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I’ve just finished reading a book about the history of one of the earliest computers. That might sound deadly boring, but “A Computer Called Leo”, by Georgina Ferry, is very well written and should be of interest to people other than computer nerds.

The Leo computer was the world’s first business computer and it was developed in the 1950s by a British company who were in the restaurant and catering business. Lyons was a household name in Britain from the 1920s to the 1970s – mainly because of their large nationwide chain of restaurants. On the face of it they seem like an unlikely company to have been pioneers in the field of computing. But, due to a combination of the company’s long history of doing things for itself and the vision of a couple of staff members, Lyons became a household name in the computing field, as well.

Although the Leo computers weren’t the most advanced ones available at the time, they were probably the best designed and the most reliable. But, as seems to happen with virtually everything that’s any good in Britain, the company was ultimately destroyed by a combination of bad government policy and mediocre management. That left the field clear for IBM, a big US company, to take over and dominate the UK computer market.

“A Computer Called Leo” is easy to read and almost gripping in a strange sort of way. Anyone who’s interested in post-war Britain or the history of computers should enjoy it.

You can buy it online from Abe Books.

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