Prisoners, lovers, and spies : the story of invisible ink from Herodotus to al-Qaeda / Kristie Macrakis.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Macrakis, Kristie, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Confidential communications--History.

Confidential communications.

Invisible inks--History.

Invisible inks.

Writing, Invisible--History.

Writing, Invisible.

Espionage--Equipment and supplies--History.

Espionage.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (392 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

New Haven, Connecticut : Yale University Press, [2014]

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Prisoners, Lovers, and Spies is a book about concealing and revealing secret communications. It is the first history of invisible writing, uncovered through stories about scoundrels and heroes. Spies were imprisoned or murdered, adultery unmasked, and battles lost because of faulty or intercepted secret communications. Yet, successfully hidden writing helped save lives, win battles, and ensure privacy; occasionally it even changed the course of history. Kristie Macrakis combines a storyteller's sense of drama with a historian's respect for evidence in this page-turning history of intrigue and espionage, love and war, magic and secrecy. From the piazzas of ancient Rome to the spy capitals of the Cold War, Macrakis's global history reveals the drama and importance of invisible ink. From Ovid's advice to use milk for illicit love notes, to John Gerard's dramatic escape from the tower of London aided by orange juice ink messages, to al-Qaeda's hidden instructions in pornographic movies, this book presents spellbinding stories of secret messaging that chart its evolution in sophistication and its impact on history. An appendix includes fun kitchen chemistry recipes for readers to try out at home.

Contents:

Front matter

Contents

Preface

1. The Art of Love and War

2. Intrigue and Inquisition

3. Confessing Secrets

4. Invisible Landscapes

5. Revolutionary Ink

6. Magic

7. The Secret-Ink War

8. The United States Enters the Secret-Ink War

9. Visible Nazis

10. The Mystery of the Microdot

11. Invisible Spy Catchers

12. Out in the Cold

13. Hiding in Porn Sites

Epilogue

Appendix: Fun Kitchen Chemistry Experiments (with Jason Lye)

Notes

Primary Sources

Credits

Acknowledgments

Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references (pages [351]-353) and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9780300188257

0300188250

OCLC:

872115151