Overview
- Charts the gradual take-up of information technology in Britain, as seen through the eyes of one innovative company
- Examines how the dawn of the digital computer age in Britain took place at various times for different applications
- Includes a history of airborne computers up to 1988, written by a former director of Elliott Flight Automation
- Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras
Part of the book series: History of Computing (HC)
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Table of contents (14 chapters)
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Front Matter
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Back Matter
About this book
Reviews
From the reviews:
“Moving Targets details the history of Elliott Brothers in 1947 through to the last vestige of those families of Elliott’s computers in GEC Computers in the 1990s. The title of the book Moving Targets is surely a reference to the recurring technical and marketing themes described by the book. … there is no doubt that the whole book is exceptionally well researched to a superb accuracy. … the book contains many interesting pictures.” (Roger Newey, Resurrection - The Bulletin of the Computer Conservation Society, Issue 55, Summer, 2011)
“This book focuses on making the history of computing more accessible to a wider audience by linking it to broader historical changes. … The text’s excellent tables, charts, and photos enhance the discussion of technological, economic, and political change. … the author is to be congratulated for a highly readable, wide-ranging account that shows the virtue of broad-based histories of computing that do not take the limitsof a specific industry or field of applications as their own.” (Marie Hicks, Technology and Culture, Vol. 53, July, 2012)
“In his latest book, Lavington scrutinizes the extensive work carried out by the employees of this company, and, thanks to his extensive efforts … . The book comprises 14 chapters and 11 appendices. … It is supported by extensive references, cited at the end of each chapter. … this erudite book should appeal to a wide readership, and Lavington should be highly commended for the sterling work that he has carried out in its preparation.” (Barry Blundell, ACM Computing Reviews, November, 2011)
Authors and Affiliations
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: Moving Targets
Book Subtitle: Elliott-Automation and the Dawn of the Computer Age in Britain, 1947 – 67
Authors: Simon Lavington
Series Title: History of Computing
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-84882-933-6
Publisher: Springer London
eBook Packages: Computer Science, Computer Science (R0)
Copyright Information: Springer-Verlag London 2011
Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-84882-932-9Published: 23 February 2011
Softcover ISBN: 978-1-4471-2636-2Published: 26 September 2014
eBook ISBN: 978-1-84882-933-6Published: 19 May 2011
Series ISSN: 2190-6831
Series E-ISSN: 2190-684X
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XXI, 710
Topics: History of Computing