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A review by davesag
Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson
4.0
Niel Stephenson shows us just how clever he can be, and finally ends a book as well as he starts one. This time its the history of cryptography that's under his gaze. Stephenson has an incredible knack for detail and his knowledge of nerd-core history is second to none. He's a nerd's James A Mitchener in many ways.
This is a big book with big ideas and, for me anyway as someone who's studied computer science and who has had a lifelong love of codes and cypphers, and the history of codes and spooks and so forth, this book was simply a joy to read. It's a rollicking yarn that spans many generations and draws parallels between the famous British code-breakers of World War ][ with a modern day race for cargo-cult gold. It's a boys' own adventure in many ways and the first of his books to really end properly rather than just tapering off.
It's also a departure from his early books in that it's more historical fiction than science fantasy.
This is a big book with big ideas and, for me anyway as someone who's studied computer science and who has had a lifelong love of codes and cypphers, and the history of codes and spooks and so forth, this book was simply a joy to read. It's a rollicking yarn that spans many generations and draws parallels between the famous British code-breakers of World War ][ with a modern day race for cargo-cult gold. It's a boys' own adventure in many ways and the first of his books to really end properly rather than just tapering off.
It's also a departure from his early books in that it's more historical fiction than science fantasy.