The Reader of Gentlemen’s Mail: Herbert O. Yardley and the Birth of American Codebreaking

Description

A biography of Herbert Yardley is welcome. David Kahn has done a remarkable job unearthing many aspects of the life of an obscure figure in American history. Kahn is a fine, readable writer, in this book no less than in prior ones. I very much enjoyed his Seizing the Enigma (1991).

My lack of enthusiasm for this book centers on Yardley. During the 1920s, Yardley enjoyed a comfy salary heading a U.S. government cipher office in New York, where he might laze for an hour a day. In contrast, William F. Friedman, working for the Army, wrote about cryptanalysis, studied statistics, and evaluated the usefulness of tabulating machines, forerunners of computers. When the Hoover Administration reduced funding to his office, Yardley wrote a book, melodramatically called the American Black Chamber, which revealed the world of coded communications and U.S. efforts to read foreign communications. In so doing, he sold secrets to which he was privvy. Thereafter, he went Hollywood, contributing to screen plays. During 1938-39, he was employed by China to work on Japanese communications; his service was uninspired. Because Yardley had proven to be indiscreet, the U.S. did not make use of him during World War II, during which code-breaking was an important element in Anglo-American success. In 1957, Yardley published his second best-selling book, this one on playing poker. Not many authors write one popular book, let alone two.

Kahn speculates that Friedman envied Yardley’s success with women. No evidence that this would be the basis for Friedman’s dislike of Yardley is provided and it seems unlikely. In any event, Friedman and many others within the British and U.S. intelligence agencies rendered extraordinary, educated, hardworking service in the years leading up to and beyond the Second World War. Friedman would be the much more important figure for history.

Kahn refers to Yardley’s “immortal legacy” of introducing codebreaking in the U.S. Codebreaking would have come to the U.S. regardless of the coincidental early participation by Yardley. By his writings, Yardley may be justly appreciated for contributing to popular culture. This book persuades me that Yardley’s service to his nation was minor and thoroughly self-serving.

Because of particular interests, I happen to be glad to have read this book. It is well-written, well-researched, and pleasantly concise.

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