The Story of Computing - A Review

The Story of Computing

by

Dermot Turing

A Review

Alan Turing’s nephew has compiled a history of computing. The book is an interesting read for this reader who lived through much of it beginning in 1968. Lots of trivia bring the story alive.

Two flaws make the book less than perfect. First, the book reads as it were a compilation of magazine or journal articles compiled into a book, rather than a book written as a complete whole. This is most notable when the reader finds the same individuals reintroduced as if they were new characters in different parts of the book. One gets the impression that the author has forgotten that he had previously introduced the character in a previous context.

The other flaw is the occasional historical gaffe introduced by the author. For example, while discussing the problem of calculating taxes during the time of Caesar Augustus, the author says, “and as our informant is St Luke, who was a tax man, we can assume he is reliable.” But as most students of scripture know, St Luke was not a tax man, but a physician. St. Matthew was the tax collector. A small error, but it makes this reader question the other bits of trivia throughout the book. The scholar who may choose to use this book as a source would be wise to verify any details borrowed from the book.

The book does provide details that this reader has not seen elsewhere – making it an interesting read. It would be a valuable addition to the library of anybody interest in computer history. It also has the potential for serving as an ancillary text for the computer science service course or in the first course as part of a computer science degree.

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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are my own.