Charles Babbage - Revision history

Jnc: /* External links */ +Charles Babbage's Difference Engine

2024-08-30T16:46:35Z

External links: +Charles Babbage's Difference Engine

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:46, 30 August 2024
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	* Bruce Collier, [http://robroy.dyndns.info/collier/ ''The Little Engines that Could've: The Calculating Machines of Charles Babbage''], Harvard University, Cambridge, 1970 - in addition to a good description of his machines, perhaps the best summary of his importance		* Bruce Collier, [http://robroy.dyndns.info/collier/ ''The Little Engines that Could've: The Calculating Machines of Charles Babbage''], Harvard University, Cambridge, 1970 - in addition to a good description of his machines, perhaps the best summary of his importance
	* Allan G. Bromley, [https://ed-thelen.org/comp-hist/CBC-Ch-02.pdf ''Difference and Analytical Engines'']; Chapter Two in William Aspray (editor), [https://ed-thelen.org/comp-hist/CBC.html ''Computing Before Computers''], Iowa State University Press, Ames, 1990 - covers Babbage as well as the Engines		* Allan G. Bromley, [https://ed-thelen.org/comp-hist/CBC-Ch-02.pdf ''Difference and Analytical Engines'']; Chapter Two in William Aspray (editor), [https://ed-thelen.org/comp-hist/CBC.html ''Computing Before Computers''], Iowa State University Press, Ames, 1990 - covers Babbage as well as the Engines
	* [https://history.computer.org/pioneers/pdfs/B/Babbage.pdf Charles Babbage] - brief biography at the IEEE Computer Society		* [https://history.computer.org/pioneers/pdfs/B/Babbage.pdf Charles Babbage] - brief biography at the IEEE Computer Society
			* [https://www.whipplemuseum.cam.ac.uk/explore-whipple-collections/calculating-devices/charles-babbages-difference-engine Charles Babbage's Difference Engine] - has content about Babbage himself too
	* [https://blog.plan28.org/ Plan 28 Blog] - a group of people, led by Doron Swade, planning to build an Analytical Engine		* [https://blog.plan28.org/ Plan 28 Blog] - a group of people, led by Doron Swade, planning to build an Analytical Engine

	{{DEFAULTSORT: Babbage, Charles}}		{{DEFAULTSORT: Babbage, Charles}}
	[[Category: People]]		[[Category: People]]

Jnc: Add Bromley; move Diff Engine stuff to DE page

2024-08-30T16:27:05Z

Add Bromley; move Diff Engine stuff to DE page

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:27, 30 August 2024
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	* Philip and Emily Morrison, ''Charles Babbage and his Calculating Engines'', Dover Publications, New York, 1961 - selected material from a large number of Babbage's publications, along with an extended introduction		* Philip and Emily Morrison, ''Charles Babbage and his Calculating Engines'', Dover Publications, New York, 1961 - selected material from a large number of Babbage's publications, along with an extended introduction
	* Richard H. Babbage, ''The Work of Charles Babbage''; included in ''Proceedings of a Symposium on Large-scale Digital Calculating Machinery'', Harvard University Computation Laboratory, Cambridge, 1947; the latter re-printed MIT Press/Tomash, Cambridge/Los Angeles, 1985 - in addition to other material from Babbage's writing, contains some detail on the Mechanical Notation		* Richard H. Babbage, ''The Work of Charles Babbage''; included in ''Proceedings of a Symposium on Large-scale Digital Calculating Machinery'', Harvard University Computation Laboratory, Cambridge, 1947; the latter re-printed MIT Press/Tomash, Cambridge/Los Angeles, 1985 - in addition to other material from Babbage's writing, contains some detail on the Mechanical Notation
	* Bruce Collier, [http://robroy.dyndns.info/collier/ ''The Little Engines that Could've: The Calculating Machines of Charles Babbage''], Harvard University, Cambridge, 1970 - in addition to a good description of his machines, perhaps the best summary of his importance
	* Anthony Hyman, ''Charles Babbage: Pioneer of the Computer'', Princeton University, Princeton, 1982 - detailed, lengthy biography with passing coverage of his machines		* Anthony Hyman, ''Charles Babbage: Pioneer of the Computer'', Princeton University, Princeton, 1982 - detailed, lengthy biography with passing coverage of his machines
	* Bruce Collier, James MacLachlan, ''Charles Babbage: And the Engines of Perfection'', Oxford University, Oxford, 1998 - medium-length biography with good coverage of his machines		* Bruce Collier, James MacLachlan, ''Charles Babbage: And the Engines of Perfection'', Oxford University, Oxford, 1998 - medium-length biography with good coverage of his machines
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	==External links==		==External links==

