Considered a crackpot by his contemporaries, but a genius by modern scientists, Charles Babbage (born in 1792, died in 1871) was the true discoverer of the principles on which all modern computing machines are based. Part I consists of selections from Babbage's autobiography, "Passages from the Life of a Philosopher." Part II contains articles by the inventor and his contemporaries that explain the principles and operation of his brilliant - but ner completed - calculating machines. This section will be especially interesting tto scientists and technicians working with modern-day computers, for it details the true birth of their profession. Part III is an appendix of miscellaneous papers.
