Campbell-Kelly, M: Computer A History of the Information Machine

"A welcome update to the classic text on the history of the computer--sure to extend its relevance to a new generation of students and scholars." --David Mindell, MIT, author of "Digital Apollo: Human and Machine in Spaceflight" "This authoritative yet accessible history of computing improves with each edition. This latest version provides enhanced coverage of recent developments such as the Internet, while sharpening and deepening its treatment of earlier events. A balanced, reliable account that holds interest for specialists and provides a ready entry into the topic for students, professionals, and general readers." --Steven W. Usselman, Georgia Institute of Technology "I strongly recommend to you the third edition of "Computer"; it is simultaneously a thorough, accurate, and highly readable history of the evolution of the computer and its impact on all aspects of our society. I am an old guy, having written my first computer program over 50 years ago, and I have personally known many of the people mentioned in the book so I can attest to the accuracy of the events described." --Bill Wulf, University of Virginia Praise for Prior Editions: Terrific! This is the best general history of computing yet written, by two of the field's most prominent historians. "Computer" is comprehensive, engaging, and a pleasure to read. Aspray and Campbell-Kelley paint the big picture of the information revolution that is affecting all of our lives.
-- David A. Mindell, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and author of "Between Human and Machine: Feedback, Control, and Computing Before Cybernetics" Starting back when computers were people, computer historians Campbell-Kelly and Asprey meticulously trace the forces and personalities that gave birth to the computer age. From Babbage's failed analytical engine to mechanical calculators, IBM's room-sized mainframes, minis, Microsoft, and the Internet, their in-depth narrative gives us a peek inside the back ro