Charles and Ada: the computer’s most passionate partnership
The partnership of Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace was one that would change science forever.
They were an unlikely pair – one the professor son of a banker, the other the only child of an acclaimed poet and a social-reforming mathematician – but perhaps that is why their work is so revolutionary.
They were the pioneers of computer science, creating plans for what could have been the first computer. They each saw things the other did not; it may have been Charles who designed the machines, but it was Ada who could see their potential.
But what were they like? And how did they work together? Using previously unpublished correspondence between them , Charles and Ada explores the relationship between two remarkable people who shared dreams far ahead of their time.
Purchase Links
UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Charles-Ada-Computers-Passionate-Partnership/dp/0750990953
US – https://www.amazon.com/Charles-Ada-Computers-Passionate-Partnership/dp/0750990953
My Review
Thanks to Rachel for arranging this blog tour and to James for sending me a copy of his book. That’s two I’ve had from him this year. Very generous of you, James. And there’s another one coming next month.
This book is more a biography of Charles Babbage than the exploration of the working and personal relationship of Babbage and Lovelace that I was expecting. The material available is necessarily limited by the destruction of much of Ada Lovelace’s correspondence, by her mother, after her death and the general wearing of time on fragile paper, but the author does his best and provides as much first hand information as he can.
The book draws on previous biographies, research in the British Library and Bodleian Library among Babbage’s papers and the Byron-Lovelace archives, research the author did several years ago for a book about Joseph-Marie Jacquard, inventor of the Jacquard Loom, and general reading into the period. As such the book presents little new material – although the death dates of both Georgiana Babbage Senior and Junior are confirmed and private correspondence illustrating their friendship is reproduced for the first time – but it synthesises the known information into a readable biography of Babbage with emphasis on his working and personal relationships with Ada Lovelace. While Lovelace is presented as an intelligent, flirtatious woman who is fascinated by mathematics and is highly imaginative (Byron’s daughter, what else would you expect?), it is Babbage whose character is really in focus, most probably because he lived longer and left considerably more ephemera behind.
He was highly focused on his work, fascinated by machines from a young age, absolutely adored his wife and children and didn’t know how to handle his emotions other than by intellectual exercise. He socialised only with family and friends unless he needed to distract himself from his emotional turmoil, was honest to a fault, had a profound sense of justice and lacked any sense of diplomacy (he ranted at Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel for not giving him the money to finish the Difference Engine; for supporting ‘lesser’ scientists over himself; and for not understanding the importance of the work Babbage was doing when the PM was dealing with a massive deficit, economic recession and the working population in starvation – Peel had more important things on his mind and he just didn’t like Babbage). I can admire most of these things – especially ranting at people who are more concerned with money than the advancement of science (why do you think I hate Brexit?), unfortunately he also had no concept that other people might have other concerns, liked to get one over on people if he could, which is a bit dickish, and had a one-track mind. Oh, and the puns, good gods, the puns.
To be honest, reading this biography, I got the feeling Charles Babbage was autistic – (See above paragraph for my reasons). I can just imagine him inviting people round to one of his Saturday evenings and spending hours talking incessantly about his cogs and the difficulties of getting it all to work. And people just nodding along, fascinated and slightly disturbed. Then going off to find some equally brilliant but less obsessive scientist to talk to, like Herschel or Mary Somerville. And who didn’t make terrible puns.
Ada Lovelace is more ephemeral, except where she interacts with Babbage; I can’t get a sense of her beyond an outline. This book doesn’t really do her the same justice it does Charles Babbage. And the author’s insistence of framing their relationship as romantic is grating. It’s especially ironic that he excoriates the sexism found in other Babbage biographies and in the scientific fields in general, but then makes the mistake of attributing Ada Lovelace’s influence over Babbage to romantic urges, as opposed to, say, an appreciation for their mutual understanding of each other’s interests and work, and strong friendship. Babbage and Herschel were friends for longer and equally close but no one suggests they were sleeping together, but oh no, Ada Lovelace has boobs and is barely in her twenties, Babbage had been a widower for nearly a decade, they must be bed hopping. *insert eye roll*
Her Notes, a translation of and commentary on the only paper written about Babbage’s Difference Engine and Analytical Engine, shows a woman with a profound understanding of the concept and the mathematics involved, which Essinger mentions, but it also shows she was a good friend who understood Babbage’s personality and his frustrations with people who didn’t understand his work, and his need to have someone appreciate him. The ‘spontaneous‘ ‘oh, I translated it because I wanted to, but didn’t think to add my own notes’ gambit plays to his ego and insecurities when he needs bolstering, and allows him to suggest ideas. It made him feel better, while also sharing the work with a wider audience and showing her own understanding. A very sensible move. This shows a shrewd judge of character and a drive to do something important with her life, unlike her husband who liked rebuilding perfectly serviceable houses and digging tunnels because he had no direction in life.
See, I can make conjectures too about a person for whom there are few primary sources remaining, based on their actions, without imputing them to romantic urges. People should give it a try.
Overall, I enjoyed this book; it’s a good introduction to the subject and times, easy to read and generally well-written with plenty of references to the sources. Please ignore the snark, I actually do like the book, but honesty is important.
Author Bio –
James Essinger was born in Leicester in 1957 and has lived in Canterbury in Kent since 1986. He was educated at Wyggeston Grammar School for Boys, Leicester, and at Lincoln College, Oxford, where he read English Language and Literature. He spent much of his time between 1981 and 1983 teaching English in Finland before working in public relations in London and then in Canterbury. Since 1988, James has been a professional writer.
His non-fiction books include Jacquard’s Web (2004), Ada’s Algorithm (2013), which is to be filmed by Monumental Pictures, and Charles and Ada: the computer’s most passionate partnership (2019) His novels include The Mating Game (2016) with Jovanka Houska, the film rights of which have been optioned, Rollercoaster (2019) and The Ada Lovelace Project (forthcoming in 2020).
Social Media Links – https://www.facebook.com/james.essinger
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