	* [https://ed-thelen.org/~~bab~~/~~bab~~-~~intro~~.~~html Babbage~~ Difference ~~Engine #2 - How to Initialize the Machine~~] ~~- actually~~, ~~covers the theory as well~~		* Bruce Collier, [http://robroy.dyndns.info/collier/ ''The Little Engines that Could've: The Calculating Machines of Charles Babbage''], Harvard University, Cambridge, 1970 - in addition to a good description of his machines, perhaps the best summary of his importance
	** [https://ed-thelen.org/~~bab~~/~~bab_tech~~.html ~~Charles Babbage~~'~~s Difference Engine No. 2 Technical Description~~]		* Allan G. Bromley, [https://ed-thelen.org/comp-hist/CBC-Ch-02.pdf ''Difference and Analytical Engines'']; Chapter Two in William Aspray (editor), [https://ed-thelen.org/comp-hist/CBC.html ''Computing Before Computers''], Iowa State University Press, Ames, 1990 - covers Babbage as well as the Engines
	* [https://history.computer.org/pioneers/pdfs/B/Babbage.pdf Charles Babbage] - brief biography at the IEEE Computer Society		* [https://history.computer.org/pioneers/pdfs/B/Babbage.pdf Charles Babbage] - brief biography at the IEEE Computer Society
	* [https://blog.plan28.org/ Plan 28 Blog] - a group of people, led by Doron Swade, planning to build an Analytical Engine		* [https://blog.plan28.org/ Plan 28 Blog] - a group of people, led by Doron Swade, planning to build an Analytical Engine

Jnc: Aiken's location

2024-04-09T03:14:52Z

Aiken's location

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	In retrospect, he seems to have pioneered many later developments which were eventually independently re-invented, such as the separation between the [[Central Processing Unit\|CPU]] (which he called the 'mill'), and [[main memory]] (the 'store'). In later versions of the Analytical Engine, he made use of the mechanical equivalent of [[microprogram]]ming.		In retrospect, he seems to have pioneered many later developments which were eventually independently re-invented, such as the separation between the [[Central Processing Unit\|CPU]] (which he called the 'mill'), and [[main memory]] (the 'store'). In later versions of the Analytical Engine, he made use of the mechanical equivalent of [[microprogram]]ming.

	The depth of the connection between Babbage and modern [[computer]]s is unclear, and still debated. It seems fairly certain that his detailed work was not known to later workers (and was thus a dead end) - in part because much of it was not publicized in his time. (Much of the detail we now know of his Engines is because of fairly recent extensive study of his working notebooks, and engineering drawings, which were fortunately preserved.) On the other hand, not only were the basic ideas of the Analytical Engine publicized at the time (and later known to pioneers are far afield as [[Howard Aiken]], creator of the [[Automatic Sequence Controlled Calculator]]), it seems that knowledge of his basic ideas was transmitted orally within the intellectual community at Cambridge; so [[Alan Turing]], who definitely ''was'' so connected, likely knew of his basic concepts.		The depth of the connection between Babbage and modern [[computer]]s is unclear, and still debated. It seems fairly certain that his detailed work was not known to later workers (and was thus a dead end) - in part because much of it was not publicized in his time. (Much of the detail we now know of his Engines is because of fairly recent extensive study of his working notebooks, and engineering drawings, which were fortunately preserved.) On the other hand, not only were the basic ideas of the Analytical Engine publicized at the time (and later known to pioneers are far afield as [[Howard Aiken]] in the USA, creator of the [[Automatic Sequence Controlled Calculator]]), it seems that knowledge of his basic ideas was transmitted orally within the intellectual community at Cambridge; so [[Alan Turing]], who definitely ''was'' so connected, likely knew of his basic concepts.

