Books

Books about LEO

• Anon (1952) The Layman’s Guide to LEO:  - Anon (1952) The Layman’s Guide to LEO, Lyons.The guide was circulated to Lyons executives and senior management to help them understand how computers, and in particular LEO, worked.  The typewritten document is in part based on Ernest Lenaerts Development of the LEO Computer – see below. The manuscript was donated to the LEO Computers Society […]
• Anon (1962), Computers for Shell-Mex and BP:  - Anon (1962), Computers for Shell-Mex and BP. An 8 page brochure published by management for distribution to employees explaining the forthcoming installation of a LEO III computer in a new office complex to be opened in the New Town of Hemel Hempstead.  The brochure suggests the role the computer will play and lauds the benefits of moving […]
• Anon (1963), Wythenshawe The Second Computer Centre for Shell-Mex and BP:  - Anon (1963), Wythenshawem The Second Computer Centre for Shell-Mex and BP.  A 7 page brochure like the one for Hemel Hempstead announcing the establishment of the norther computer centre to house a LEO III at Wythenshawe and singing the praises of Manchester and Wythenshawe
• Bird, P. (1994) ‘LEO, the First Business Computer’, Hasler Publishing:  - Peter Bird joined Lyons when, as he says, ‘the pioneering years of computing were no more than folk history.’ Nonetheless, through his ‘talking with old-timers’ and delving through the Lyons archives, he has made an important contribution to the LEO story. Of particular value are the appendices which, inter alia, give details of the instruction […]
• David Caminer, John Aris, Peter Hermon and Frank Land (1996) The World’s First Business Computer:  - David Caminer, John Aris, Peter Hermon and Frank Land (1996) The World’s First Business Computer:  User-Driven Innovation.London:  McGraw-Hill Book Company, 401 pages, ISBN 0-07-709236-8 Reviewed by:Professor Robin Mansell, Science Policy Research Unit, University of SussexProfessor of Media and the Internet, London School of Economics
• References:  - [1]               Pugh, E. W. (1995) Building IBM:  Shaping an Industry and Its Technology.  Cambridge MA: The MIT Press. [2]               Ibid.  [3]               Mowery, D. and Rosenberg, N. (1979) ‘The influence of market demand upon innovation: a critical review of some recent empirical studies’, Research Policy, Vol. 8, pp. 102-153.  [4]               von Hippel, E. (1978) ‘Users as Innovators’, Technology Review, Vol. […]
• Caminer, D.T., Aris, J.B.B., Hermon, P.M.R. and Land, F.F. (eds.) (1996): - Caminer, D.T., Aris, J.B.B., Hermon, P.M.R. and Land, F.F. (eds.) (1996) ‘User Driven Innovation: The world’s first business computer’, McGraw Hill, Maidenhead.A first-hand account written by thirteen of the early users who developed the disciplines of systems engineering and put LEO to work on economic, time-dependent business applications, starting in 1951. Included is an edited […]
• Caminer, D.T., Aris, J.B.B., Hermon, P.M.R. and Land F.F. (eds.) (1998): - Caminer, D.T., Aris, J.B.B., Hermon, P.M.R. and Land F.F. (eds.) (1998) ‘LEO, the Incredible Story of the World’s First Business Computer’ McGraw Hill, New York.The revised United States edition of User-Driven Innovation, a Chinese edition was published in 2000
• Extracts from Reviews: -
• Dr Terry Gourvish: - Dr Terry Gourvish, Director Business History Unit, LSE, in LSE Business History Newssheet, “This is a major contribution to the history of computing and computers in the UK. A full scale case study of LEO computers, written by members of the team who experienced all its trials and tribulations, it provides a fascinating insight into […]
• Neil Fitzgerald,: - Neil Fitzgerald, editor of CA magazine, in The Scotsman, Business section. . “Can-do culture, empowerment, user-driven innovation, business process re-engineering, flat organisations, quality, short lines of communications and decision making. We are led to believe that these are radical, modern ideas. However, a book that has come into my hands shows that they were being […]
• Dr John Pinkerton: - Dr John Pinkerton, review in ICL Technical Journal “Telling the story of how the foundations of data processing were laid from 1949 onwards has evidently been a labour of love. This is a work of scholarship but eminently readable nevertheless. It will be seen as a major contribution to the history of business computing; it […]
• Professor George Mitchell: - Professor George Mitchell, review published Journal of Operational Research Society.. “This fascinating book tells the life story of LEO. Rather over a third of the book is the historical record, carefully researched and engagingly written up by Caminer. The rest is largely personal memoirs of those involved in the early days, including accounts of several […]
• John Perkins: - John Perkins, National Computer Centre Newsletter, “The book is a fascinating adventure story in which the dynamics of an extraordinary group of people made the seemingly impossible happen.”
