… it’s accessible and readable even to non-geeky types, written as it is in an easy-going and engaging style. “This book starts with Charles Babbage and ends with the US military’s latest Reaper drones, tracing a fascinating history of the development of computers and computer science from the Regency and Victorian eras to the present day. ” (Mike Rees, BCS – The Chartered Institute for IT, August, 2012) … it appeals to a wide audience, and at over 350 pages there is something in here for anyone who has the vaguest interest in a history of computers including the internet …. … The book contains plenty of references … as well as a ‘Further Reading’ section. “An interesting and reasonably priced book, which concentrates on some of the people (from Ada to Zuse), companies (from Apple to Xerox) and machines (from the Acorn to the Z1) that have contributed to computer development. … The Universal Machine is a great way to get a real feel for where the machines that are at the centre of so many of our lives came from.” (Brain Clegg, Popular Science, June, 2012)

“The Universal Machine follows the development of computers, as it says in the subtitle, ‘From the dawn of computing to digital consciousness.’ … On the whole, the historical content was at just the right level – enough to keep you interested without getting overwhelmed. Selected by Computing Reviews as one of the Best Reviews & Notable Books of 2013

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