A biography of Elizebeth Smith Friedman, a codebreaking pioneer in WWI and WWII but who has only recently been recognized for her extraordinary contributions to the field.

The doll shop spy -- Starting out -- What do you know? -- Code or cipher? -- Riverbank -- From bacon to binary -- A dear good friend -- The skeletons of words -- Will we win? -- The key to the cipher -- Underlings -- Hiding in plain sight -- Don't be afraid to take a step -- Escape -- Rail fence love letter -- At home -- On the doorstep -- The rum war -- The making of her -- Barbara's cipher -- Firepower -- Cracking a conexco code -- Fame -- The trip of a lifetime -- Turbulence -- The black chamber -- Ad absurdum! -- Café cryptanalytique -- The woman all spies fear -- The war within -- Heebeegeebees -- Elizebeth's war -- Code names and cribs -- Sargo -- Cracking Enigma -- Solving in depth -- A spy at sea -- Overkill -- Procedure 40 -- Secrets -- The raid -- Fallout -- The last word -- The library.