Electronic Computers

Electronic Computers (1967) – S.H. Hollingdale & G.C. Tootill
Pelican Original – proudly offered by Crappy Old Books

Step back into the whirring, blinking dawn of the computer age with Electronic Computers, the classic 1967 guide that bravely tackled the mysteries of mainframes before most people knew what a byte was. Written by mathematician S.H. Hollingdale and computing pioneer G.C. Tootill, this Pelican Original is a charmingly earnest attempt to explain how room-sized machines full of valves, wires, and punched cards were going to change the world — and, to be fair, they weren’t wrong.

Expect clear diagrams, optimistic predictions, and that heady blend of Cold War curiosity and post-war progress that only a ‘60s tech manual can deliver. Perfect for retro tech geeks, time-travelling programmers, or anyone who thinks a 4K monitor is overrated when you’ve got a cathode-ray oscilloscope.

Now slightly foxed, possibly musty, but undeniably fascinating — another gem from Crappy Old Books, where the future is stuck in 1967.

Keep browsing: See more IT books Other books by SH Hollingdale and GC Tootill