// Prerequisites
What to read before Serious Cryptography
If Serious Cryptography feels too steep at intermediate level, here is what to read first. Lighter books in the same topics that build the prerequisites this one assumes.
01 · 1999
The Code Book
A narrative history of cryptography from Caesar ciphers to public-key, told through the people and the wars that turned on broken codes. Still the best on-ramp to why crypto matters.
Beginner5/5Simon Singh02 · 2021
Crypto Dictionary
Jean-Philippe Aumasson's alphabetical, opinionated reference on cryptographic terms, primitives, attacks and folklore. Snack-format companion to Serious Cryptography.
Beginner4/5Jean-Philippe Aumasson03 · 2021
Real-World Cryptography
David Wong's hands-on tour of the cryptographic primitives, protocols and pitfalls that show up in actual production systems, with deliberate attention to TLS, Noise, modern AEAD, and post-quantum.
Intermediate5/5David Wong04 · 2010
Cryptography Engineering
A working engineer's introduction to cryptography that takes implementation pitfalls more seriously than most.
Intermediate4/5Niels Ferguson, Bruce Schneier, Tadayoshi Kohno05 · 1998
La science du secret
A lucid popular-science history of cryptography by Jacques Stern, one of France's most eminent cryptographers — from classical ciphers to public-key and the science of secrecy.
Intermediate4/5Jacques Stern06 · 2010
Understanding Cryptography
A genuinely teachable intro to modern cryptography that derives the math instead of hand-waving it, covering symmetric and public-key primitives without drowning you in proofs.
Intermediate4/5Christof Paar, Jan Pelzl07 · 2020
Security Engineering
Ross Anderson's comprehensive textbook on the design of secure systems, covering protocols, access control, side channels, economics of security, and policy.
Advanced5/5Ross Anderson08 · 2015
Sécurité informatique
A rigorous academic course on the foundations of security — cryptography, authentication, access control — with corrected exercises, from a team of well-known French and Swiss cryptographers.
Advanced4/5Gildas Avoine, Pascal Junod, Philippe Oechslin, Sylvain Pasini