Description

The American ENIAC is customarily regarded as the first electronic computer. In this fascinating volume, Jack Copeland rewrites the history of computer science, arguing that in reality Colossus--the giant computer built in Bletchley Park by the British secret service during World War II--predates ENIAC by two years. Until very recently, much about the Colossus machine was shrouded in secrecy, largely because the code-breaking algorithms employed during World War II remained in use by the British security services until a short time ago. Copeland has brought together memoirs of veterans of Bletchley Park--the top-secret headquarters of Britain's secret service--and others who draw on the wealth of declassified information to illuminate the crucial role Colossus played during World War II. A must read for anyone curious about code-breaking or World War II espionage, Colossus offers a fascinating insider's account of the world's first giant computer, the great-great-grandfather of the massive computers used today by the CIA and the National Security Agency.

Features

• A collection of essays, personal recollections, and very human stories, providing a fascinating history of the world's first electronic computer
• Contains information which has until recently been classified wartime material, and important accounts, published here for the first time, from the architect of the computer
• Explains in an accessible and engaging way the broader context of code-breaking, computers, World War II, and the legacy of Colossus
• Opens with an introductory essay by the acclaimed writer Simon Singh about the history of cryptography, and, for those who would like to dig deeper, the book also contains technical appendices outlining the mathematics

Reviews

Listed in SciTech Book News

"Reading Colossus, a book about the world's first fully electronic computer that was built during the Second World War to crack the codes of high-level Nazi communications, is like reading a suspenseful spy story! It is entertaining to read and at the same time one learns a lot about the history of cryptography and code breaking secrets, decryption and related technologies. Historical pictures along with many interesting charts make the book indispensable to anyone who reviews or writes about the history of computer technology."--Human-Computer Interaction International News

Product Details

480 pages; Various line drawings & 16pp b/w plate section; 6 1/4 x 9 3/8; ISBN13: 978-0-19-957814-6ISBN10: 0-19-957814-1

About the Author(s)