Buy new:
-42% $16.72
FREE delivery Tuesday, May 14 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Ships from: Amazon
Sold by: Plentymer
$16.72 with 42 percent savings
List Price: $28.95

The List Price is the suggested retail price of a new product as provided by a manufacturer, supplier, or seller. Except for books, Amazon will display a List Price if the product was purchased by customers on Amazon or offered by other retailers at or above the List Price in at least the past 90 days. List prices may not necessarily reflect the product's prevailing market price.
Learn more
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
FREE delivery Tuesday, May 14 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
$$16.72 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$16.72
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon
Ships from
Amazon
Sold by
Plentymer
Sold by
Plentymer
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Payment
Secure transaction
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
$11.59
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
This item shows wear including moderate wear to edges and cover. This item shows wear including moderate wear to edges and cover. See less
FREE delivery Tuesday, May 14 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
$$16.72 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$16.72
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Stephen Budiansky
+ Follow
More books from this author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Battle of Wits: The Complete Story of Codebreaking in World War II Paperback – January 1, 2002

by Stephen Budiansky (Author)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 90 ratings
See all formats and editions
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$16.72","priceAmount":16.72,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"16","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"72","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"zc%2Ffot%2BZku65eHbd2cfxS6F5NTs1PNFWW7aoGCnHKiq6j6wm2KbBJ1FUXw4AuaInbXKJe3OSoPXpeg2PS%2FCMuDI8u5ZiJi68ucqZqTUk1oZHJxus5MVUsqFuKqV2nvTVn9vMMLNRILFOKBto5pkO02zbZckB%2BCR4A1I4PNUIgLW1%2BBxto6c1g0EM%2FNvGEcxb","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$11.59","priceAmount":11.59,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"11","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"59","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"zc%2Ffot%2BZku65eHbd2cfxS6F5NTs1PNFWFtaNq9gUxC0%2Fx%2Bh3SpZ5nTe2XQuyY0GwVBNT25TwBwvaMjr79PcWRsRQp41KhV8iD0zXlZotNcbGUJE375cULFDWVmoyPGbPfbGjN6eqWL6EbvPKvmNJLUr%2B15CxSZIY2uyFjd51W3V7K7HpgqioHgpP%2BOC1OaA%2F","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

A million pages of new World War II codebreaking records have been released by the U.S. Army and Navy and the British government over the last five years. Now, Battle of Wits presents the history of the war that these documents reveal. From the battle of Midway until the last German code was broken in January 1945, this is an astonishing epic of a war that was won not simply by brute strength but also by reading the enemy's intentions.
The revelations of Stephen Budiansky's dramatic history include how Britain tried to manipulate the American codebreakers and monopolize German Enigma code communications; the first detailed published explanations of how the Japanese codes were broken; and how the American codebreaking machines worked to crack the Japanese, the German, and even the Russian diplomatic codes. The compelling narrative shows the crucial effect codebreaking had on the battlefields by explaining the urgency of stopping the wolf pack U-boat attacks in the North Atlantic, the importance of halting Rommel's tanks in North Africa, and the necessity of ensuring that the Germans believed the Allies' audacious deception and cover plans for D-Day. Unveiled for the first time, the complete story of codebreaking in World War II has now been told.
Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Print length
    448 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Free Press
  4. Publication date
    January 1, 2002
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 1.1 x 9 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0743217349
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0743217347
  8. See all details
Next page
The Amazon Book Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Frequently bought together

Battle of Wits: The Complete Story of Codebreaking in World War II
$16.72
Get it as soon as Tuesday, May 14
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
Sold by Plentymer and ships from Amazon Fulfillment.
+
The Spy and the Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War
$11.99
Get it as soon as Monday, May 13
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
Code Warriors: NSA's Codebreakers and the Secret Intelligence War Against the Soviet Union
$15.23
Get it as soon as Tuesday, May 14
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Details
Added to Cart
Some of these items ship sooner than the others.
Show details Hide details
Choose items to buy together.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Vernon Loeb The Washington Post An exuberant work in which Budiansky deftly demonstrates his prowess as mathematician, military historian, and narrative storyteller.

