PGP is a fascinating topic. That's why I bought
the book - just to read as much as I could about
it. I think for most people who find PGP
interesting, the distribution documentation is
more than adequate. If you find PGP more necessary
than interesting, this book really holds your
hand. I didn't mind going through some of the more
unlikely examples on paper rather than on my
computer (I doubt and hope that I will ever need
to revoke a key, for example, but it's nice to
look over the process). The history and personal
stories surrounding PGP are quite interesting.
The pity here is that they stop in 1995 (in my
version). I'd love to know what happened between
then and now. The only other thing I was a bit
disappointed with was the math appendix. I am
no mathmatician, but interested in just how this
works. The math appendix was for people who
probably didn't need it.
Basically, in 1999 a bit outdated, but a good
read for someone who really is interested in PGP.