History Main / TheBookCipher

* The German spy uses this kind of encryption in ''[[ErastFandorin The Death of Achilles]]''.

* In ''NationalTreasure'', the hero discovers various numbers hidden on the back of the Declaration of Independence; these correspond [[spoiler:not to a book per se, but to the 'Silence Dogood' letters his father donated to a museum]].
* In the film ''{{Unknown}}'', Prof. Bressler's [[spoiler:passwords]] are obscured by an Ottendorf cipher.

* Used in [[TheGoodSoldierSvejk The Adventures of Good Soldier Svejk in the World War I]] when the officers are briefed on the newest cipher method, which apparently is a variant of the book cipher based upon the pages 160 and 161 of a German novel "''Die Sünden der Väter''" - only the book used is a novel in two volumes and [[TheFool the protagonist]], when ordered to deliver them to the battalion officers, was not informed that it was the second part which was needed and delivered the first tomes only, keeping the second volumes in storage, believing that 'they gentlemen officers would surely like to read the novel in the proper order, as anyone else, and after they had read the first part they'd be issued with the second part'. {{Hilarity ensued}} during the briefing, when only ([[HighHopesZeroTalent overly ambitious yet generally incompetent]]) officer-cadet Biegler was [[TooDumbToFool brave enough to point out]] that the example given does not make any sense, while other officers just kept calm and quietly assumed that their regimental colonel finally went completely bananas and would be soon [[KickedUpstairs promoted to the war ministry]].

* In the Season 2 finale of BBC's ''{{Luther}}'', the numbers in a notebook is revealed to be this. This gives the police an OhCrap moment when the suspect's RoomFullOfCrazy turns out to be [[NeedleInAStackOfNeedles full of books]]. [[spoiler:But as any book used has to not only be the same, but also the same edition, Luther realises the collection of secondhand books can't be the one used for the cipher. It's a Gideon's bible which the killer could find in any hotel room if needed.]]

* In the Season 2 finale of BBC's ''{{Luther}}'', the numbers in a notebook is revealed to be this. The book they use to decipher is [[spoiler:the Bible that Luther finds at the hotel room of the culprit.]]

* Used in [[TheGoodSoldierSvejk The Adventures of Good Soldier Svejk in the World War I]] when the officers are briefed on the newest cipher method, which apparently is a variant of the book cipher based upon the pages 160 and 161 of a German novel "''Die Sünden der Väter''" - only the book used is a novel in two volumes and [[TheFool the protagonist]], when ordered to deliver them to the battalion officers, was not informed that it was the second part which was needed and delivered the first tomes only, keeping the second volumes in storage, believing that 'they gentlemen officers would surely like to read the novel in the proper order, as anyone else, and after they had read the first part they'd be issued with the second part'. {{Hilarity ensued}} during the briefing, when only ([[TheDitz overly ambitious yet generally incompetent]]) officer-cadet Biegler was [[TooDumbToFool brave enough to point out]] that the example given does not make any sense, while other officers just kept calm and quietly assumed that their regimental colonel finally went completely bananas and would be soon [[KickedUpstairs promoted to the war ministry]].

* A variation in an episode of ''MurderSheWrote'' set in Russia. One of the clues in the Murder of the Week was a book about Soviet politics, beginning with the sentence, "The first and last word on the fate of Lenin was always in the hands of the Soviet people." After noticing a number of glaring grammatical errors, Jessica Fletcher realized that the first sentence was the key to the code; the first and last words on each page, read consecutively, revealed the identity of a Soviet official who turned traitor.

* In [[TheGoodSoldierSvejk The Adventures of Good Soldier Svejk in the World War I]] when the officers are briefed on the newest cipher method, which apparently is a variant of the book cipher based upon the pages 160 and 161 of a German novel "''Die Sünden der Väter''" - only the book used is a novel in two volumes and [[TheFool the protagonist]], when ordered to deliver them to the battalion officers, was not informed that it was the second part which was needed and delivered the first tomes only, keeping the second volumes in storage, believing that 'they gentlemen officers would surely like to read the novel in the proper order, as anyone else, and after they had read the first part they'd be issued with the second part'. {{Hilarity ensued}} during the briefing, when only ([[TheDitz overly ambitious yet generally incompetent]]) officer-cadet Biegler was [[TooDumbToFool brave enough to point out]] that the example given does not make any sense, while other officers just kept calm and quietly assumed that their regimental colonel finally went completely bananas and would be soon [[KickedUpstairs promoted to the war ministry]].

* In ''The Valley of Fear'', SherlockHolmes decrypts a message enciphered with a book cipher by deducing which book had been used as a key text.

* A ''[[{{Batman}} Detective Comics]]'' story "And the Executioner Wore Stiletto Heels" involved the villain, Stiletto, using an obscure book about shoes for a cipher (the villain chose this book as a pun on his name--think "stiletto heels"). When Batman goes to the bookstore, the owner mentions how strange it is that he just sold several copies of a book nobody would buy normally. Batman asks him who bought the book in order to learn who's in on the plot.

* The film version of RedDragon has the serial killer and Hannibal Lecter communicate by posting a notice in a tabloid personal section. To pass a hidden message this way, some bible verses are listed. The FBI recognizes that some of the verses don't exist, and are actually an example of this trope; the chapter:verse numbers correspond to page and word in Lecter's copy of The Joy of Cooking.

