Rating: 
Summary: A classic of computer history back in print
Review: "Fire in the Valley" chronicles the history of the personal computer from the Altair to the iMac and all that happened between those two events. The authors chronicle the importance of the magazines, the clubs, and the conventions and how computers went from being for hobbists to everybody else. This is one book that should be a required reading for all.
Rating: 
Summary: Almost Perfect
Review: A fascinating book. You just can't stop reading until you finish its 500 pages. One thing I like the most: the authors are not biased nor tendentious about this so passionate subject like others I've seen around.But the book have some flaws, for instance: despite of the well detailed history of Microsoft (of course), Ashton-Tate, Oracle, Lotus, Netscape and many others software companies, there is not a single mention about Aldus and its Pagemaker which lead the whole Desktop Publishing revolution. Besides, the cults Amiga and MSX (this one very popular in Europe and Japan) are also completely forgotten, Commodore 64 is only slightly remembered and even the Lisa is mentioned very quickly, which was frustrating... Anyway, this book is a must read for everyone interested about this still-happening computer revolution.
Rating:
Summary: Topping the best ...
Review: A lot of people would spend the money only to see those illustrative pictures (more on the CD)in the book. Old times arise from the past. Pionieers are young again and a normal period of history becomes an exiting story of business and technology out of many garages and roofs. RECOMMENDED ... a must for people, who research in computer history, a real standard work.
Rating:
Summary: Great for Computer Instructors!!!
Review: As a Novell and Microsoft instructor, I have yet to find a better history of the PC. Students find the information helpful, fascinating, and relevant. The TV movie "Pirates of Silicon Valley" though well adapted from the book, is only one part of the whole story. Others include how Gary Killdall turned down Big Blue, more about Homebrew and tons of others!!! Publish this again for all to enjoy!!! Paul R. Amador CNE, CNI, MSCE, MCT
Rating:
Summary: Highly Recommended!
Review: Authors Paul Freiberger and Michael Swaine offer the second edition of their extremely popular 1984 chronicle of the birth of the personal computer. They recount how the PC industry began, who fueled its growth and why things happened as they did. The central stories cover the emergence of MITS, IMSAI, Apple, Tandy and Microsoft. This second edition adds the development and maturation of the hardware and software industries. Apple and Microsoft's sagas still dominate, but new stories emerge, including tales of Dell, Oracle, Netscape and the Internet. The second edition shows how the PC child has grown up. You'll see how the nerds took a hobby and reformed the world using Boolean logic, integrated circuits, motherboards and chips. We [...] recommend this book to everyone with an interest in the computer industry and particularly to those who are hungry for the real stories behind the growth of the 20th century's most pivotal industry.
Rating: 
Summary: Apparently I'm going to be the only contrarian here...
Review: Fifty Million Frenchmen can't be wrong, eh? Well, I see all other reviewers heaping universal praise on this book (save the guy who paid too much for the collector's edition), yet, in classic IBM-speak from the '80s, I non-concur.While this book certainly has lots of interesting tidbits, the best word I can use to describe it is TEDIOUS. The authors write in almost a sing-songy style and repeat themselves over and over (and over, and indeed, over). The constant parade of 4-page "chapterlets" is annoying. The book could clearly be half its size if the paper were used even mildly efficiently. Clearly the authors (and/or publishers) were looking for "heft appeal" on the shelves of those brick-and-mortar bookstores. In another appeal to the shelf-shopper, four photos sections appear - yet they don't add much more than one well-organized set would have. The photos are almost entirely unorganized. Many (if not most) or the topics and events in them are not referenced in the text other than discussions of the people in them. And some of the people in them aren't even mentioned in the text, for that matter (Who are these people - like Seymour Papert - and what are they doing in this book? You'll never know...) Further, it is hard to gauge the audience they are writing for. In many cases, they introduce terms without explanations that a novice reader would need, probably leaving them confused. At other times yet, in addressing an apparently already-knowledgable audience (based on my previous observation), they fail to "go deep" in technology explanations that are in many cases necessary and germain to the story line. For example, the coverage of the emergence of networks is comically weak. The result screams "pop history" to me. This is not to say the book isn't a nice trip down memory lane. I'm old enough that while I didn't ever own an early Apple or... (TRS-80), my friends did. Most of the stuff in this book is stuff of memories. We lived the fascination. (I purchased an IBM PC within its first year of life - Oooh! 128K and TWO floppy drives! Oooh!). There were some seriously fun times and memorable experiences from those days, and there are certainly some fun anecdotes in this book. But don't look for a well-written serious history here!
