Synopses & Reviews
ENIAC is the story of John Mauchly and Presper Eckert, the men who built the first digital, electronic computer. Their three-year race to create the legendary ENIAC is a compelling tale of brilliance and misfortune that has never been told before.
It was the size of a three-bedroom apartment, weighed 30 tons, and cost nearly half a million dollars to build-and $650 an hour to run. But in 1945, this behemoth was the cutting edge in technology, and a herald of the digital age to come. This "little gem of a book" tells the story of this machine and the men who built it-as well as the secrecy, controversy, jealousy, and lawsuits that surrounded it-in a compelling real-life techno-thriller.
Review
Engagingly written...this book an absorbing read for anyone who savors the human stories that always underlie great events. (Wired)
Review
A great story...excellent documentation, interesting asides (the world's first computer programmers were all women) and real drama. (Publishers Weekly)
Review
McCartney has performed an important service by rescuing this tale from obscurity. (Philadelphia Inquirer)
Review
"Fascinating and insightful account...will capture and sustain the interest of even the least technically sophisticated reader. (Kirkus Reviews)
Synopsis
The untold story of the first computer--and the unsung lives of its two brilliant inventors.
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 243-251) and index.