The United States in the 1860s seemed poised to become one of the world's leading powers. Even with the benefits of new innovations such as the railroad and the telegraph, which brought the country together, unresolved issues between the North and the South broke the country in half. This book explores the ways in which the day's new technologies changed the face of warfare and how, in this bloody war for unity, spies from all walks of life, including immigrants, women, and black people, contributed to the struggle.

After being uneasy allies in World War II, the 1950s saw the United States and the Soviet Union entering the Cold War, a thirty-year conflict in which the adversaries never went into physical battle with each other but fought many proxy wars in other nations. This gripping and fast-paced book traces the Cold War through the lens of spying and code breaking by showing how advances in computer technology and mathematics kept the technology race every bit as nerve-racking as the arms race that characterized the conflict.

The world's great economic powers aligned into two opposing forces in World War I. Although still in its infancy by modern standards at the onset of the conflict, intelligence gathering and espionage would ultimately tip the balance. Readers learn how new technology exploded and resulted in developments in cryptography and surveillance as both sides raced to crack the codes and win the war.

Code breakers and spies are the stuff of legend and intrigue, but in reality, they dramatically impacted wars and influenced society, as well as altered the field of information technology. Technology during the 1940s was primitive by today's standards, but spying and cryptography were cutting edge for the time. Many have heard of the use of Navajo code talkers during World War II, but this text explores the code talkers and beyond to paint a vivid picture of how cryptography and spy technology shaped the conflict.

Set against the backdrop of the Cold War, the conflict in Vietnam was much more than a battle between Vietnamese and American forces. Although the fighting may have taken place in monsoon-swept cities and booby-trapped jungles, the Vietnam War was fought on a much larger scale. Spies were active on all fronts, including within the United States itself. Readers will explore how technology and tactics not only shaped the Vietnam War, but changed the ethics of American surveillance from then until the present day.

Shortly after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, the U.S. government began both a ground and aerial military campaign in the Middle East in order to preemptively rout out terrorists. During the War on Terror, the cause of the United States and its allies was aided by many technical innovations in code breaking and espionage. In fact, increased surveillance went so far as to spy on regular citizens. This book explores the evolution of intelligence technologies and how these new methods controversially shape wars, and the dilemma many militaries and governments face in deciding how to use them in order to avoid political fallout in the global age of terrorism.

"From spy missions to code breaking, this richly illustrated account of the covert operations of World War II takes readers behind the battle lines and deep into the undercover war effort that changed the course of history. From the authors who created Eyewitness to World War II and numerous other best-selling illustrated reference books, this is the shocking story behind the covert activity that shaped the outcome of one of the world's greatest conflicts--and the destiny of millions of people. National Geographic's landmark book illuminates World War II as never before by taking you inside the secret lives of spies and spy masters; secret agents and secret armies; Enigma machines and code breakers; psychological warfare and black propaganda; secret weapons and secret battle strategies. Seven heavily illustrated narrative chapters reveal the truth behind the lies and deception that shaped the 'secret war'; eight essays showcase hundreds of rare photos and artifacts (many never before seen); more than 50 specially created sidebars tell the stories of spies and secret operations. Renowned historian and top-selling author Stephen Hyslop reveals this little-known side of the war in captivating detail, weaving in extraordinary eyewitness accounts and information only recently declassified. Rare photographs, artifacts, and illuminating graphics enrich this absorbing reference book"--

The American Revolution was a war fought by soldiers and won by spies. The Continental Army did not stand a chance against the British superpower, but with accurate and fast intelligence, General George Washington was able to gain an advantage and win the war. From early intrigue in France to the Culper Spy Ring in New York, this book explores it all. Readers will learn how the first American spies turned the tides of the war and helped win independence.

In Code Warriors, Stephen Budiansky--a longtime expert in cryptology--tells the fascinating story of how NSA came to be, from its roots in World War II through the fall of the Berlin Wall. Along the way, he guides us through the fascinating challenges faced by cryptanalysts, and how they broke some of the most complicated codes of the twentieth century. With access to new documents, Budiansky shows where the agency succeeded and failed during the Cold War, but his account also offers crucial perspective for assessing NSA today in the wake of the Edward Snowden revelations. Budiansky shows how NSA's obsession with recording every bit of data and decoding every signal is far from a new development; throughout its history the depth and breadth of the agency's reach has resulted in both remarkable successes and destructive failures.

The award-winning New York Times bestseller about the American women who secretly served as codebreakers during World War II--a "prodigiously researched and engrossing" (New York Times) book that "shines a light on a hidden chapter of American history" (Denver Post). Recruited by the U.S. Army and Navy from small towns and elite colleges, more than ten thousand women served as codebreakers during World War II. While their brothers and boyfriends took up arms, these women moved to Washington and learned the meticulous work of code-breaking. Their efforts shortened the war, saved countless lives, and gave them access to careers previously denied to them. A strict vow of secrecy nearly erased their efforts from history; now, through dazzling research and interviews with surviving code girls, bestselling author Liza Mundy brings to life this riveting and vital story of American courage, service, and scientific accomplishment.