JF Ptak Science Books Post 2529 Reference Tools series
C.B. Tompkins’ High-Speed Computing Devices (New York, McGraw Hill, 1950) is probably the best of the pre-1960 textbooks on the computer, complete with stout bibliographies and lots of bits to trail from the golden age of computers. This classic work is enhanced by a (very) unusually complete series of chapter-ending references and bibliographies. Among much else of interest we find a treatment of the Harvard Mark I and II on pp 183-187 in the chapter on “Large-Scale Digital Computing Systems” on pp 182-222 with bibliography occupying pp 218-222. Also, the “Punched-Card Computing Systems” chapter pp 146-181 has a very nice bibliography on pp 166-181.
Even though I’ve used this book quite a bit I’ve never collected the chapter-ending references in one document until today. Tompkins now appears in the glorious Internet Archive, and I’ve taken the 16 pieces of bibliography and gathered them all below in a document that is about 40 pages long. Have a look, and enjoy–thanks to the Internet Archive!
- This is considered to be the first textbook on digital computers, the first compendium in English on digital computer technology, and a pioneering work that influenced many computer designers during the 1950s. It provides an unsurpassed picture of the state of the art during the late 1940s, and is further enhanced by the inclusion of several excellent bibliographies. — Sarrazin F2.
- “The book is a careful analysis of the electronic field as of 1950 and was in very large measure written by the late Professor C. B. Tompkins..” – Goldstine 315.
- (This book) was written to satisfy “a perceived need, following the end of WW II, for compendium of technologies applicable to the emerging field of electronic digital computers…Because published technical information was scarce in the U.S., there can be little question that the book was an important contribution to computer literature…with its state of the art picture of the period 1947 through 1949, establishes a well-documented baseline fro tracking and evaluating subsequent technological progress.”– Arnold Cohen, from the Introduction to the 1983 Charles Babbage Institute Reprint Series Edition of the ERA Report, published by Tomash Publshing. ERA
High-Speed Computing Devices, by C.B. Tompkins: bibliographies
Source: Internet Archive https://archive.org/stream/highspeedcomputi00era/highspeedcomputi00era_djvu.txt
Chapter 1. Introduction Chapter 2. Preliminary Considerations Chapter 3. Counters as Elementary Components Chapter 4. Switches and Gates Chapter 5. A Functional Approach to Machine Design Chapter 6. Arithmetic Systems Chapter 7. Numerical Analysis Chapter 8. Desk Calculators Chapter 9. Punched-card Computing Systems Chapter 10. Large-scale Digital Computing Systems Chapter 11. Analog Computing Systems Chapter 12. The Form of a Digital Computer Chapter 13. Arithmetic Elements Chapter 14. Transfer Mediums Chapter 15. Data-conversion Equipment Chapter 16. Special Techniques and Equipment