Synopses & Reviews
"As much as I like puzzles, I like stories more. and that is what this book is all about; the story of puzzles and the tales of the puzzlers who created them.
"But have no fear. There are puzzles aplenty in the book, some of the greatest ever designed. There are classics form unknown sources as well as puzzles that are brand new. There are important firsts, such as the first crossword puzzle and mechanical puzzles from the turn of the century. There are puzzles that dangled the lure of easy money before a starving nation's eyes and puzzles whose solutions saved thousands of lives and helped win a war.
"And there's murder, mystery, and magic. You'll be tricked, and then given the chance to figure out how it was done. Puzzling crimes will be presented for you to test your sleuthing ability.
"I've also interviewed important people in the world of puzzles; people such as Martin Garner, the Dean of American Puzzlers, and found out how they came to puzzle design (and just what their favorite puzzles are).
All this, and, as they say, much more. It's a book to read. And it's a book to play with. For these are The Greatest Puzzles of all Time"
Matthew Costello (from the introduction)