[Air-l] History of computer

[Phillip Thurtle]

An extremely solid history of computing (but with almost no cultural
analysis) is Paul Ceruzzi's _History of Modern Computing_.  A little more
in depth in the cultural analysis is Campbell-Kelly and Aspray's _Computer:
A History of the Information Machine_ but really only because they
investigate the role of the commercial sector in more depth.

Finally, an interesting an often overlooked book is Paul Edwards' _The
Closed World_ that details an interesting configuration of military
command and control, behavioralism, and computing use.  Edwards' book is
Foucaldian in the sense that he is detailing a historical episteme that
gave rise for the need of computing technology.  It is also interesting
for its use of literary, cultural, and historical analysis.


best-
Phillip Thurtle
University of Washington
Co-editor of H-SCI-MED-TECH