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  • The American Black Chamber (Bluejacket Books)

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Herbert O. Yardley
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The American Black Chamber (Bluejacket Books)

by Herbert O. Yardley (Author) Format: Paperback
4.5 out of 5 stars (163)
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During the 1920s Herbert O. Yardley was chief of the first peacetime cryptanalytic organization in the United States, the ancestor of today's National Security Agency. Funded by the U.S. Army and the Department of State and working out of New York, his small and highly secret unit succeeded in breaking the diplomatic codes of several nations, including Japan. The decrypts played a critical role in U.S. diplomacy. Despite its extraordinary successes, the Black Chamber, as it came to known, was disbanded in 1929. President Hoover's new Secretary of State Henry L. Stimson refused to continue its funding with the now-famous comment, Gentlemen do not read other people's mail. In 1931 a disappointed Yardley caused a sensation when he published this book and revealed to the world exactly what his agency had done with the secret and illegal cooperation of nearly the entire American cable industry. These revelations and Yardley's right to publish them set into motion a conflict that continues to this day: the right to freedom of expression versus national security. In addition to offering an exposé on post-World War I cryptology, the book is filled with exciting stories and personalities.
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  1. Part of series
    Bluejacket Books
  2. Print length
    400 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Naval Institute Press
  5. Publication date
    January 15, 2013
  6. Dimensions
    6 x 1.1 x 8.9 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    1591149894
  8. ISBN-13
    978-1591149897
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Herbert O. Yardley, one of the greatest authorities on secret codes and ciphers in the 1920s, was inducted into the NSA Hall of Honor posthumously in 1999. He is also the author of The Chinese Black Chamber.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Naval Institute Press
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 15, 2013
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ First Edition
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 400 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1591149894
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1591149897
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.2 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.1 x 8.9 inches
  • Part of series ‏ : ‎ Bluejacket Books
  • Best Sellers Rank: #2,437,524 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 out of 5 stars (163)

About the author

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Herbert O. Yardley

Herbert O. Yardley

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