	Collier and MacLachlan's book (below) sums him up well:		Collier and MacLachlan's book (below) sums him up well:

Jnc: /* Further reading */ +Trilogy On Errors in the History of Computing

2024-03-30T18:49:31Z

Further reading: +Trilogy On Errors in the History of Computing

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:49, 30 March 2024
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	==Further reading==		==Further reading==

			===Books===
	* Charles Babbage, ''Passages from the Life of a Philosopher'', Longman, Roberts & Green, London, 1864; re-printed Augustus M. Kelley, New York, 1969		* Charles Babbage, ''Passages from the Life of a Philosopher'', Longman, Roberts & Green, London, 1864; re-printed Augustus M. Kelley, New York, 1969
	* Charles Babbage, Henry Prevost Babbage (editor), ''Babbage's Calculating Engines: Being a Collection of Papers Relating to Them; Their History and Construction'', E. and F. N. Spon, London, 1889; re-printed Tomash, Los Angeles, 1984; Cambridge University, Cambridge, 2010 - a large number of Babbage's original works, including several detailed ones on the Mechanical Notation; the Tomash re-print includes an informative new introduction by Allan Bromley		* Charles Babbage, Henry Prevost Babbage (editor), ''Babbage's Calculating Engines: Being a Collection of Papers Relating to Them; Their History and Construction'', E. and F. N. Spon, London, 1889; re-printed Tomash, Los Angeles, 1984; Cambridge University, Cambridge, 2010 - a large number of Babbage's original works, including several detailed ones on the Mechanical Notation; the Tomash re-print includes an informative new introduction by Allan Bromley
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	* Doron Swade, ''Charles Babbage and His Calculating Engines'', Science Museum, London, 1991 - exhibition catalogue		* Doron Swade, ''Charles Babbage and His Calculating Engines'', Science Museum, London, 1991 - exhibition catalogue
	* Doron Swade, ''The Difference Engine: Charles Babbage and the Quest to Build the First Computer'', Viking, New York, 1991 - excellent history of the Science Museum's project to build an actual Difference Engine, includes biographical content and historical context of the original, and touches on the Analytic Engine		* Doron Swade, ''The Difference Engine: Charles Babbage and the Quest to Build the First Computer'', Viking, New York, 1991 - excellent history of the Science Museum's project to build an actual Difference Engine, includes biographical content and historical context of the original, and touches on the Analytic Engine

			===Papers===

			* Nicholas Metropolis, J. Worlton, [https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/4628499 ''A Trilogy On Errors in the History of Computing''], Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, 1972 - contains a section on how much early computer people knew of Babbage
			<!-- https://www.osti.gov/biblio/4628499 -->

	==External links==		==External links==

Jnc: /* External links */ +sort

2024-03-22T22:19:55Z

External links: +sort

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:19, 22 March 2024
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	* [https://blog.plan28.org/ Plan 28 Blog] - a group of people, led by Doron Swade, planning to build an Analytical Engine		* [https://blog.plan28.org/ Plan 28 Blog] - a group of people, led by Doron Swade, planning to build an Analytical Engine

			{{DEFAULTSORT: Babbage, Charles}}
	[[Category: People]]		[[Category: People]]

Jnc: /* External links */ +brief biography at the IEEE Computer Society

2024-03-22T19:16:36Z

External links: +brief biography at the IEEE Computer Society

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:16, 22 March 2024
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	* [https://ed-thelen.org/bab/bab-intro.html Babbage Difference Engine #2 - How to Initialize the Machine] - actually, covers the theory as well		* [https://ed-thelen.org/bab/bab-intro.html Babbage Difference Engine #2 - How to Initialize the Machine] - actually, covers the theory as well
	** [https://ed-thelen.org/bab/bab_tech.html Charles Babbage's Difference Engine No. 2 Technical Description]		** [https://ed-thelen.org/bab/bab_tech.html Charles Babbage's Difference Engine No. 2 Technical Description]
			* [https://history.computer.org/pioneers/pdfs/B/Babbage.pdf Charles Babbage] - brief biography at the IEEE Computer Society
	* [https://blog.plan28.org/ Plan 28 Blog] - a group of people, led by Doron Swade, planning to build an Analytical Engine		* [https://blog.plan28.org/ Plan 28 Blog] - a group of people, led by Doron Swade, planning to build an Analytical Engine

