Colossus
The Secrets of Bletchley Park's Codebreaking Computers
Recommended by George Dyson, and 1 others. See all reviewsRanked #31 in Cryptography
The American ENIAC is customarily regarded as having been the starting point of electronic computation. This book rewrites the history of computer science, arguing that in reality Colossus--the giant computer built by the British secret service during World War II--predates ENIAC by two years.
Colossus was built during the Second World War at the Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park. Until very recently, much about the Colossus machine was shrouded in secrecy, largely because the code-breaking algorithms that were employed during World War II remained in use by the... more
Colossus was built during the Second World War at the Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park. Until very recently, much about the Colossus machine was shrouded in secrecy, largely because the code-breaking algorithms that were employed during World War II remained in use by the... more
Reviews and Recommendations
We've comprehensively compiled reviews of Colossus from the world's leading experts.
George Dyson After Enigma, the Germans developed more powerful encryption with higher-speed digital equipment that was much harder to break. The British side, led by [the engineer] Tommy Flowers, built a vacuum tube machine called Colossus – an extremely powerful and sophisticated digital computer which helped the British to break these even stronger codes. By the end of the war there were at least 10 of these Colossus machines. (Source)
Similar Books
If you like Colossus, check out these similar top-rated books:
