National Bestseller
NPR Best Book of the Year
“Not all superheroes wear capes, and Elizebeth Smith Friedman should be the subject of a future Wonder Woman movie.” —The New York Times
Joining the ranks of Hidden Figures and In the Garden of Beasts, the incredible true story of the greatest codebreaking duo that ever lived, an American woman and her husband who invented the modern science of … codebreaking duo that ever lived, an American woman and her husband who invented the modern science of cryptology together and used it to confront the evils of their time, solving puzzles that unmasked Nazi spies and helped win World War II.
In 1916, at the height of World War I, brilliant Shakespeare expert Elizebeth Smith went to work for an eccentric tycoon on his estate outside Chicago. The tycoon had close ties to the U.S. government, and he soon asked Elizebeth to apply her language skills to an exciting new venture: code-breaking. There she met the man who would become her husband, groundbreaking cryptologist William Friedman. Though she and Friedman are in many ways the “Adam and Eve” of the NSA, Elizebeth’s story, incredibly, has never been told.
In The Woman Who Smashed Codes, Jason Fagone chronicles the life of this extraordinary woman, who played an integral role in our nation’s history for forty years. After World War I, Smith used her talents to catch gangsters and smugglers during Prohibition, then accepted a covert mission to discover and expose Nazi spy rings that were spreading like wildfire across South America, advancing ever closer to the United States. As World War II raged, Elizebeth fought a highly classified battle of wits against Hitler’s Reich, cracking multiple versions of the Enigma machine used by German spies. Meanwhile, inside an Army vault in Washington, William worked furiously to break Purple, the Japanese version of Enigma—and eventually succeeded, at a terrible cost to his personal life.
Fagone unveils America’s code-breaking history through the prism of Smith’s life, bringing into focus the unforgettable events and colorful personalities that would help shape modern intelligence. Blending the lively pace and compelling detail that are the hallmarks of Erik Larson’s bestsellers with the atmosphere and intensity of The Imitation Game, The Woman Who Smashed Codes is page-turning popular history at its finest.
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I really liked the way the author presented his research, I felt like he presented the cryptography information in a way that I could grasp without making it too simple.
An amazing introduction to the woman (and her husband) who invented modern cryptography.
Great story, learned so much.
Who broke the codes of the Nazis and the Japanese during WW ll, one man and his wife are the stars of this unique part of American history. Read it is fascinating.
Very interesting read. For a history it read like a novel and kept my interest throughout.
Great story and historically accurate! Characters were intriguing; the heroine was very smart and dedicated to her craft and it’s impact on world events.
Untold history of an amazing woman
Similar to Hidden Figures, the unsung story of black female mathematicians working for NASA, this book tells the story of Elizebeth Fleischman and her contribution to code breaking from World War I through the 1950’s. Working sometimes with her husband, and eventually training and leading her own team of code. Readers, Elizebeth Cracked the most difficult and critical secrets of World War II including several enigma machine codes. The book describes her code breaking of Nazi messages in South America,which led to the capture important spies. The limelight grabbing actions of J Edgar Hoover show partly why the cclassified achievements of both husband and wife were rarely recognized . A good book for people who large interested in the back story behind espionage.
It was fascinating and at the same very informative about the world of code breaking. It was also sad and yet expected how the role of women has been hidden for so many years.
A fascinating story – I hadn’t known of the Friedmans, I hadn’t known of the various code projects in the U.S. It was amazing to read the history in the book, tying together bits and pieces of events we all learn about in school, but… really don’t understand. I highly recommend this book!
Far more readable than Hidden Figures, which I couldn’t get through. It’s inspirational to see this woman’s accomplishments were respected in a time when women weren’t thought to be smart enough to do exactly what she did so naturally. Great read.
A self-effacing woman who helped save the world. Her story deserves to be told, especially now. Vital link in making the world a safer and better place, yet never publicly credited by history. Every feminist and scientist and military buff neewds to know this factual story of someone motivated to do the right thing.
Excellent history that reads like a novel. Many new found code secrets. It should certainly be made into a movie.
I was unaware of the code breaking that went on in the United States during WWI, Prohibition and WWII. Also did not realize how much South American countries were involved with the Nazis. Most of all I had no idea what a huge role Elizebeth and William Friedman had in breaking these codes in America and setting up all the bases for modern day code breaking – even pertaining to computers. This now comes out due to the Freedom of Information Act. But also Elizebeth Friedman was a very humble, yet brilliant woman had to sign a non-disclosure contract that prevented her from ever speaking of her role in much of her work. Incredibly, the head of the FBI, J Edgar Hoover took credit for much for it! This book is fascinating and for a person who much prefers fiction over non-fiction to say I highly recommend this book is giving it the highest praise.
Elizebeth Friedman is a true heroine of freedom. She not only cracked codes, including the German Enigma machine, but kept her husband, William Friedman working and efficient during times that would try anyone’s sanity. It was a privilege to learn of her. This book brings her to life and uncovers much of her many contributions.
I love reading about smart women!
I enjoyed learning more about WW II—how wonderful our government can be…not! The FBI under Hoover. About Nazis in South America. Mostly about the talented gracious people that helped fight and helped us win the war.
More and more we are learning about here-to-for contributions attributed to men that were actually made by women. This book shows that it was true also for American code breaking before, during, and after WWII. Great read.
So much history I did not know of the Nazi
expansion in South America during those
war years. The Friedman’s were unbelievable
In their dedication
Fascinating to read about an unknown woman finally
getting credit for her work.