Digital Fortress

Overview

When the NSA's code-breaking machine encounters a code it cannot break, the agency calls in its head cryptographer, Susan Fletcher. What she uncovers sends shock waves through the corridors of power. The NSA is being held hostage not by guns or bombs, but by a code so complex that, if released, it would cripple U.S. intelligence.

Editorial Reviews

Editorial Reviews for this product are not available at this time.

Author Information

Bio of Dan Brown

Dan Brown was born and raised in the small New England town of Exeter, New Hampshire in 1964. He was a graduate of Amherst College and Phillips Exeter Academy, where he spent time as an English teacher before turning his efforts to writing. In 1996, his interest in code-breaking and covert government agencies led him to write his first novel, Digital Fortress, which quickly became a #1 national bestselling eBook. In its first week on sale, The Da Vinci Code debuted at #1 on The New York Times Bestseller list, simultaneously topping bestseller lists at The Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, and San Francisco Chronicle. Later, the book hit #1 on every major bestseller list in the country. The book is now being adapted for film by Columbia Pictures. Brown has made appearances on CNN, The Today Show, National Public Radio, Voice of America, as well as in the pages of Newsweek, People, Forbes, Oprah Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, and The New Yorker. His novels have been translated and published in more than 30 languages around the world.

Customer Reviews

• Not for the technically literate

  Posted April 30, 2007 by Chris, Minnesota

  If you enjoy technology and work with computers you probably won't like this book. It is nowhere near the caliber of Deception Point and the technology is either dated or just plain wrong.
  
  At almost every turn, it is clear that Dan Brown does not understand technology behind cell phones, computer hardware, security, and cryptology. The entire basis for the book is flawed: An "unbreakable" encryption algorithm using a 64 bit key represented by 64 characters (Dan doesn't understand the difference between bits and characters) that cannot be broken by a brute force attack - such as trying each possible key. Cell phone calls are traced through "booster stations", E-mails that "call home" after passing through servers and that can be remotely controlled as they are being delivered.
  
  A lot of the action takes place in the NSA's most secure facility. Too bad it's so insecure during over the weekend. It's just not believable.
  
  A minor distraction is that many of the companies that DB mentions are now out of business (remember Prodigy and Compuserv). Such is "Internet time". (The book was written in 1997.)
  
  The book reminds me of poorly done TV action shows where one improbable event is followed by a never-ending stream of other improbable events.
  
  If you're looking for a good action/thriller and you have not read Deception Point, try that instead.
  
  If you are unfamiliar with the technology that powers the Internet, you may enjoy Digital Fortress (hence the rating of '2' rather than '1'.)

• Crypto thriller

  Posted June 30, 2009 by SBonner, Albuquerque

  I enjoyed this math/crypto thriller. A not far fetched story of the NSA and the attempts at our safety. So different than other Dan Brown stories but certainly a book to read if your a Dan Brown fan as I.

• Great read!

  Posted September 17, 2009 by Sheena, Maryland

  Without getting bogged down with nit picky technicalities it was a great great book! Fast paced, plots twists!! It was very very well written. After reading Davinci three years ago or so, I went into Dan Brown mode and read all the novels and this was just as great, Deception Point was fantastic as well.
  
  This author is truly gifted!

• Full of technical errors

  Posted November 20, 2009 by Gustavo, Miami

  By far the wrost book I have read from Dan Brown.
  
  Most references to computer technology are wrong or incorrectly explained. The idea or main concept of the book is interesting however all technical errors make this story unbelivable, also the characters are also not natural they are acting a plot that is just not natural (A geek professor defeting an Assasin, etc).

Additional Info

Imprint

St. Martin's Press/T.Dunne

Filesize

1.55 MB

Number of Pages

373

eBook ISBN

9781429902304