Greg P reviewed Alan M. Turing: Centenary Edition by Sara Turing
Of historical interest only
3 stars
This book teaches us more about Sara Turing and her time than it does about Alan Turing. It is interesting what is left in and what is left out - lots of boring details about his grades in school, and nothing whatsoever about his homosexuality, his brief marriage, or (because it was presumably classified still) his work during the war. There are still some nice tidbits. But nothing beats Hodge's biography of Turing.
This edition also includes some confusing chapters about Turing's later work - confusing because it is not clear why this work should be described in any technical detail, while the earlier stuff wasn't.
There is also a final chapter written by Alan Turing's older brother John. Sort of a tell-all where he lists all of the negative stuff that Sara Turing left out. It is occasionally a bit funny but mostly it is downright toxic and bigoted. …
This book teaches us more about Sara Turing and her time than it does about Alan Turing. It is interesting what is left in and what is left out - lots of boring details about his grades in school, and nothing whatsoever about his homosexuality, his brief marriage, or (because it was presumably classified still) his work during the war. There are still some nice tidbits. But nothing beats Hodge's biography of Turing.
This edition also includes some confusing chapters about Turing's later work - confusing because it is not clear why this work should be described in any technical detail, while the earlier stuff wasn't.
There is also a final chapter written by Alan Turing's older brother John. Sort of a tell-all where he lists all of the negative stuff that Sara Turing left out. It is occasionally a bit funny but mostly it is downright toxic and bigoted.
Don't go out of your way to read it.