First published 2014
Andrew Hodges presents the complete story of Alan Turing, the British mathematician whose contributions shaped the modern world. The biography traces how Turing conceived the universal machine in 1936, establishing the theoretical foundation for all computers. Hodges shows how Turing transformed this abstract concept into practical electronic designs by 1945. The author connects these innovations to Turing's crucial wartime work breaking German Enigma ciphers, a scientific achievement that proved vital to Allied success in the Atlantic theater. Hodges balances Turing's professional triumphs with his personal struggles as a gay man in an intolerant society. Despite his service to Britain, authorities later arrested Turing, revoked his security clearance, and subjected him to degrading medical procedures because of his sexuality. The book chronicles events leading to his suicide at forty-one. This updated edition includes a new preface addressing Turing's posthumous royal pardon in 2013. Hodges offers readers both the technical details of Turing's mathematical breakthroughs and the human story of a brilliant mind constrained by social prejudice.
Genres: biography, 20th-century, 21st-century, computer-science, academic, history-of-science
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: tragic-hero, underdog
Setting: Britain, Atlantic
Period: 1930s, 1940s
768 pages · Paperback · Princeton University Press
Content warnings: homophobia, suicide