Customer Reviews

Military Cryptanalysis: Transposition and Fractionating Systems (Cryptographic Series)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Although not a current text, the content is absolutely the best way to learn the basics of Substitution cipher solving including polyalphabetic. I've found none better and I've read almost all of them.

All 4 volumes of Military Cryptanalysis are available for free download in pdf format at the NSA dot gov web site.


Volume names are:

mil_crypt_I.pdf
mil_crypt_II.pdf
mil_crypt_III.pdf
mil_crypt_IV.pdf

i have been looking for this for years. i had a copy when i was in USMC but it was classified. it is gratifing to know how much i remember.

A wonderful text and I appreciate having it available, even in this format. Unfortunately my copy has several pages missing (32-33, 90-91, 106, 136 and 138). I tried the [...] website to see if they might supply the omissions, but it seems to be defunct. The tiny text and poor quality control detract from an otherwise fun experience.

Although I've just begun this first part of Friedman's instructional material, I admit I like it and have no complaint about the content, including the editing and page layout, both of which seem to be quite good.

However, you may have noticed that the book's description indicates it has 76 pages. Please note that the original book has 142 pages, plus a few unnumbered pages, and in this edition nothing seems to have been omitted. This miracle is accomplished by reducing the size of most pages so that a verso-recto spread (left/right pages) is reproduced across the middle of each 8.5x11in. page in the final product. I estimate that the original pages were probably reduced to 50% from their likely original size of 7.25x9.5in. With good lighting, I can read the text without much trouble. All reproductions here show a screen pattern in the printing, which reduces sharpness a bit.

As a practical matter, therefore, I recommend that those who plan to buy more than one volume of this four-volume series and who think they may have problems with reading it consider trying just one volume first.

By the way, it was in recently reading Stephen Budiansky's "Battle of Wits ..." that I learned something of the history of Friedman's work. That's why I found and ordered this book, which not only presents its subject well but also provides additional insight into the efforts of the early 20th C. to deal with alphabetic ciphers in a methodical manner. It's a fascinating topic, and I expect to order the remaining volumes as I come to them.

Here's a link to the Budiansky book:

Battle of Wits: The Complete Story of Codebreaking in World War II

I am in the process of going throught this book right now. I have not finished it yet, but so far with the initial scan of it and getting into the first part of it, the book has proven to be very interesting.

This book covers the Transpositional, ADFGVX, and Bifid Ciphers. It has been challenging to find any information on the cryptanalysis of the fractionating ciphers (ADFGVX and Bifid). This book presents the steps to break those ciphers. Take note that these steps are long and drawn out, it does provide the information you need.