"Decoding the Devil shatters the mythology of American intelligence. With relentless research and electric storytelling, Sarah Valentine restores the erased Black cryptologists who powered U.S. codebreaking from WWII through the Korean War. Urgent, revelatory, and impossible to ignore, Decoding the Devil unveils both the uncomfortable truths and the inspiring histories that form the foundation of our intelligence community." - Nathalia Holt, New York Times bestselling author of Rise of the Rocket Girls and Wise Gals

"A thought-provoking exploration of the lives and work of the largely forgotten, undervalued, and little-acknowledged Black (and mostly female) cryptologists who contributed to this nation's intelligence success during World War II and the early Cold War. These contributions were made despite physically uncomfortable and segregated workspaces and assignments far below their education and capabilities. Sarah Valentine tells a fascinating tale, deftly weaving the cryptologic work into the social and political constraints of the times." - Betsy Rohaly Smoot, author of Parker Hitt: The Father of American Military Cryptology

"I wish Decoding the Devil was required reading for everyone in the military and military-adjacent fields, because this book shows us the seams and man-making of a patriotic narrative usually sold to us as divine. Like Zora Neal Hurston loves us, Sarah Valentine loves us enough to tell the truth about our humanity inside of purposefully inhumane American institutions." - Steven Dunn, author of Water & Power

"Decoding the Devil is an illuminating account of the dauntless and largely unacknowledged cadre of Black women who had to work within the early NSA and its predecessors for the "Triple V"--victory over fascism, victory over racism, and victory over sexism. Sarah Valentine makes a convincing case that the Agency's ingrained racism and sexism was not just a moral failing, but an operational defect with real security consequences in the Cold War era." - Gary Krist, author of The Mirage Factory

"In intelligence, as in all fields, a nation benefits when it taps the gifts and talents of all citizens--and suffers when it does not. It took America a long time to learn this and we are at constant risk of forgetting it. Sarah Valentine through her research has recovered this message anew, showcasing the Black women code breakers who, subjected to appalling conditions and relegated to the bleakest rooms, worked to safeguard our safety and stability during perilous times." - Liza Mundy, author of The Sisterhood

"Decoding the Devil vividly demonstrates that, behind some of the greatest technological security innovations, there are masses of people whose rights were violated and whose contributions remain unrecognized." - "Bruce Schneier, author of Rewriring Democracy: How AI Will Transform our Politics, Government, and Citizenship