
Unsolved!
The History and Mystery of the World's Greatest Ciphers from Ancient Egypt to Online Secret Societies
- 624 pages
- English
- PDF
- Available on iOS & Android
Unsolved!
The History and Mystery of the World's Greatest Ciphers from Ancient Egypt to Online Secret Societies
About this book
Watch Craig Bauer discuss the Zodiac Killer's cipher on HISTORY's new miniseries The Hunt for the Zodiac Killer
In 1953, a man was found dead from cyanide poisoning near the Philadelphia airport with a picture of a Nazi aircraft in his wallet. Taped to his abdomen was an enciphered message. In 1912, a book dealer named Wilfrid Voynich came into possession of an illuminated cipher manuscript once belonging to Emperor Rudolf II, who was obsessed with alchemy and the occult. Wartime codebreakers triedâand failedâto unlock the book's secrets, and it remains an enigma to this day. In this lively and entertaining book, Craig Bauer examines these and other vexing ciphers yet to be cracked. Some may reveal the identity of a spy or serial killer, provide the location of buried treasure, or expose a secret societyâwhile others may be elaborate hoaxes.
Unsolved! begins by explaining the basics of cryptology, and then explores the history behind an array of unsolved ciphers. It looks at ancient ciphers, ciphers created by artists and composers, ciphers left by killers and victims, Cold War ciphers, and many others. Some are infamous, like the ciphers in the Zodiac letters, while others were created purely as intellectual challenges by figures such as Nobel Prizeâwinning physicist Richard P. Feynman. Bauer lays out the evidence surrounding each cipher, describes the efforts of geniuses and eccentricsâin some cases bothâto decipher it, and invites readers to try their hand at puzzles that have stymied so many others.
Unsolved! takes readers from the ancient world to the digital age, providing an amazing tour of many of history's greatest unsolved ciphers.
Frequently asked questions
- Essential is ideal for learners and professionals who enjoy exploring a wide range of subjects. Access the Essential Library with 800,000+ trusted titles and best-sellers across business, personal growth, and the humanities. Includes unlimited reading time and Standard Read Aloud voice.
- Complete: Perfect for advanced learners and researchers needing full, unrestricted access. Unlock 1.4M+ books across hundreds of subjects, including academic and specialized titles. The Complete Plan also includes advanced features like Premium Read Aloud and Research Assistant.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app.
Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- Title
- Copyright
- Dedication
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- CHAPTER 1 A Kingâs Quest
- CHAPTER 2 Ancient Ciphers
- CHAPTER 3 Dorabella
- CHAPTER 4 Zodiac
- CHAPTER 5 More Killer Ciphers
- CHAPTER 6 From the Victims
- CHAPTER 7 From Beyond the Grave?
- CHAPTER 8 A Challenge Cipher
- CHAPTER 9 More Challenge Ciphers
- CHAPTER 10 Long Ciphers
- CHAPTER 11 ET and RSA
- Notes
- References and Further Reading
- Photo and Illustration Credits
- Index