	[[Category: People]]		[[Category: People]]

Jnc: /* Further reading */ fix note

2024-03-16T10:08:37Z

Jnc: /* Further reading */ Annotate Babbage's Calculating Engines entry

2024-03-15T17:34:59Z

Further reading: Annotate Babbage's Calculating Engines entry

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:34, 15 March 2024
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	* Charles Babbage, ''Passages from the Life of a Philosopher'', Longman, Roberts & Green, London, 1864; re-printed Augustus M. Kelley, New York, 1969		* Charles Babbage, ''Passages from the Life of a Philosopher'', Longman, Roberts & Green, London, 1864; re-printed Augustus M. Kelley, New York, 1969
	* Charles Babbage, Henry P. Babbage (editor), ''Babbage's Calculating Engines: Being a Collection of Papers Relating to Them; Their History and Construction''; re-printed ~~MIT Press/~~Tomash, ~~Cambridge/~~Los Angeles, 1984; Cambridge University, Cambridge, 2010		* Charles Babbage, Henry Prevost Babbage (editor), ''Babbage's Calculating Engines: Being a Collection of Papers Relating to Them; Their History and Construction'', E. and F. N. Spon, London, 1889; re-printed Tomash, Los Angeles, 1984; Cambridge University, Cambridge, 2010 - a large number of Babbage's original works, including several detailed ones on the Mechanical Notation; includes an informative new introduction by Allan Bromley
	* H. W. Buxton, ''Memoir of the Life and Labours of the Late Charles Babbage Esq. F.R.S.'', MIT Press/Tomash, Cambridge/Los Angeles, 1988 - extensive contemporary biography, unfinished and un-printed at the time		* H. W. Buxton, ''Memoir of the Life and Labours of the Late Charles Babbage Esq. F.R.S.'', MIT Press/Tomash, Cambridge/Los Angeles, 1988 - extensive contemporary biography, unfinished and un-printed at the time
	* Philip and Emily Morrison, ''Charles Babbage and his Calculating Engines'', Dover Publications, New York, 1961 - selected material from a large number of Babbage's publications, along with an extended introduction		* Philip and Emily Morrison, ''Charles Babbage and his Calculating Engines'', Dover Publications, New York, 1961 - selected material from a large number of Babbage's publications, along with an extended introduction

Jnc: Mention the Mechanical Notation; +The Work of Charles Babbage

2024-03-14T15:32:10Z

Mention the Mechanical Notation; +The Work of Charles Babbage

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:32, 14 March 2024
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	A prototype of the first, the [[Difference Engine]] (an idea originated by Johann Helfrich von Müller in 1786) was started in the 1820's, but never finished. (The Science Museum recently built an actual Difference Engine, using a better design he created in 1847-49, but never attempted to build; it actually worked reasonably well.) His later proposed [[Analytical Engine]] (prototyping began in the 1860's) was the first programmable computing device, and a general-purpose one, but its program was fixed.		A prototype of the first, the [[Difference Engine]] (an idea originated by Johann Helfrich von Müller in 1786) was started in the 1820's, but never finished. (The Science Museum recently built an actual Difference Engine, using a better design he created in 1847-49, but never attempted to build; it actually worked reasonably well.) His later proposed [[Analytical Engine]] (prototyping began in the 1860's) was the first programmable computing device, and a general-purpose one, but its program was fixed.

			One of the inventions of which he was most proud was his 'Mechanical Notation', which was a way of providing a high-level abstraction of a complex mechanical system. Now little-known, and understood, it was a key, and constantly improved, tool for him in his work on the Engines.

