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The Woman Who Smashed Codes

a True Story of Love, Spies, and the Unlikely Heroine Who Outwitted America's Enemies
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Nov 11, 2017knitter2248 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
What an eye opener. So little has been published about our skilled cryptanalysts, mostly because they were never allowed to share any information about their roles in code breaking, but also because Hoover claimed all of their successes as having been done by the FBI. The book centers around Elizabeth Smith Friedman, along with her husband William, a pioneer in the field, who's career started in WW I, through the Prohibition era, then greatly expanded in WW II. She broke the Enigma machine, possibly ahead of Britain's Bletchley Park..You'll also learn about Germany's South American plans and the spies they had hidden there. The coverage of WW II is missing a bit, because it took Fagone two years to discover the FBI cover up. I'd like to know more and hope the upcoming book, "Code Girls" will fill in some of the details. Highly recommended.