Code breakers and spies of World War I

Though people have been waging war and spying on each other since ancient times (ask Julius Caesar), changes in technology have altered our methods. This entry in the Code Breakers and Spies series (7 titles) explores a particularly pivotal time in human development: WWI, when technological advancements made war, espionage, and code breaking even more complicated than they had previously been. This text-heavy volume delves into the electronic communications of WWI, American reluctance to get involved and the resulting delay in the development of U.S. intelligence, various types of ciphers that were used and broken throughout the war, and widespread postwar paranoia. Occasional sidebars on different methods and individuals, such as Mata Hari, break up the text, but ultimately this is a well-presented discussion of a high-interest topic that will draw older researchers.--Maggie Reagan Copyright 2018 Booklist

Gr 8 Up-Bringing a fascinating perspective on a range of (mostly European and American) historical events, this series will reward readers with an interest in espionage, including detailed historical portrayals of George Washington's Culper Ring of spies, crucial to the American Revolution, and the use of homing pigeons in the First World War. Some material recurs in multiple volumes. Accounts of the British cracking of the Nazi Enigma code, for example, is central to the World War II narrative, but also is background to the one on the Cold War. However, each title stands alone, with lengthy exposition of history and context. Though rich with clearly written text, all of the books make abundant use of illustrations, including contemporaneous and stock photographs, as well as reproductions of paintings and drawings where appropriate. Back matter includes detailed bibliographies, as well as suggestions for further reading. -VERDICT Highly recommended for middle and high schools, especially for reference and research. © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.