• Professor John Ward: - Professor John Ward in the Journal of Strategic Information Systems. “The story of that first business computer: Leo – Lyons Electronic Office – is told in this book. Whilst it is history, reflection on what was achieved and not achieved and why still has many lessons of relevance to the successful use of IT today […]
• I. A. Lovelock: - I. A. Lovelock in Management Accounting. “This book is a first-hand account of how this astounding innovation came about. It is a flesh and blood, warts and all story related by the participants, brimming over with the same enthusiasm that enabled the unlikeliest of organisations to lead the way into the future that we are […]
• Professor T. Brady: - Professor T. Brady, Brighton University         “As well as being a fascinating piece of historical writing the book provides food for thought in the supposedly computer literate world of the 21st Century. Spectacular computer disasters such as the London Stock Exchange’s Taurus system have left us with rather jaundiced perceptions about computer projects. Why were […]
• Professor Paul Ceruzzi: - Professor Paul Ceruzzi, Smithsonian Institute Washington “Most surveys of the history of computing mark the beginning of the commercial computer age with the delivery of the first UNIVAC in 1951.  The better ones note the first delivery of a UNIVAC to a commercial, not government, customer (General Electric) in 1954.  Only the best histories mention […]
• Ferry, Georgina (2003) ‘A Computer Called LEO’: - Ferry, Georgina (2003) ‘A Computer Called LEO’, Fourth Estate, London.‘LEO and its creators deserve their place in history not because of what it was, but because of what it did. For LEO was the first computer in the world to be harnessed to the task of running a business.                               A paperback edition was published […]
• Coombs, M. (2003) Review: - Coombs, M. (2003) Review: ‘A Computer called  LEO’ (Ferry, G.), European Journal of Information Systems, Vol. 12, Issue 4, 241-24.  http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/53095/Book-Review-A-Computer-Called-LEO
• Caminer H., editor (2016): - Caminer H., editor (2016) ‘LEO remembered: by the people who worked on the world’s first business computers’, LEO Computers Society. Collection of reminiscences, testifying to a sense of collective endeavour among the LEO community.
• Lenaerts, E. (1948) ‘Development of the LEO Computer: - Lenaerts, E. (1948) ‘Development of the LEO Computer: Brief Description of EDSAC’.Peter Bird collected and had bound (September 1992) the photocopies of the handwritten description of EDSAC compiled by Ernest Lenaerts in October 1948, with contributions from David Caminer, Derek Hemy, Thomas Thompson and others.  It formed the basis of a larger publication titled The […]
• Simmons,J.R.M. (1962) ‘LEO and the Manager’: - Simmons,J.R.M. (1962) ‘LEO and the Managers’, Macdonald, London.The paperless office concept of the Lyons Comptroller, whose support was vital to the LEO project
• Maurice Wilkes User-driven innovation: - Maurice Wilkes User-driven innovation: the world’s first business computer.  IEE Review ( Volume: 42, Issue: 4, 18 July 1996) View full document at CCH WebsiteThis document has been scanned and is available to view online. Please note that copyright is retained by the original rights holder. File Size: 369.25 KB
• Caminer, H. and McGerty, L editors (2022) LEO Remembered, 2nd edition - Caminer, H. and McGerty, L editors (2022) LEO Remembered, 2nd edition, by the people who worked on the world’s first business computer

Books that refer to LEO

• Agar J., (2003), The Government Machine. A Revolutionary History of the Computer - Agar J., (2003), The Government Machine. A Revolutionary History of the Computer, MIT Press. Pages relating to LEO: pp. 266, 302–306, 314, 325, 421
• Ahmed, Haroon (2013) ‘Cambridge Computing – The First 75 Years’ - Ahmed, Haroon (2013) ‘Cambridge Computing – The First 75 Years’, TMI Publishers.
