Digital Fortress: A Thriller, Edition 2

Dan Brown

Apr 2007 · Sold by Macmillan

About this ebook

Before the multi-million, runaway bestseller The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown set his razor-sharp research and storytelling skills on the most powerful intelligence organization on earth--the National Security Agency (NSA)--in this thrilling novel, Digital Fortress.

When the NSA's invincible code-breaking machine encounters a mysterious code it cannot break, the agency calls its head cryptographer, Susan Fletcher, a brilliant and beautiful mathematician. 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 ingeniously complex that if released it would cripple U.S. intelligence.

Caught in an accelerating tempest of secrecy and lies, Susan Fletcher battles to save the agency she believes in. Betrayed on all sides, she finds herself fighting not only for her country but for her life, and in the end, for the life of the man she loves.

From the underground hallways of power to the skyscrapers of Tokyo to the towering cathedrals of Spain, a desperate race unfolds. It is a battle for survival--a crucial bid to destroy a creation of inconceivable genius...an impregnable code-writing formula that threatens to obliterate the post-cold war balance of power. Forever.

Ratings and reviews

- He describes tacky and dirty airports, when in Spain are a world class ones. - He points bad health assistance, when we got the best researches in this discipline. - The topics of Spanish police are absolutely wrong Moreover, the names of the streets are misspelled and the description of the catholic mass procedure is wrong (What on the earth Dan writes Catholics receive the Communion just at the beginning of the mass?) All written in a childish style: far away from The Da Vincy Code or Angels and Demons. And I got offended because the vision this author has over the Spanish is completely wrong: he has never been to Spain. Cucho.

A techy tale where the NSA attempts to decode a perceived unbreakable encryption algorithm. Slightly less mass than Dan Brown's Robert Langdon books [written 5 years before The Da Vinci Code] but still a fun, intriguing thriller and murder mystery. The 1998 tech is dated in today's standards [pagers!] but don't let those details detract enjoyment. Although, one antagonist uses a Monocle which appears to be a precursor to the Google Glass device. Interesting that DB's first book has a strong female lead.

A fun, tech adventure with dark tones and memorable characters. Digital fortress is a bit different from Dan Brown's Angels and Demons and Da Vinci Code, though the family story format is the same with their being a supposedly unbreakable code, cryptography playing a strong role (echos the same stint on ancient symbology in Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons), but this time ita told with a thematically 'digital' vibe. I enjoyed this book when I first read it and I found I enjoyed it again reading it in its entirety as of late for a bit of a nostalgic kick. It's a solid story (even if the format has been done, once or twice). I recommend it to those needing a good read for late nights or for simple entertainment when riding longer than usual transits and perhaps even during down time from work.

About the author

Dan Brown is the author of numerous #1 bestselling novels, including Digital Fortress, Angels & Demons and The Da Vinci Code, which has sold more than 80 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best selling novels of all time. Named one of the World's 100 Most Influential People by TIME Magazine, he has appeared in the pages of Newsweek, Forbes, People, GQ, The New Yorker, and others. His novels are published in 51 languages around the world. He is a graduate of Amherst College and Phillips Exeter Academy, where he also taught English. Digital Fortress was inspired by his experiences at the academy. He lives in New England with his wife.