Introduction: writing systems, coded civilizations and undeciphered scripts
Pt. I. Three great decipherments
Voices of the Pharaohs: Egyptian hieroglyphs (Egypt)
Labyrinth of Minos: linear B (Greece)
Bishop de Landa's inquisition: Mayan glyphs (Central America)
Pt. II. Undeciphered scripts
Voices of the Black Pharaohs: the Meroitic script (Sudan)
Greek but not Greek: the Etruscan alphabet (Italy)
Mediterranean mystery: linear A (the Aegean)
Secrets of the ancient ledgers: the proto-elamite script (Iran)
Birdmen of Rapanui: Rongorongo (Easter Island)
New world begins to write: the Zapotec and Isthmian scripts (Mexico)
At the sign of the unicorn: the Indus script (Pakistan/India)
Sir Arthur's 'Chaunt of victory': the Phaistos disc (Crete)
Conclusion
Urge to decipher.