• Anon, (1962), Automatic Programming Languages for Business and Science - Anon, (1962), Automatic Programming Languages for Business and Science, a two-day conference held at Northampton College of Advanced Technology with the co-operation of the BCS.in April 1962. T.R. Thompson presented a paper on considering the fundamental principles for expressing a procedure for a computer application independently of any compiler or computer considerations. The Conference papers […]
• Anon (2011) ‘ICL Mainframe Computers’ - Anon (2011) ‘ICL Mainframe Computers’, Books LLC.This 19 page pamphlet gives a brief description of a number of UK designed and manufactured computers including the LEO range, pages 18 and 19. All the texts are lifted from Wikipedia entries and include some errors made in these entries.
• Arms, William Y, (2019), Early Years of Academic Computing - Arms, William Y, (2019), Early Years of Academic Computing, Cornell University, Internet University Press. The memoirs include a brief account of the LEO story including a photo of LEO III. See http://www.cs.cornell.edu/wya/AcademicComputing/text/titlepage.html
• Baker, Rob (2015) ‘Beautiful Idiots and Brilliant Lunatics: A sideways look at twentieth century London’ - Baker, Rob (2015) ‘Beautiful Idiots and Brilliant Lunatics: A sideways look at twentieth century London’, Amberley Publishing Limited. Chapter 22 includes the story of Lyons and its place in London, and notes its role in the development of LEO and business computing. See Google Books
• Bird, P. (2000) ‘The First Food Empire: A History of J. Lyons and Company’ - Bird, P. (2000) ‘The First Food Empire: A History of J. Lyons and Company’, Phillmore.Peter Birds account of the history of J. Lyons including a reference to the LEO initiative.
• Bruderer, H. (2015) ‘Meilensteine der Rechentechnic (Milestones in Computer History)’ - Bruderer, H. (2015) ‘Meilensteine der Rechentechnic (Milestones in Computer History)’, De Gruyter Oldenbourg, Berlin/Boston. This 820-page book written in German has a number of references to LEO throughout the book. The author is a Swiss academic.
• Bruderer, Herbert: Milestones in Analog and Digital Computing - Bruderer, Herbert: Milestones in Analog and Digital Computing, Springer Nature Switzerland AG, Cham, 3rd edition 2020, 2 volumes, 2113 pages, 715 illustrations, 151 tables, Englishversion. https://www.springer.com/de/book/9783030409739
• Campbell-Kelly, M. (1989) ‘ICL A Business and Technical History’ - Campbell-Kelly, M. (1989) ‘ICL A Business and Technical History’, Clarendon Press, Oxford.The history of ICL is synonymous with the history of the British computer industry. ICL was formed by a series of mergers in response to the increasing market dominance of the large American corporations, particularly IBM. The struggles between these two giants and the […]
• Carmichael, Hamish (ed.) (1996) ‘An ICL anthology’ - Carmichael, Hamish (ed.) (1996) ‘An ICL anthology’, Chapter 6, LEO, pp. 91-94, Laidlaw Hicks Publishers, Surbiton. Chapter 6 presents an anthology of quotations about LEO, mainly from LEO personnelSee An ICL Anthology
• Ceruzzi, Paul E. (2003) ‘A History of Modern Computing’ - Ceruzzi, Paul E. (2003) ‘A History of Modern Computing’ (2nd edition), MIT Press. Reports on the role played by Lyons and LEO in the development of business computing. See A History of Modern Computing
• Cooper, M., (2022), Remembering the world’s first business computer, - review of LEO Remembered coupled with reference to LEO Film and the Science Writer’s award, published in Winter Edition of IT NOW, Volume 64, Issue 4.  The British Computer Society publishes 35,000 copies of IT NOW.  See: IT Now
• Davis,G.R., Editor (2005), Management Information Systems - Davis,G.R., Editor (2005), Management Information Systems, in the chapter ‘History of Organisations using Information Systems’ notes on page 147 UK enterprises including Lyons and LEO but mistakenly states Lyons worked with Manchester University not Cambridge University. Volume 7 The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Management.
• Glass, R.L., (1999), In the Beginning: Personal Recollections of Software Pioneers - Glass, R.L., (199), In the Beginning: Personal Recollections of Software Pioneers, pages 134 – 153, published by IEEE Computer Society, Los Alamos, CA, includes Land, F.. LEO the First Business Computer: A personal recollection, Frank Land. See In the Beginning
• Glass, R.L., (2020), In the Beginning: Personal Recollections of Software Pioneers 2.0 - Glass, R.L., (2020), In the Beginning: Personal Recollections of Software Pioneers 2.0, published by Developer Books, Hogansville, GA, Chapter 5: LEO the First Business Computer: A personal recollection, Frank Land, pp 249 – 288 and brief biography of Frank Land, pp 611 – 613. See In the beginning
• Greenia, Mark (2003) ‘The History of Computing: An Encyclopaedia of People and Machines that made Computer History’ - Greenia, Mark (2003) ‘The History of Computing: An Encyclopaedia of People and Machines that made Computer History’, Lexikon Services. A useful and comprehensive chronology of computer history including recognition of Lyons and LEO plus pictures and descriptions of the LEO initiatives. Note: a photo of LEO II/1 is wrongly labelled LEO 1, and the link […]
• Greenia, Mark, (2021) - Greenia, Mark, (2021), Mark writes: “I found a 1966 film about the LEO III in Manchester, which I posted to my site. I include a link to your LEO 1 History video in the description section for people to follow if they want the early history” See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_0Astp1dEU
• Grindley, C.B.B., (1975), Systematics - Grindley, C.B.B., (1975), Systematics, McGraw-Hill, New York. Based on his experience working with LEO, Grindley sets out a ‘language’ for defining information systems.
• Haigh, T., Ceruzzi, P., (2021), A New History of Modern Computing - Haigh, T., Ceruzzi, P., (2021), A New History of Modern Computing, an updating of the earlier book by Paul Ceruzzi, includes reference to the Lyons and LEO story as the first business computer. Published by MIT Press. See https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/new-history-modern-computing
• Hally, Mike (2003) ‘Electronic Brains: stories from the dawn of the Computer age’ - Hally, Mike (2003) ‘Electronic Brains: stories from the dawn of the Computer age’, Granta Publications, London.The book is based on 4 BBC radio programmes produced by Mike Hally. Despite its populist title, it is a very readable and informative account of some early computer ventures in the USA, UK, Soviet Union and Australia. Chapter 5 […]
• Harding, Thomas, (2019), Legacy: One Family, a Cup of Tea, and the Company that Took on the World - Harding, Thomas, (2019), Legacy: One Family, a Cup of Tea, and the Company that Took on the World, Penguin Books. Legacy charts the rise and fall of one of the most influential dynasties in British history through the lives of five astonishing generations; both sweeping and intimate, it is a story of sacrifice and selflessness, […]
• Hendry, John (1990) ‘Innovating for Failure. Government Policy and the Early British Computer Industry’ - Hendry, John (1990) ‘Innovating for Failure. Government Policy and the Early British Computer Industry’, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA. xx, 240 pp. Hendry analyses the failure of the British Computer Industry in spite of the efforts of the NRDC to rationalise the industry. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Innovating-Failure-Government-Computer-Computing/dp/0262081873
• Henin, S., (2017) Il racconto del computer - Henin, S., (2017) Il racconto del computer , Edizioni Manna
• Hénin, S., (2014) Come le violette a primavera - Hénin, S., (2014) Come le violette a primavera, AICA, pp. 163, 174-5, 19
• Hicks, Mar (2017) ‘Programmed Inequality: How Britain Discarded Women Technologists and Lost its Edge in Computing’ - Hicks, Mar (2017) ‘Programmed Inequality: How Britain Discarded Women Technologists and Lost its Edge in Computing’, MIT Press. Marie Hicks, an American Academic, has produced a well-researched and in many ways fascinating account of the British Computer Industry from its birth at the beginning of World War 2 code-breaking at Bletchley Park to the demise […]
• Hollingdale, S.H. & Toothill , G.C., (1965), Electronic Computers - Hollingdale, S.H. & Toothill , G.C., (1965), Electronic Computers. Penguin (Pelican) Books, London. This early book on the history of computers includes a number of references to LEO. See pages 230 and 281-282, and a photograph. It is a brief but accurate account noting payroll and teashop ordering. What is also interesting, in a book […]
