…an encyclopedic work of a very high standard. … More than merely a book that describes cryptographic codes, scattered throughout this book are pictures and biographies of key personnel responsible for progressing the world’s knowledge and use of codes, as well as exercises and problems … This is, without question, an excellent book. … the depth of the knowledge, the provided mathematical background, and simply the correctness and consistency of symbols throughout, all give indications of the quality and amount of work that has gone into this book. … the book is probably the best book currently for the range of users.