First edition of this early and important work in computer programming.
Near fine.
Price: $1,000.00
"One of the most influential textbooks of this early era." — Michael R. Williams
PREPARATION contains programming instructions for the EDSAC (Electronic Delay Storage Automatic Calculator), an early British computer built by author Wilkes and colleagues at the University of Cambridge. Known as the first textbook on computer programming, and proportionately influential, THE PREPARATION OF PROGRAMS captures an early and defining moment in the history of computer programming. As scholar Michael R. Williams has written: "EDSAC holds a prime place in the history of the world's first computers, not only because it was the first full-scale operational electronic digital computer, but because its ability to construct programs from relocatable subroutines, and to link them together at load time, provided a model for almost all others to follow. [...] It provided the basic ideas as to how one should go about creating a computing system."
Read more: Lavington, Early Computing in Britain: Ferranti Ltd. and Government Funding, 1948-1958; Michael R. Williams, A History of Computing Technology, page 337.
First printing. Cambridge, MA: Addison-Wesley Press, Inc, 1951. Full title: The preparation of programs for an electronic digital computer. With special reference to the EDSAC and the use of a library of subroutines. 9'' x 6''. Original brown cloth with gilt spine lettering. Illustrated with two black-and-white plates. 167, [3] pages. Touches of rubbing, shelfwear to cloth. Overall sound and clean.
We work hard to meet our ethical responsibility to describe our material accurately. All items are guaranteed as described and may be returned for any reason within 30 days. Please notify us before mailing a return.
We guarantee the authenticity of our items. All materials are original (meaning not facsimiles or reproductions) unless otherwise noted. First editions (meaning first edition, first printing) are explicitly stated. TPM is a member of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America and upholds their Code of Ethics.
All photographs are of the actual item for sale. We're happy to provide additional images on request.
All domestic orders ship gratis. For orders under $250, free USPS media mail shipping is included; orders $250 and over ship USPS Ground Advantage. International orders over $1000 also ship gratis. Expedited, overnight, as well as other carriers (UPS, Fed-Ex, etc.), may carry additional costs beyond quoted rates. All orders receive tracking information and a direct contact in case of any questions.
International buyers are responsible for any customs, taxes, and related import fees. Please note that we are unable to accomodate requests to misrepresent, misdeclare, or otherwise falsify customs documents when shipping internationally. We appreciate your understanding.
We accept all major credit cards, Paypal, Venmo, check, money order, and bank wire. We are happy to bill institutional buyers' needs. Sales tax will be added to applicable purchases. Items subject to prior sale.
If for any reason you are dissatisfied with your purchase, please contact us. We prioritize our long-term relationships far above any individual purchase, and we want you to love your item as much as we loved cataloguing it.
Type Punch Matrix is a Washington D.C.-area rare book firm founded by Rebecca Romney and Brian Cassidy.
Read more about TPM.