• IEEE History Foundation. Milestones By Year Dedicated And Region - IEEE History Foundation. Milestones By Year Dedicated And Region comprises a variety of relevant material related to the interests of the IEEE. It includes references to LEO and includes an oral history of LEO programmer BettyCooper, http://ethw.org/Oral-History:Betty_Cooper
• Jones, Capers (2014) ‘The Technical and Social History of Software Engineering’ - Jones, Capers (2014) ‘The Technical and Social History of Software Engineering’, Addison-Wesley. Capers Jones’s book is a monumental history of computers and computing with a prime focus on ‘software engineering’. Jones has an introductory chapter which deals with the pre-history from the beginning of civilisation to 1930, then chapters dealing with each decade up to […]
• Kavanagh, J., (2007) ‘BCS – Celebrating 50 years’ - Kavanagh, J., (2007) ‘BCS – Celebrating 50 years’, British Computer Society. 82 pages including a chapter titled ‘Birth of an Industry and the BCS’, which features Maurice Wilkes, photo of LEO I and potted history of LEO. More info at Google Books
• Lavington, Simon H. (1980) ‘Early British Computers: The Story of Vintage Computers and The People Who Built Them’ - Lavington, Simon H. (1980) ‘Early British Computers: The Story of Vintage Computers and The People Who Built Them’, Manchester University Press, http://ed-thelen.org/comp-hist/EarlyBritish.html#TOCChapter 13, pages 68-77, gives a brief history of LEO and English Electric, including a timeline.
• Lavington, Simon, (2011), Moving Targets: Elliott-Automation and the Dawn of the Computer Age 1947 – 67 - Lavington, Simon, (2011), Moving Targets: Elliott-Automation and the Dawn of the Computer Age 1947 – 67, Computer History, Springer. Although the book is primarily a history of Elliott-Automation it has a number of references to Lyons and LEO. See Google Books
• Lavington, Simon (ed.) (2012) ‘Alan Turing and his Contemporaries’ - Lavington, Simon (ed.) (2012) ‘Alan Turing and his Contemporaries’, British Computer Society. 111 pages, summarises the background to all the early British stored-program projects from 1945 – 1951. See Amazon
• Lavington, S., (2019) Early Computing in Britain, Ferranti Ltd. and Government Funding, 1948 — 1958 - Lavington, S., (2019) Early Computing in Britain, Ferranti Ltd. and Government Funding, 1948 — 1958, Springer Computer History Series. A valuable addition to the exposure UK computing developments in the early years of computers with a focus on the initiatives taken by the Ferranti Company, in particular with their Mark I. LEO is only referred […]
• Lean, T, (2016), Electronic Dreams: How 1980s Britain learned to love the computer - Lean, T, (2016), Electronic Dreams: How 1980s Britain learned to love the computer, Bloomsberry/Sigma. The book includes references to LEO and its early success. Further References or Buy
• Marshall, Stephen (2015) ‘The Story of the Computer: A Technical and Business History’ - Marshall, Stephen (2015) ‘The Story of the Computer: A Technical and Business History’, Kindle edition available. 592 pages the story of computing up to, but not including, the advent of smart phones. The LEO project is noted in Chapter 6, pages 198-189 and further mentions are made elsewhere such as the donation to EDSAC (Chapter […]
• Mathews, S., (2007), From Agit-Prop to Free Space: The Architecture of Cedric Price - Mathews, S., (2007), From Agit-Prop to Free Space: The Architecture of Cedric Price, Black Dog Publishing, London, U.K., 2007. 285 pp. Cedric Price a “visionary” architect: one whose schemes were grand was hired by Lyons to propose a radical redesign of one of its Corner Houses. In practice Lyons decided that they could not afford […]
• MOD Secrets of Eastcote Government Office Site: - MOD Secrets of Eastcote Government Office Site: The Customs Excise Years. (In 1947, under the inspiration of TR Thompson, Lyons, the firm of tea-shops, started – with remarkable foresight – to take a  serious  interest  in applying digital  computing to their accounting and office work generally.   By 1954, LEO (Lyons Electrical Office) computers carried out 3 commercial […]
• Morelli, M, (2001), Dalle calcolatrici ai computer degli anni Cinquanta - Franco Angelstoryi, pp. 341-44 se
• O’Regan, G. (2012) ‘A Brief History of Computing’, 2nd ed. - Springer, London. Chapter 3, ‘Early Computers’, provides a brief account of EDSAC and LEO. See more on Google Books
• O’Regan, Gerard (2015), ‘Pillars of Computing: A Compendium of Select, Pivotal Technology Firms’ - Springer. Chapter 21, pages 135-138, provides an account of LEO Computers Limited. See more at Springer Link
• O’Regan, Gerard (2016) ‘Introduction to the History of Computing: A Computing History Primer‘ - Springer. For undergraduate students, Chapter 5.3, page 75, describes LEO I.
