Brigadier John Tiltman has been variously described as the greatest cryptanalyst of his time, the vest cryptanalyst ever to work for Government Communications Headquarters (CGHQ, Great Britain's counterpart to NSA), and a legend in his own time." He led the attack on numerous code and cipher systems over a dozen countries. At the same time he developed cipher systems for his own country that were unbreakable during the time they were used. He held the title of Chief Cryptographer for the Government Code and Cypher School. His career spanned two world wars, conflicts in Korea and Vietnam, and...

This is an examination of codes and ciphers as they figured in American History prior to the twentieth century, prior to the era of wireless or radio communication and the advent of the electronic age. It forms a backdrop for understanding modern cryptology and the role of cryptology in the growth of this nation. Cryptology, the art and science of code-making and code breaking, depends on the prevailing state of technology and the perception of threat.