num_pages: 384
description: Common-born George Scovell -- an engraver's apprentice -- joins the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars and becomes a commissioned officer. As Bonaparte's juggernaut marches across Europe, Scovell soon proves himself a linguistic genius and begins to crack the basic codes used in French dispatches, giving General Wellington advance knowledge of French plans. But as the enemy changes from simple ciphers to baffling "next to impossible" encoded messages, Scovell finds himself racing against time to break the legendary "Great Paris Cipher" and save the British Army. The thrill of clashing armies, challenging puzzles, and the personal struggle of a long-forgotten hero make The Man Who Broke Napoleon's Codes a gripping -- and brain-teasing -- adventure.
language: English
title: The Man Who Broke Napoleon's Codes
titlecomplete: The Man Who Broke Napoleon's Codes
characters: Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, George Scovell
genres: Historical, Biography, War, British Literature, Nonfiction, Military History, Military Fiction, Research, Espionage, History
ratings_count: 351
places: Europe
publisher: Harper Perennial