Acknowledgements 1
1 Universal Machines 1
2 The Blue Pig 4
3 Prolific Piglets:Computers everywhere 8
4 A World Out of Control 14
5 Babbage:A Difference Engine that made a difference? 18
6 The Analytical Engine 27
7 Accidental Information 33
8 Information on the Masses 40
9 The Spur of War 50
10 Zuse in Nazi Germany 53
11 American Speed 66
12 Turing in Secret Britain 78
13 Foundations Shaken 88
14 Mathematics:Truth or game? 93
15 Crisis Looms 100
16 Turing and the Decision Problem 107
17 Government Codes 124
18 The Computer 137
19 Minding the Gap:Many universal machines 145
20 Cold War Minds 162
21 Materialisation 169
Further Reading 180