Sorry if this response is too much.  There are a lot of biographies about computer pioneers, but less so "computer scientists." I've left off autobiographies & memoirs but can supply a list if you wish.  The following biographies tend to skew older, which is fine with me. Warning:  the quality does vary: 

Paul Ceruzzi
______________________________

Aspray 

William 

John von Neumann and the Origins of Modern Computing 

Austrian 

Geoffrey 

Herman Hollerith: Forgotten Giant of Information Processing 

Belden,  

Thomas and Marva 

Lengthening Shadow, the: the life of Thomas J, Watson 

Berlin 

Leslie 

Man behind the microchip, the: Robert Noyce and the Invention of Silicon Valley 

Buxton 

H.W. 

Memoir of the Life and Labours of the Late Charles Babbage ESQ. F.R.S. 

Cohen 

I. Bernard 

Howard Aiken: Portrait of a Computer Pioneer 

Berg 

Christian 

Heinz Nixdorf: Eine Biographie [in German] 

Hodges 

Andrew 

Alan Turing: The enigma: the extraordinary story of the brilliant scientist… 

Hyman 

Anthony 

Charles Babbage: Pioneer of the Computer 

Macrae 

Norman 

John von Neumann: The Scientific Genius Who Pioneered the Modern Computer, Game Theory, Nuclear Deterrence, and Much More 

Manes 

Stephen 

Gates: How Microsoft's Mogul Reinvented an Industry - and Made Himself the Richest Man in America  

Mollenhoff 

Clark R. 

Atanasoff: Forgotten Father of the Computer 

Reid 

Constance 

Hilbert 

Rodgers 

William 

Think: A Biography of the Watsons and IBM 

Smiley 

Jane 

The Man Who Invented the Computer: The Biography of John Atanasoff, Digital Pioneer 

Toole 

Betty Alexandra 

Ada: The Enchantress of Numbers - Prophet of the Computer Age 


Van Dormael 

Armand  

Heinz Nixdorf: A German Computer Pioneer 

Wallace 

James 

Hard Drive: Bill Gates and the Making of the Microsoft Empire 

Zachary 

G. Pascal 

Endless Frontier: Vannevar Bush, Engineer of the American Century 

 



From: Members <members-bounces@lists.sigcis.org> on behalf of Troy Astarte <Troy.Astarte@newcastle.ac.uk>
Sent: Friday, September 4, 2020 9:06 AM
To: members <members@sigcis.org>
Subject: Re: [SIGCIS-Members] Request for biographies
 

External Email - Exercise Caution

Dear all, 

Very many thanks to everyone who has sent suggestions, I’ve got a great reading list! I’ve already had a look at a few of them, and there’s some high quality work indeed. The only further question I would have is whether there are biographies with a higher technical content? Perhaps that just isn’t common in biographies? 

Best, 

Troy Astarte

School of Computing
Newcastle University

On 3 Sep 2020, at 12:31, Troy Astarte <Troy.Astarte@newcastle.ac.uk> wrote:

Dear SIG-CIS, 

What is your favourite biography of a scientist or mathematician? I’m particularly interested in modern subjects and those who worked in computing/computer science. Ideally the book would cover the subject’s work in a reasonable level of technical detail as well as their life and the broader context in which they lived and worked. 

I ask because I am considering applying for funding for an essentially biographical project on a computer scientist and I would like to read some (more) biographies first. 

Best, 

Troy Astarte

School of Computing
Newcastle University