I'm so excited to be part of this blog tour today! As soon as I was offered the opportunity to read this book and get involved in the tour, I jumped at the chance.
Read on to find out five interesting facts about Ada Lovelace and to see what I thought of the book...
So to start off, here are five facts that I found out about Ada Lovelace, the 19th century mathematician who is hailed as the world's first computer programmer:
- Ada's father was a famous poet
Lord Byron, the English poet, was her father. Although it appears that he did not have much to do with Ada or her mother, Lady Byron. The marriage between Lord and Lady Byron was short and unhappy and it is said Lord Byron asked Lady Byron to take Ada and leave their home only a month after Ada was born. Lord Byron died when Ada was eight years old. - Ada studied mathematics and science from a very young age
Her mother, Lady Byron, was a mathematical genius and tutored Ada in mathematics and science from the age of four. This was not a usual course of study for a woman in the 19th century, but Lady Byron wanted her daughter to have logic and reason rather than the ideals and unfavourable nature of her father. - Ada designed a flying machine before she even reached her teenage years
Ada studied hard and, at the young age of twelve, illustrated her ideas to build a flying machine. She wrote to her mother about her plans, saying "I have got a scheme to make a thing in the form of a horse with a steam engine in the inside... an immense pair of wings, fixed to the outside... to carry it up into the air while a person sits on the back." - She was mentored by the "father of the computer"
When Ada was 17, she met mathematician and inventor Charles Babbage. She observed a model portion of his difference engine - a huge mathematical calculating machine - which led to him being called the "father of the computer". Ada moved forward to become his protégé. This lead Ada to write a paper about the engine that was published in an English journal in 1843 under only her initials. - A computer programming language is named after her
In the 1970s, the US Department of Defence created a computer programming language that superseded the hundreds that were in use by the military at that time. US Navy Commander Jack Cooper suggested named the new language "Ada", in her honour. The suggestion was unanimously approved and "Ada" is still used around the world today, in aviation, space industries and more.
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Now, onto the book review...
First of all, here is the synopsis:
The astonishing true story of the tumultuous teenage years of Ada Lovelace, the world's first computer programmer
The daughter of England's most famous (an notorious) poet, Ada is raised on a diet of mathematics and French verbs by her strict mother. But Ada's imagination flies free nevertheless. As she grows up, Ada is desperate to learn more - of love and passion, of science and stories, and the full truth about her long-lost father Lord Byron.
Then Ada meets a man whose invention might just change the world - and he needs her visionary brilliance to bring it to life...
I found this book fascinating. It is the perfect way to share the true story of someone so inspiring and influential. It is also a great way to get a child into reading when they are interested in non-fiction texts and not so much in fictional, made-up stories. This book perfectly combines the two.
This book had me hooked from the very beginning. I read the whole book in one day during the summer; I really could not put it down. It was an easy read too, in the sense that it flowed so well and was written in such a way that before I knew it I was over halfway in one sitting. I also liked that each chapter was headed with the place and time, to give a bit more context. I was just so enchanted by the time period, the history and the people.
I also have to make a special mention to the cover artwork and the images inside the book. It really adds to the book, being able to see printings of the paintings. It helps to bring the book to life even further and show that these were real people.
The same goes for the quote at the opening of the book from Ada's paper, 'Essay on Imagination', from 1841. It's amazing to see an extract from something she wrote to open the book. I also enjoyed reading the afterword once I had finished the book, to read a little more about Ada and her life. It's made me want to learn more about her and about other incredible people like her.
Reading this book also made me think of Monsters by Sharon Dogar (another fantastic book published by Andersen Press). That was the story of Mary Shelley and her work on 'Frankenstein' and worked in the same way as I, Ada, combining facts and fiction to create an truly captivating book. So, if you're looking something to read after I, Ada then I can definitely recommend Monsters.
To summarise, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and immersing myself in the world of Ada Lovelace. I will be recommending this book and I also feel that this will be a book that I will reread at some point.
Thank you to Andersen Press for sending me a copy of this book (all views are my own and not influenced in any way) and for allowing me to be part of this blog tour!
You can buy a copy of I, Ada here.
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