| Colossus: The Secrets of Bletchley Park's Code-Breaking Computers Contributor(s): Copeland, B. Jack (Editor) |
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ISBN: 0199578141 ISBN-13: 9780199578146 Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA OUR PRICE: $35.14 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: April 2010 |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - History | Military - World War Ii - Computers | History - Language Arts & Disciplines | Linguistics - General |
| Dewey: 940.548 |
| Physical Information: 1.5" H x 6.1" W x 8.9" (1.65 lbs) 480 pages |
| Themes: - Chronological Period - 1940's - Cultural Region - British Isles |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher 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. |