	In retrospect, he seems to have pioneered many later developments which were eventually independently re-invented, such as the separation between the [[Central Processing Unit\|CPU]] (which he called the 'mill'), and [[main memory]] (the 'store'). In later versions of the Analytical Engine, he made use of the mechanical equivalent of [[microprogram]]ming.		In retrospect, he seems to have pioneered many later developments which were eventually independently re-invented, such as the separation between the [[Central Processing Unit\|CPU]] (which he called the 'mill'), and [[main memory]] (the 'store'). In later versions of the Analytical Engine, he made use of the mechanical equivalent of [[microprogram]]ming.
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	* H. W. Buxton, ''Memoir of the Life and Labours of the Late Charles Babbage Esq. F.R.S.'', MIT Press/Tomash, Cambridge/Los Angeles, 1988 - extensive contemporary biography, unfinished and un-printed at the time		* H. W. Buxton, ''Memoir of the Life and Labours of the Late Charles Babbage Esq. F.R.S.'', MIT Press/Tomash, Cambridge/Los Angeles, 1988 - extensive contemporary biography, unfinished and un-printed at the time
	* Philip and Emily Morrison, ''Charles Babbage and his Calculating Engines'', Dover Publications, New York, 1961 - selected material from a large number of Babbage's publications, along with an extended introduction		* Philip and Emily Morrison, ''Charles Babbage and his Calculating Engines'', Dover Publications, New York, 1961 - selected material from a large number of Babbage's publications, along with an extended introduction
	* ~~Maboth Moseley~~, ''~~Irascible Genius: A Life~~ of Charles Babbage~~, Inventor~~'', ~~Henry Regnery~~, ~~Chicago~~, ~~1970 <!~~-- '~~Maboth~~' ~~is not~~ a ~~typo. -->~~		* Richard H. Babbage, ''The Work of Charles Babbage''; included in ''Proceedings of a Symposium on Large-scale Digital Calculating Machinery'', Harvard University Computation Laboratory, Cambridge, 1947; the latter re-printed MIT Press/Tomash, Cambridge/Los Angeles, 1985 - in addition to other material from Babbage's writing, contains some detail on the Mechanical Notation
			* Bruce Collier, [http://robroy.dyndns.info/collier/ ''The Little Engines that Could've: The Calculating Machines of Charles Babbage''], Harvard University, Cambridge, 1970 - in addition to a good description of his machines, perhaps the best summary of his importance
	* Anthony Hyman, ''Charles Babbage: Pioneer of the Computer'', Princeton University, Princeton, 1982 - detailed, lengthy biography with passing coverage of his machines		* Anthony Hyman, ''Charles Babbage: Pioneer of the Computer'', Princeton University, Princeton, 1982 - detailed, lengthy biography with passing coverage of his machines
	* Bruce Collier, James MacLachlan, ''Charles Babbage: And the Engines of Perfection'', Oxford University, Oxford, 1998 - medium-length biography with good coverage of his machines		* Bruce Collier, James MacLachlan, ''Charles Babbage: And the Engines of Perfection'', Oxford University, Oxford, 1998 - medium-length biography with good coverage of his machines
			* Maboth Moseley, ''Irascible Genius: A Life of Charles Babbage, Inventor'', Henry Regnery, Chicago, 1970 <!-- 'Maboth' is not a typo. -->
	* Doron Swade, ''Charles Babbage and His Calculating Engines'', Science Museum, London, 1991 - exhibition catalogue		* Doron Swade, ''Charles Babbage and His Calculating Engines'', Science Museum, London, 1991 - exhibition catalogue
	* Doron Swade, ''The Difference Engine: Charles Babbage and the Quest to Build the First Computer'', Viking, New York, 1991 - excellent history of the Science Museum's project to build an actual Difference Engine, includes biographical content and historical context of the original, and touches on the Analytic Engine		* Doron Swade, ''The Difference Engine: Charles Babbage and the Quest to Build the First Computer'', Viking, New York, 1991 - excellent history of the Science Museum's project to build an actual Difference Engine, includes biographical content and historical context of the original, and touches on the Analytic Engine
	* Bruce Collier, [http://robroy.dyndns.info/collier/ ''The Little Engines that Could've: The Calculating Machines of Charles Babbage''], Harvard University, Cambridge, 1970 - in addition to a good description of his machines, perhaps the best summary of his importance

