The Bookcase

Navajo Code Talkers

by Nathan Aaseng (Walker Books, 1994)
Navajo Code Talkers by Nathan Aaseng

What's the difference between a language and a secret code? Sometimes, just where you are. This is the exciting true story of Native American Navajo soldiers who used their native language to help win World War II.  Because Navajo is unlike either English or Japanese, it was completely mystifying to the Japanese code-breakers, who couldn’t decipher it. So with Navajo soldiers speaking in Navajo code, the Americans could send important messages in complete secrecy, which gave them a big advantage.