Big and well-known books make better sources as you have more words to choose from (thus Literature/TheBible is often the source), and no one will react if you're walking around with a pocket version of "TheDaVinciCode". Relatedly, if you are unfortunate enough to lose your copy, a well-known book will be easier to replace without raising eyebrows. If you're walking around with an OlderThanRadio edition of a book, or asking specifically to buy a copy of the fourth printing of the second edition of something... people may well get suspicious (especially the detective who's after you). Of course, using a widely available book also makes it easier for other people to read your messages, should they be intercepted, and while the book itself may be utterly innocuous, sending a letter that is merely a long list of numbers is an unmistakeable indication that you are communicating in code.

John Doe has a copy of a book. The first number is a page, the second number is a line on the page, third number is the word inside that line. (though it can also be just Page & Word, if you want to make it easy). Richard Roe has an exact copy which he can use to decipher the code.

Big and well-known books make better sources as you have more words to choose from (thus Literature/TheBible is often the source), and no one will react if you're walking around with a pocket version of "TheDaVinciCode". If you're walking around with an OlderThanRadio edition of a book, however... people will get suspicious (especially the detective who's after you).

Ottendorf Cipher is the one with Page, Word and Letter.

* The film version of RedDragon has the serial killer and Hannibal Lecter communicate by posting a notice in a tabloid personal section. To pass a hidden message this way, some bible verses are listed. The FBI recognizes that some of the verses don't exist, and are actually an example of this trope; the chapter:verse numbers correspond to page and word in Lecter's copy of The Joy of Cooking.

* This is described and used in ''Literature/TheCurseOfChalion'' by LoisMcMasterBujold.

* This is described and used in ''TheCurseOfChalion'' by LoisMcMasterBujold.

This is an old and basic cipher.

Big and well-known books make better sources as you have more words to choose from (thus TheBible is often the source), and no one will react if you're walking around with a pocket version of "TheDaVinciCode". If you're walking around with an OlderThanRadio edition of a book, however... people will get suspicious (especially the detective who's after you).

Ottendorf Cipher is the one with Page, Word and Letter.

[[AC: Alternate Reality Game]]

[[AC: Anime and Manga]]

[[AC:Comic Books]]

[[AC: Film]]

[[AC: Literature]]

* The name of Ken Follet's World War II thriller ''The Key to Rebecca'' refers to a German spy in Cairo using Daphne du Maurier's novel ''Rebecca'' as the basis of a code.

* Another Wimsey example at one remove is in ''Have His Carcase'', using a [[http://www.simonsingh.net/The_Black_Chamber/playfaircipher.htm Playfair Cipher]] with the keyword (the tenth word on page 583 of the latest edition of a Chambers' Dictionary) disclosed this way.

* The German spy uses this kind of encryption in ''[[ErastFandorin The Death of Achilles]]''.

[[AC: LiveActionTV]]

* In the Season 2 finale of BBC's ''{{Luther}}'', the numbers in a notebook is revealed to be this. The book they use to decipher is [[spoiler:the Bible that Luther finds at the hotel room of the culprit.]]

* "The Fisher King", a two-part episode of ''Series/CriminalMinds'', features an Ottendorf cipher part of a larger puzzle to find [[spoiler:a girl who had been missing for two years]]. The key text was [[spoiler:''The Collector'' by John Fowles]].
* ''Series/BurnNotice'' uses this, especially in the [[spoiler:fourth season]], where it becomes part of the season-long plot when Michael Westen steals a [[spoiler:Bible from a safe deposit box that is the code book of Simon.]]

[[AC: Real Life]]

* In the second episode of TheBBC's ''{{Sherlock}}'', they encounter a number [[spoiler:of symbols]]. This turns out to be [[spoiler:numbers written in an ancient Chinese script, with the book being a Tour Guide of London (which ends up as part of Fridge Brilliance, as the Chinese Gang use these symbols to arrange meeting points]].

* "The Fisher King", a two-part episode of ''CriminalMinds'', features an Ottendorf cipher brought to the Behavioral Analysis Unit by the [[spoiler:UNSUB via Agent Hotchner's wife.]] The cypher was part of a larger puzzle to find [[spoiler:a girl who had been missing for two years]]. The key text was [[spoiler:The Collector by John Fowles]].
* ''BurnNotice'' uses this, especially in the [[spoiler:fourth season]], where it becomes part of the season-long plot when Michael Westen steals a [[spoiler:Bible from a safe deposit box that is the code book of Simon.]]
* In ''TheUnit'' episode "Paradise Lost", Jonas Blane uses a book code from [[spoiler:the poem Paradise Lost to communicate to his wife, Molly, that he has arrived safely in Panam]].

* In ''A Presumption of Death'', LordPeterWimsey, on assignment for British Intelligence in WWII Nazi-occupied Europe, uses a code based on the works of JohnDonne. The Germans, suspecting that an intelligence service in which Oxonians have a major role would choose a classical work of English literature, systematically try such works until hitting the right one and breaking the code, coming near to catching the spy. Wimsey then improvises a new code, based on an unpublished text known only to himself and his wife.

* In ''NationalTreasure'', the herp discovers various numbers hidden on the back of the Declaration of Independence; these correspond [[spoiler:not to a book per se, but to the 'Silence Dogood' letters his father donated to a museum]].

* The [[http://www.simonsingh.net/Beale_Treasure_Ciphers.html Beale Ciphers]] are possibly a case of this. At the least, the second of the three documents, the one indicating the contents of the treasure, maps to the letters in the Declaration of Independence. Of course, there's also some evidence that [[http://www.criticalenquiry.org/beale/beale.shtml it was a hoax from the start]].

* Graham Greene's heroes often use book codes. In ''The Human Factor'', several books are used, and an edition of Charles Lamb's ''Tales from Shakespeare'' is used in ''Our Man in Havana''.