Simon Singh Nature The story of cryptography in the Second World War is one of the great scientific tales of the twentieth century. Budiansky has succeeded in telling it with enthusiasm and insight, delivering a book with style and substance.

About the Author

Stephen Budiansky received a master's degree in applied mathematics from Harvard University and worked on classified military studies as a Congressional Fellow. He is a correspondent for The Atlantic, and his articles have also appeared in The Economist, The New York Times, and U.S. News & World Report. He lives in Leesburg, Virginia.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Free Press; Reprint edition (January 1, 2002)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 448 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0743217349
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0743217347
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.5 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.1 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 90 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Stephen Budiansky

Stephen Budiansky

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Stephen Budiansky is a historian, biographer, and journalist, the author of 18 books exploring intellectual and creative lives, military and intelligence history, and science and the natural world. He is the former Washington Editor of the scientific journal Nature and a regular book reviewer for the Wall Street Journal. He lives on a small farm in northern Virginia.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
90 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Blu
5.0 out of 5 stars THE INVISIBLE SNARE OF GEEK TEAMWORK LEADING TO VICTORY IN WWII.
Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2024
Verified Purchase
Fascinating engrossing portrayal of the evolution regarding cipher code intelligence and its impact upon political and military decisions during WWII, especially in combating the deadly relentless German U-boat submarine deployments comprising the egregious Battle Of The Atlantic. At times, subjective, and further, the analyses is so technical that one just bypasses such details. Nonetheless, an absorbing admirable expose with astounding information which indicates the forerunner of today's sophisticated computers. [WARNING: This book is intended for individuals interested in the intricate deciphering of secret communication codes -- not for the casual dilettante -- clearly, a mathematician's delight.]
Helpful
 Report
Metallurgist
5.0 out of 5 stars Fills in a critical part of WWII history.
Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2006
Verified Purchase
I have for many years wondered exactly how the supposedly unbreakable German Enigma machine and the Japanese diplomatic and Naval codes were broken. Stephen Budiansky does a great job at explaining how this was done. This was no easy task, requiring the ability to explain complex mathematical and mechanical concepts in a political and military context. Budiansky is uniquely suited to this task and I for one am grateful for his successful effort. He has a master's degree in applied mathematics, along with work in military studies as a Congressional Fellow. To this one must add that he is a good writer, as attested to by the fact that he is a correspondent for The Atlantic, The New York Times and The Economist among other prestigious publications.

This is no dry academic text, but is a story of great excitement, of great internal rivalries and intrigues. It is also fortunately much more, as it also goes into detail about the design and operation of the code machines and ciphers, as well as the novel approaches that were used to overcome them. It goes into considerable detail about these approaches, without becoming overly pedantic. This book covers the Japanese Diplomatic and Naval codes as well as the German Enigma machine. As such, it covers both code machines and ciphers, with a very good discussion of the history of both and the distinction between them. This book is more than a dry discussion of mathematics, but also delves into the personalities of the people involved and the internal rivalries between the US Army and Navy and between the civilian and military branches of the governments involved. It touches on espionage and the application of the knowledge of what was learned from the code breaking.

