Ada Lovelace: The World's First Computer Programmer by Beverley Adams - Book Review

You may, gentle reader, be aware of Ada Lovelace, or what she was known for, but even though I knew of her and vaguely appreciated her legacy, that knowledge was pretty shallow. When I saw this tome being advertised in the coming soon section of Pen and Sword's website, I decided to remedy that issue.

A slim hardback, you may think that the brevity of this tome denotes a lack of substance. It does not. What we get here is a highly detailed and well-researched telling of not only Ada's life, but also of her origins - as aptly noted by the author, you cannot talk about Ada and her life without knowing fully the story of her parents, the most famous of which was Lord Byron. In reading this book, you'll find out a lot more about Lady Byron and, well, yes, there is a lot to learn.

The first third of the book gives us the background on the Byron family and Ada's parents. To say that there was controversy back in the day would be a mild understatement. Hell, some aspects would be completely outrageous now! The middle third describes Ada's childhood, her upbringing and contains a focus on her work with Charles Babbage, most importantly, Note G, whose importance cannot be understated. The final third details her marriage, parenthood and her decline, aided by an addiction to gambling, before finally succumbing to cancer at too young an age.

I often joke with my good lady that if I'm feeling too happy, I'll watch something like Jane Eyre to bring me down, as there is nothing like a simple tale of 19th Century folk to sort out a good mood. The real world events of Ada's life, her circumstances and the actions of the people around her (especially her mother), make the efforts of the Bronte sisters seem like a BBC Radio 4 light comedy. Both engrossing and horrific in turn, it is both a testament to Ada herself for achieving what she did, and a cautious note to those who might deny her legacy because of her actions (and most notably) reactions to those around her. 

Ada Lovelace is rightly remembered for her mathematical genius and her accomplishments as a woman in the early Victorian-era. However, it is the story of her heritage and her life after Note G, that provide ample evidence that although the lady was an outlier of her time, the societal behaviour and expectation of Pre-and Early Victorian England meant that she could never truly escape the Byron connection. 

Beverley Adams has written a compelling and very readable account of Ada Lovelace's life and times, and one that should be read by those with an interest in the very founding of computer science (for to know the person is to know their work). It also highlights an important woman whose abilities were doubted at the time and whose achievements are recognised today, and who should stand as an example to others as to what they can achieve. 

You can purchase this book directly from the publisher's website here or from the usual online and physical book stores. You can also follow the author on Twitter here.