Wikipedia:WikiProject Computing/Early computers task force/Books

Recommended

These books are the most important ones for pre-electronic and zeroth/first generation electronic:

• Nicholas Metropolis, J. Howlett, Gian-Carlo Rota, (editors), A History of Computing in the Twentieth Century (Academic Press, New York, 1980)
• Brian Randell, (editor), The Origins of Digital Computers (Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1973)

General

These are less important (arranged by period/topic):

• Michael R. Williams, A History of Computing Technology, (Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, 1985)

• William Aspray, John von Neumann and the Origins of Modern Computing, (MIT Press, Cambridge, 1990)
• Herman H. Goldstine, The Computer from Pascal to Von Neumann (Princeton University Press, 1972)

• B. V. Bowden, (editor), Faster than Thought, (Pitman, 1975)
• Simon H. Lavington, Early British Computers: The Story of Vintage Computers and The People Who Built Them (Manchester University Press, 1980)
• Simon H. Lavington, A History of Manchester Computers, (National Computer Center, Manchester, 1975)

• M. D. Fagen (editor), National Service in War and Peace (1925-1975), Volume II of A History of Engineering and Science in the Bell System (Bell Telephone Laboratories, 1978)
• David M. Yates, Turing's Legacy: A History of Computing at the National Physical Laboratory, 1945-1995 (Science Museum, London, 1997)
• Arthur L. Norberg, Judy E. O'Neill, Kerry J. Freedman, Transforming Computer Technology: Information Processing for the Pentagon, 1962-1986 (Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, 1996)
• Adele Goldberg, History of Personal Workstations (Addison Wesley Professional, Boston, 1988) Also covers some early machines, e.g. the LINC

Specific topics

These cover specific computers/companies:

• B. E. Carpenter, R. W. Doran, A. M. Turing's ACE Report of 1946 and Other Papers, (MIT Press, Cambridge, 1986)

• Emerson W. Pugh, Memories That Shaped an Industry: Decisions Leading to IBM System/360 (MIT Press, Cambridge, 1984)
• Charles J. Bashe, Lyle R. Johnson, John H. Palmer, Emerson W. Pugh, IBM's Early Computers (MIT Press, Cambridge, 1986)
• Emerson W. Pugh, Lyle R. Johnson, John H. Palmer, IBM's 360 and Early 370 Systems (MIT Press, Cambridge, 1991)

• C. Gordon Bell, J. Craig Mudge, John E. McNamara, Computer Engineering: A DEC View of Hardware Systems Design (Digital, 1979)

• Werner Buchholz (editor), Planning a Computer System: Project Stretch (Mcgraw-Hill, New York, 1962)
• Jim E. Thornton, Design of A Computer: The Control Data 6600 (Scott, Foresman, Glenview, 1970)

Biographies - individuals

Relevant biographies:

• Andrew Hodges, Alan Turing: The Enigma (Simon and Schuster, New York, 1983) The definitive bio of him; although there are a couple of later ones which include some recently-released classified info which wasn't in this one, they are short and poorly sourced, so this is still the preferred one.
• Maurice Wilkes, Memoirs of a Computer Pioneer (MIT Press, Cambridge, 1985)
• Herman Lukoff, From Dits to Bits: A Personal History of the Electronic Computer (Robotics, Portland, 1979)
• David E. Lundstrom, A Few Good Men from Univac (MIT Press, Cambridge, 1987)

Biographies - group

• Gareth Ashurst, Pioneers of Computing (Frederick Muller, London, 1983)
• David Ritchie, The Computer Pioneers: The Making of the Modern Computer (Simon and Schuster, New York, 1986)