Chapter Two Hundred Nine: The Woman Who Smashed Codes

I listened to Jason Fagone's biography of Elizebeth (yes, that's how she spelled her name) Smith Friedman as a sort of follow-up to Code Girls (see Chapter Two Hundred Five)--apparently everyone is writing about American women code-breakers of WWII just now...  It was a really interesting listen, especially in the context of Code Girls as Elizebeth Smith Friedman was certainly the first American woman to gain fame and steady work as a code breaker.  While her husband, William Friedman, is better known--he also broke codes during WWII and is considered the father of the NSA--Elizebeth Smith Friedman was a distinguished cryptanalyst in her own right.  The couple worked together to break codes for the U.S. government during WWI, from there continuing to build some of the U.S. government's and military's first serious code-breaking departments during the interwar years.  Elizebeth Smith Friedman also spent time in the 1920s and 1930s working with the U.S. Coast Guard to help bust rum runners during Prohibition, adding to the general excitement of her life, at least from an onlooker's perspective.  This biography also includes more personal details, like the fact that for years the Friedmans sent out their Christmas cards to family and friends in (simple) codes, and that their daughter wrote to them from summer camp using a simple code.  If you're looking for a good biography or an exciting story or more information on WWII, The Woman Who Smashed Codes is an excellent choice.