	==External links==		==External links==

Jnc: /* Further reading */ Tweak description of Doron Swade's Difference Engine book

2024-03-11T19:11:03Z

Further reading: Tweak description of Doron Swade's Difference Engine book

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:11, 11 March 2024
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	* Bruce Collier, James MacLachlan, ''Charles Babbage: And the Engines of Perfection'', Oxford University, Oxford, 1998 - medium-length biography with good coverage of his machines		* Bruce Collier, James MacLachlan, ''Charles Babbage: And the Engines of Perfection'', Oxford University, Oxford, 1998 - medium-length biography with good coverage of his machines
	* Doron Swade, ''Charles Babbage and His Calculating Engines'', Science Museum, London, 1991 - exhibition catalogue		* Doron Swade, ''Charles Babbage and His Calculating Engines'', Science Museum, London, 1991 - exhibition catalogue
	* Doron Swade, ''The Difference Engine: Charles Babbage and the Quest to Build the First Computer'', Viking, New York, 1991 - excellent history of the Science Museum's project to build an actual Difference Engine, includes biographical content and historical context of the original		* Doron Swade, ''The Difference Engine: Charles Babbage and the Quest to Build the First Computer'', Viking, New York, 1991 - excellent history of the Science Museum's project to build an actual Difference Engine, includes biographical content and historical context of the original, and touches on the Analytic Engine
	* Bruce Collier, [http://robroy.dyndns.info/collier/ ''The Little Engines that Could've: The Calculating Machines of Charles Babbage''], Harvard University, Cambridge, 1970 - in addition to a good description of his machines, perhaps the best summary of his importance		* Bruce Collier, [http://robroy.dyndns.info/collier/ ''The Little Engines that Could've: The Calculating Machines of Charles Babbage''], Harvard University, Cambridge, 1970 - in addition to a good description of his machines, perhaps the best summary of his importance

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:08, 16 March 2024
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	* Charles Babbage, ''Passages from the Life of a Philosopher'', Longman, Roberts & Green, London, 1864; re-printed Augustus M. Kelley, New York, 1969		* Charles Babbage, ''Passages from the Life of a Philosopher'', Longman, Roberts & Green, London, 1864; re-printed Augustus M. Kelley, New York, 1969
	* Charles Babbage, Henry Prevost Babbage (editor), ''Babbage's Calculating Engines: Being a Collection of Papers Relating to Them; Their History and Construction'', E. and F. N. Spon, London, 1889; re-printed Tomash, Los Angeles, 1984; Cambridge University, Cambridge, 2010 - a large number of Babbage's original works, including several detailed ones on the Mechanical Notation; includes an informative new introduction by Allan Bromley		* Charles Babbage, Henry Prevost Babbage (editor), ''Babbage's Calculating Engines: Being a Collection of Papers Relating to Them; Their History and Construction'', E. and F. N. Spon, London, 1889; re-printed Tomash, Los Angeles, 1984; Cambridge University, Cambridge, 2010 - a large number of Babbage's original works, including several detailed ones on the Mechanical Notation; the Tomash re-print includes an informative new introduction by Allan Bromley
	* H. W. Buxton, ''Memoir of the Life and Labours of the Late Charles Babbage Esq. F.R.S.'', MIT Press/Tomash, Cambridge/Los Angeles, 1988 - extensive contemporary biography, unfinished and un-printed at the time		* H. W. Buxton, ''Memoir of the Life and Labours of the Late Charles Babbage Esq. F.R.S.'', MIT Press/Tomash, Cambridge/Los Angeles, 1988 - extensive contemporary biography, unfinished and un-printed at the time
	* Philip and Emily Morrison, ''Charles Babbage and his Calculating Engines'', Dover Publications, New York, 1961 - selected material from a large number of Babbage's publications, along with an extended introduction		* Philip and Emily Morrison, ''Charles Babbage and his Calculating Engines'', Dover Publications, New York, 1961 - selected material from a large number of Babbage's publications, along with an extended introduction