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 found this book enthralling. Such driven characters who worked in secrecy and without much recognition yet saving the lives of thousands of soldiers during the World Wars and bringing many major criminals to justice. I found it intriguing that their persistent obsession with code breaking had significant effects on shortening the war and makes me think how many of us would not be here now if it wasn’t for them. It was sad that they never had the recognition they deserved, which no doubt they would have humbly declined, nor any great financial reward for their contribution. I found the book totally engaging and fascinating.
A well researched and written book on a pioneer code breaker starting in WW I and continuing with rum runners, smugglers and WW II.
This true story of a woman who was a top code breaker before and during WW II is well written and very intetesting. She was not really given credit for her work, rather credit was given to her husband. Women were not recognized in that field, so it’s a timely read.
History in action, in a time not for women. Fascinating.
An inside look at codebreaking with a pencil and paper! The truer story of WWII codes and how the search for their solutions played out in the United States.
It is a little tedious at times and gets bogged down. An interesting read if you persevere
This book is detailed, and intricate. A fascinating account of facts, and courage that don’t often come to light. Codes, coders, and systems that are not up for discussion. Appalling, and amazing accounts of secret agencies that don’t even share information with each other. Pay attention.
Interested in women in tech that history has forgotten about? Read this one. All about the amazing woman who helped invent modern code breaking.
A nicely done piece of forgotten history
Thorough and balanced insight into overlooked and fascinating history.
I’m primarily a novel reader but found this non-fiction story fascinating.
This book was a great motivator by sharing the work and life of an illustrious women in US history, a woman I had never heard mentioned. Mrs. Friedman certainly left her mark and aided the WW II war efforts with incredible feats that paralleled those at Bletchley Park. The cryptographic codes and samples that were illustrated were interesting to try to solve.
This was a biography written with excellent prose. It read like a novel, except real happenings and people.
I couldn’t put it down. It was a real life story involving a couple and their fascinating lives.
Learning more about women who excelled in organizations that were almost exclusively male dominated is very inspirational particularly at this time in our country’s history! Not only were they immensely qualified, they were also incredibly courageous!
I liked this book very much. It is detailed which makes it a slower read, but was so interesting! It would be a great book for anyone who likes true stories, and history, particularly set in the WWII era.
A remarkable story!
Blew my socks off.
Women rule!!
A phenomenal story about the life and career of Elizebeth Friedman, from WWI forward. Most people know of her husband, Bill, also a code breaker and the first director of the NSA. Elizebeth had an amazing career of her own and made significant contributions to US history as a code breaker during WWI, Prohibition, and WWII. I listened to the audio version and really enjoyed it; however, there were coding references that the reader should have looked at in the text. Incredible story.