shows how codes have shaped wars, governments and ordinary lives. Mary, Queen of Scots is undone by her own cipher, while the Navajo Code Talkers help the Allies in World War II. Singh also explains a surprisingly simple logistical idea that made Internet commerce secure.
He treats secrecy as perhaps the most powerful intellectual weapon ever devised, and he brings in the people who made and broke the hardest codes. The mathematical explanations are clear enough for a curious non-specialist. It will suit anyone who likes history, puzzles or popular science, and anyone who has wondered how private their e-mail really is.
The Code Book on the Best Books of 1999
The Code Book came out in 1999. Of the 52 books first published in 1999 that met BookWard's data bar, it ranks #14 on our Best Books of 1999 list.
Why it made the list: 376 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.1 out of 5 (43 ratings). The list ranks each year’s books on how many readers have picked them up, how highly readers rate them, and how many are reading them right now.
Nearby on the 1999 list
- Stardust Neil Gaiman, #12
- Artemis Fowl Eoin Colfer, #13
- Monster Walter Dean Myers, #15
- Hearts in Atlantis Stephen King, #16
See all Best Books of 1999 Best books by year
More years: Best Books of 1998 Best Books of 2000.
The numbers behind it
- Readers: 308 want to read it, 13 are reading it now and 55 have read it, according to Open Library.
- Ratings: 4.1 out of 5 from 43 Open Library ratings.
| Signal | This book (0 to 100) | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | 65 | 55% |
| Reader love | 75 | 25% |
| Being read right now | 56 | 20% |
Questions about The Code Book
When was The Code Book published?
The Code Book by Simon Singh was first published in 1999.
Was The Code Book one of the best books of 1999?
The Code Book is #14 on BookWard's Best Books of 1999, out of 52 1999 books that cleared our data bar. 376 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.1 out of 5 (43 ratings).
Why is The Code Book on the Best Books of 1999 list?
376 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.1 out of 5 (43 ratings).
More of the best books of 1999
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban J. K. Rowling, #1
- The Perks of Being a Wallflower Stephen Chbosky, #2
- Wings of Fire A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, #3
- On Writing Stephen King, #4
- The Bad Beginning Lemony Snicket, #5
- The Coldest Winter Ever Sister Souljah, #6
See the full Best Books of 1999, the Top 100, or new books on Rising.
How we know
This page uses public data: Open Library reader counts and ratings, and Wikipedia page views for recent years. The description is paraphrased from real source text. Rankings reflect reading interest, not quality or sales, and can be affected by data gaps. Lists update monthly.
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