A sweeping; in-depth history of NSA; whose famous “cult of silence†has left the agency shrouded in mystery for decades The National Security Agency was born out of the legendary codebreaking programs of World War II that cracked the famed Enigma machine and other German and Japanese codes; thereby turning the tide of Allied victory. In the postwar years; as the United States developed a new enemy in the Soviet Union; our intelligence community found itself targeting not soldiers on the battlefield; but suspected spies; foreign leaders; and even American citizens. Throughout the second half of the twentieth century; NSA played a vital; often fraught and controversial role in the major events of the Cold War; from the Korean War to the Cuban Missile Crisis to Vietnam and beyond. In Code Warriors; Stephen Budiansky—a longtime expert in cryptology—tells the fascinating story of how NSA came to be; from its roots in World War II through the fall of the Berlin Wall. Along the way; he guides us through the fascinating challenges faced by cryptanalysts; and how they broke some of the most complicated codes of the twentieth century. With access to new documents; Budiansky shows where the agency succeeded and failed during the Cold War; but his account also offers crucial perspective for assessing NSA today in the wake of the Edward Snowden revelations. Budiansky shows how NSA’s obsession with recording every bit of data and decoding every signal is far from a new development; throughout its history the depth and breadth of the agency’s reach has resulted in both remarkable successes and destructive failures. Featuring a series of appendixes that explain the technical details of Soviet codes and how they were broken; this is a rich and riveting history of the underbelly of the Cold War; and an essential and timely read for all who seek to understand the origins of the modern NSA.
#260389 in Books 1953-11-09 1990-08-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.00 x 1.00 x 5.20l; .77 #File Name: 0385044518448 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. First book in a Trilogy: Focused on McClellan; stops with Battle of AntietamBy F. MoyerIt’s common knowledge that the North had a huge advantage in both material and manpower -- and that; early on; the North’s lack of effective military leadership negated those advantages. “Mr Lincoln’s Army†details the North’s leadership issues and also explains how they resulted in prolonging the war (and the suffering) for years – and yet also how they ultimately set the stage for complete abolition throughout all of the United States.The Battle of Antietam (which the author deemed a psychological turning point in the war for both the Northerners and Southerners) is very well covered. But with the battle’s many participants and wide scope (and without the book having any maps or list-of-commanders); it’s not simple for the reader to follow the overall flow of that battle. Of course; for the soldiers fighting in that battle; the same was true.Well written. Sometimes depressing (due to all the carnage). Was left with a feeling of incompleteness (as only the first-of-a-trilogy).0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A great read for Civil War buffsBy William DunnuckAbsolutely love Catton's book on the Civil War. Had little idea of what the title meant until the last pages. A very stirring account of the longest year of the multi year struggle. This will give readers a close look at how valuable General Phillip Sheridan was to General Grant. An excellent book written by the master. He puts you right into the conflict.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A must read if you'e a civil war buffBy OldshepNice transition from Vol 2. Right amount of detail of major battles without too much detail. Good explanation of the Copperheads and the harm they did. I especially liked how Mr. Catton detailed the transition of the army to a hardened group who knew what they were fighting for and were in it for Victory- not glory. I enjoyed the explanations of the hospital and the logistics systems. Good explanation of the union generals and all they chances they missed for ending the war sooner;