Rating:
Summary: Apparently I'm going to be the only contrarian here...
Review: Fifty Million Frenchmen can't be wrong, eh? Well, I see all other reviewers heaping universal praise on this book (save the guy who paid too much for the collector's edition), yet, in classic IBM-speak from the '80s, I non-concur. While this book certainly has lots of interesting tidbits, the best word I can use to describe it is TEDIOUS. The authors write in almost a sing-songy style and repeat themselves over and over (and over, and indeed, over). The constant parade of 4-page "chapterlets" is annoying. The book could clearly be half its size if the paper were used even mildly efficiently. Clearly the authors (and/or publishers) were looking for "heft appeal" on the shelves of those brick-and-mortar bookstores. In another appeal to the shelf-shopper, four photos sections appear - yet they don't add much more than one well-organized set would have. The photos are almost entirely unorganized. Many (if not most) or the topics and events in them are not referenced in the text other than discussions of the people in them. And some of the people in them aren't even mentioned in the text, for that matter (Who are these people - like Seymour Papert - and what are they doing in this book? You'll never know...) Further, it is hard to gauge the audience they are writing for. In many cases, they introduce terms without explanations that a novice reader would need, probably leaving them confused. At other times yet, in addressing an apparently already-knowledgable audience (based on my previous observation), they fail to "go deep" in technology explanations that are in many cases necessary and germain to the story line. For example, the coverage of the emergence of networks is comically weak. The result screams "pop history" to me. This is not to say the book isn't a nice trip down memory lane. I'm old enough that while I didn't ever own an early Apple or... (TRS-80), my friends did. Most of the stuff in this book is stuff of memories. We lived the fascination. (I purchased an IBM PC within its first year of life - Oooh! 128K and TWO floppy drives! Oooh!). There were some seriously fun times and memorable experiences from those days, and there are certainly some fun anecdotes in this book. But don't look for a well-written serious history here!
Rating:
Summary: A MUST READ
Review: I don't if anyone saw the movie "Pirates of SiliconValley". If you haven't, go [get it] ... The movie is based offthe book and starts about half way through the book. The book startsfrom the ALTAIR and goes up to the present day. I read the 1st edition originally and it only went up to 1984, but this edition continues on from there. It is 446 pages. It starts from the ALTAIR up to the PIII/G3. It has lots of pictures in it also. I personnaly think this book should be a REQUIRED book to read for everyone getting into computers. Well, that is my one reccomendation for reading....it is a easy read also....you won't want to put it down.
Rating:
Summary: The updated book is coming in December '99
Review: I just got word from "Fire in the Valley" co-author Michael Swaine that the updated and re-edited version of this tome to the Personal Computer will be released by McGraw-Hill in December, with a collector's edition hard-bound version scheduled for release in January, to coincide with the 25 year anniversary of the Altair announcement in Popular Electronics. The collector's edtion will feature a CD-ROM with sound clips. This should help to satisfy the demand for this long out-of-print book. Perhaps it will provide a clearer story of IMSAI and my ascension to ownership of the trademarks and production rights! -Thomas "Todd" Fischer
Rating:
Summary: An important book for anyone entering the field of computers
Review: I read this book many years ago when it was first published and was fascinated by it. I just watched The Pirates of Silicon Valley and now want to read the book again.
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