• Rahman, W., Kurien, P., (2007), Blind Men and the Elephant: Demystifying the Global IT Service Industry - Chapter 5: Early Business Computing, pages 106 – 107 provide an account of the LEO story including a review of the legacy of LEO and a picture of a Lyons teashop on page 108. Published by Sage Publications India PVT Ltd, New Delhi, and by Sage Publications Inc in Thousand Oaks, California, and by Sage […]
• Roebuck, K. (2011) ‘Managed Print Services: High-impact Technology – What You Need to Know’ - Tebbo. The book is a type of encyclopaedia including a wide range of technology topics each supplemented by a rich set of references. A short, well sourced, chapter on LEO, page 50-56, is included.
• Rose, Michael (1969) ‘Computers, Managers and Society’ - Pelican.The author notes LEO among the pioneers and provides a brief account of the LEO story. See more at Google Books
• Shirley, Stephanie, (2012), ‘Let IT Go’ - Andrews UK Limited. The book is Dame Shirley’s autobiography and as such deals with much more than her involvement with IT and the establishment of Freelance Programmers. It is included in this listing because the formation of F. International, overlaps the foundation and growth of LEO Computers and provides a further perspective on developments in […]
• Simmons, J.R.M. (1970) ‘Management of change. The role of Information’ - Gee & Co, London. See more
• Stern, Nancy B. (1981) ‘From ENIAC to UNIVAC: Appraisal of the Eckert-Mauchly Computers - Hardcover’, Digital Press, March 16, 1981. Pages 148 -151 report on the precedence of the LEO initiative in the development of business computing. See more at Google Books
• Sumner, R., (2020), I Ideas: How Ideas Shape Your World, Your Creativity, and Your Technology - Kendal Hunt publishers. The publication is about the relationship between ideas (philosophy, Christianity) and art/technology. The intended readership is graphic design students, but is also used a general education class for somestudents. Chapter 10, The Computer, Animation, & Gaming includes a photo of LEO I and a brief account of the building of the first […]
• Tatnall, Arthur (ed.) (2012) ‘Reflections on the History of Computing: Preserving Memories and Sharing Stories’ - in ‘Series: IFIP Advances in Information and Communications Technology’, Vol. 387, Springer, November 2012. Chapter 2, Frank Land, Remembering LEO, pp. 22-42. See more at Springer Link
• Turing, Dermot, (2018), The Story of Computing - Arcturus Publishing , London, includes a section on the Lyons/LEO place in the story of computing, and includes photo of LEO, Chapter 6, pages 106 to 110. Sir Dermot Turing is a nephew of Alan Turing, and 12 Baronet Turing. The book provides a comprehensive and readable account of the story of computing from abacus […]
• Wilkes, M.V., (1985), Memoirs of a Computer Pioneer - MIT Press, History of Computing Series, In his chapter on EDSAC he talks about Lyons, starting with a visit to Cambridge by TRT and others in July 1947, mentioning George Booth, the £3,000 donation and loan of Lenaerts and ending with Lyons’ appointment of John Pinkerton, pages 132 – 134 . 4 pages archived at […]
• Williams, M.R., (1989), The Early British Computers Conference - MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass. See more at Google Books
• Various authors (1956) ‘The Electronic Office’, - a collection of articles assembled by the Liverpool and Merseyside Branch of the Office Management Association following their conference in April. Includes articles by David Caminer and Oliver Standingford. Bound copy held by Hilary Caminer.
• Various authors, Williams, M.R., (1989), Charles Babbage Institute reprint series for the history of computing, - a comprehensive listing of texts relating to the history of computing, Charles Babbage Institute