I was aware of the general outlines of what was done, of Bletchley Park and the American equivalents and of the importance of the early work of Polish code breakers. What I was not aware of was exactly how this was done. The Germans were confident that even if the allies got hold of a code machine they could not unscramble a message that was coded with what was a virtually unlimited number of possible combinations. I now have a better idea of how this was done and if you read this book so will you. I learned of the importance of a spy in Germany who early on provided a few messages and some code setting that were of great initial help, how German regularity in the form of the messages and the laziness of some operators in reusing the same text were of great importance, of the struggles to overcome the continual changes in the machines and upgrading of the codes. Most of all, I learned of the creativity and persistence of the human mind. My only criticism, and it is a minor one, is that very little space is given to the German and Japanese efforts (many of them successful) in deciphering allied codes. I hope that this will be the subject of a future book of Budiansky's.
35 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
TechGeek
5.0 out of 5 stars The Humans Behind the Scenes in Breaking Codes of WW II
Reviewed in the United States on December 15, 2016
Verified Purchase
If you're interested in how code breaking works, then this book is a great place to start. If, however, you're more interested in how code breaking fit into the larger scheme of things during WW II, then the same suggestion applies: this book is a great place to start! At first, I was afraid that the author had gotten lost in the weeds when he explains some of the nitty-gritty involved in the breaking of various codes. However, I soon realized that if the reader was either lost or just not interested in some of those details, that the book was written such that some sections can be either skipped or ignored, without hurting the general flow of the history being told. As a computer professional, I found those portions -- which later grew into the industry of my profession -- to be fascinating. However, the more interesting aspects were the author's description of the contributions of the various characters who had influence on this particular aspect of history. Stephen Budiansky does a superb job in making all of these people come alive in the reader's mind. It is a great read!
4 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Tom C.
4.0 out of 5 stars Very Good
Reviewed in the United States on February 23, 2017
Verified Purchase
Very Good. It says that it is the "complete" story of codebreaking during WW2, but it is extremely USA and Great Britain centered. Nothing that I remember about the USSR, very little about the Axis powers. I assume everyone was trying to read everyone else's radio messages. I don't think of it as cheating. I think of it as being prepared. Still a good book of code breaking from the Allied side. Good balanced story, seemed to report everyone's triumphs and failures evenly. No one won the war by themselves. No one was a complete failure.
3 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Anilao diver
5.0 out of 5 stars building on the brilliant work of Polish and French code breakers
Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2015
Verified Purchase
Ultra was the British operation to read the World War II German military radio messages. The Germans used a powerful encoding machine, the Enigma machine. Alan Turing was the math genius who led the Brits, building on the brilliant work of Polish and French code breakers.
The book tells the story, starting early on, in the a920's, and gives an excellent overview. The author then tells us the seldom and little known story of how the Americans decrypted the Japanese dipolomatic and Naval codes, essential to the winning of the crucial early Pdacific battles of the Coral Sea and Midway. The style is clear, the photos and drawings are good. I would highly recommend this book to general readers as well as to those interested in code breaking and in World War II. It is no exaggeration to say that the code breakers, both European and American, turned the tide from losing into winning. And their story should be told over and over again, as it is starting to being told now.
Helpful
 Report
O. Barr
5.0 out of 5 stars Well researched
Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2019
Verified Purchase
Well, there is no "complete" history of WW II code breaking. Budiansky starts with just enough from WW I for set the story running, and then continues, taking advantage of the great deal of information declassified in the 90s, which wasn't available earlier (for example, Kahn in The Codebreakers was too soon). Conversely, NSA appears to have declassified the documentation on breaking Gee in about 2015, and I'm sure there is more still hidden. I have several small quibbles with Budiansky, but this is an an excellent book, both extremely readable as well as extremely well researched, and I recommend it highly, from cover to cover.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Dr. John G. Vernon
5.0 out of 5 stars This is an excellent, well-written and thorough history of cryptanalysis
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 23, 2015
Verified Purchase
This is an excellent, well-written and thorough history of cryptanalysis. He deals well with the techniques and the science. He is a lively and readable guide to the human interest stories. He seems to have a blind spot for Poland between the wars, but not the brilliant Polish code breakers. Unlike most historians of science he does not count Colossus as the first electronic computer. New for me was the knowledge that the British had broken Gestapo and SS codes, so that they knew precise numbers about the Holocaust until 1943 when the Nazis stopped sending these encrypted messages by radio. Hence Churchill's famous broadcast of August 24th 1941 denouncing a "crime without a name", the crime we now know as genocide. Churchill and the British could not quite believe that the dead were all Jews, as the decrypted messages stated they were, but Jews they proved to be.
One person found this helpful
 Report
Ellie Kate Smith
5.0 out of 5 stars Speed of delivery
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 18, 2021
Verified Purchase
This was a gift and came within hours of ordering.. Excellent
Report