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{{Short description|1992/1996 nonfiction book by Robert X. Cringely}}
{{Infobox Book
{{Infobox book
| name = Accidental Empires
| name = Accidental Empires
| image = Robert X. Cringely - Accidental Empires.jpeg
| image = <!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:accidental empires revised edition robert x cringley.jpg]] -->
| image_caption = Revised edition (1996)
| caption = Revised edition (1996)
| author = Mark Stephens (as [[Robert X. Cringley]])
| author = Mark Stephens (as [[Robert X. Cringely]])
| illustrator =
| illustrator =
| cover_artist =
| cover_artist =
| country = [[United States of America]]
| country = United States
| language = [[English language|English]]
| language = English
| series =
| series =
| subject = [[Computer industry]]
| subject = [[Computer industry]]
| publisher = [[Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Inc]]
| publisher = [[Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Inc.]]
| release_date = February 1992
| release_date = February 1992
| media_type = Print ([[Hardcover]], [[Paperback]])
| media_type = Print ([[Hardcover]], [[Paperback]])
| pages = 324
| pages = 324
| isbn = 0201570327
| isbn = 978-0-201-57032-8
| dewey= 338.4/7004/0979473 20
| dewey= 338.4/7004/0979473 20ca
| congress= HD9696.C63 U51586 1991
| congress= HD9696.C63 U51586 1991
| oclc= 24141993
| oclc= 24141993
}}
}}


'''''Accidental Empires: How the Boys of Silicon Valley Make Their Millions, Battle Foreign Competition, and Still Can't Get a Date''''' (1992, 1996), is a book written by Mark Stephens under the pen name [[Robert X. Cringely]] about the founding of the personal computer industry and the history of [[Silicon Valley]]. The style of the book is informal, and in the first chapter Cringley claims that he is not a historian but an explainer, and that "historians have a harder job because they can be faulted for what is left out; explainers like me can get away with printing only the juicy parts."<ref>Ibid, pg 11</ref>
'''''Accidental Empires: How the Boys of Silicon Valley Make Their Millions, Battle Foreign Competition, and Still Can't Get a Date''''' (1992, 1996), is a book written by Mark Stephens under the pen name [[Robert X. Cringely]] about the founding of the personal computer industry and the history of [[Silicon Valley]].<ref name=nyt1992>{{cite news|last1=Lewis|first1=Peter H.|title=Summer books for computer nerds|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/08/04/science/personal-computers-summer-books-for-computer-nerds.html|work=New York Times|date=7 August 1992}}</ref>


The style of Accidental Empires is informal, and in the first chapter Cringley claims that he is not a historian but an explainer, and that "historians have a harder job because they can be faulted for what is left out; explainers like me can get away with printing only the juicy parts."<ref>{{cite book | title = Accidental Empires: How the Boys of Silicon Valley Make Their Millions, Battle Foreign Competition, and Still Can't Get a Date | first = Robert X. | last = Cringely | year = 1992 |page = 11}}</ref> Notably, the book was critical of [[Steve Jobs]] and [[Apple Inc.|Apple]], as well as [[Bill Gates]] and [[Microsoft]].<ref name="pcmag">{{cite journal|last1=Wilmott|first1=Don|title=Cringely makes Silicon Valley shutter with scathing industry history|journal=PC Magazine|date=31 March 1992|volume=11|issue=6|page=7|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=a2YTCyIAwwIC&q=cringely&pg=PT72}}</ref> The book described how companies in the technology industry were built and critiqued the public-relation campaigns that explained such narratives.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Beckett |first=Jonathan |date=2020-12-04 |title=Great Books About Computers, History, and the Internet |url=https://medium.com/swlh/great-books-about-computers-history-and-the-internet-3a4978bc7d8b |access-date=2022-07-28 |website=The Startup |language=en}}</ref>
The book was revised and republished in 1996, with new material added. A [[Documentary film|documentary]] based on the book, called ''[[Triumph of the Nerds|Triumph of the Nerds: The Rise of Accidental Empires]]'' was produced by [[PBS]] in 1996, with Cringely as the presenter.


The book was revised and republished in 1996, with new material added. A [[Documentary film|documentary]] based on the book, called ''[[Triumph of the Nerds|Triumph of the Nerds: The Rise of Accidental Empires]]'' was aired on [[PBS]] in 1996, with Cringely as the presenter.<ref name="nyt1996">{{cite news|last1=Goodman|first1=Walter|title=Mapping cyberspace in Bay Area garages|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/06/12/arts/mapping-cyberspace-in-bay-area-garages.html|accessdate=18 August 2015|work=New York Times|date=12 June 1996}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Reed|first1=Sandy|title=Notes from the legal front: the real Robert X Cringley appears in Infoworld|journal=InfoWorld|date=24 June 1996|volume=18|issue=26|page=67|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cz0EAAAAMBAJ&q=cringely&pg=PA77-IA10}}</ref> In November of 2011, a film based on the miniseries called ''Steve Jobs: The Lost Interview'', was exhibited at the [[Landmark Theatres]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ng |first=Philiana |date=2011-11-05 |title=Unseen Footage From Lengthy Steve Jobs Interview Heading to Theaters |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/steve-jobs-lost-interview-theaters-257946/ |access-date=2022-07-28 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}</ref> It included the missing footage of the interview that Jobs did with Cringely in 1995 for the PBS documentary.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ong |first=Josh |date=May 4, 2012 |title='Steve Jobs: The Lost Interview' coming back to Landmark theaters May 11 |url=https://appleinsider.com/articles/12/05/04/steve_jobs_the_lost_interview_coming_back_to_landmark_theaters_may_11 |access-date=2022-07-28 |website=AppleInsider |language=en}}</ref>
The book was on the set-book list for the [[Open University]] course T171 You, Your Computer and the Net

In February 2012, Cringely wrote on his blog that he will republish the book online, free for all to read.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.cringely.com/2012/02/what-the-dickens-accidental-empires-rebooted/ | title = What the Dickens? Accidental Empires Rebooted | work = I, Cringely | date = 7 February 2012 | first = Robert X. | last = Cringely }}</ref>


==Release details==
==Release details==
*1991, United States of America, Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Inc ISBN 0441006523, Pub date February 1992 Hardback
* 1991, United States, Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Inc {{ISBN|978-0-441-00652-6}}, Pub date February 1992 Hardback
*1993, United States of America, Harper Collins ISBN 0887306217, Pub date February 1993, Paperback
* 1993, United States, HarperCollins {{ISBN|978-0-88730-621-1}}, Pub date February 1993, Paperback
*1996, United States of America, Harper Collins ISBN 0887308554, Pub date October 23, 1996, Hardback
* 1996, United States, HarperCollins {{ISBN|978-0-88730-855-0}}, Pub date October 23, 1996, Hardback
*1996, United States of America, Penguin Books Ltd ISBN 0140258264, Pub date April 4, 1996, Paperback
* 1996, United States, Penguin Books Ltd {{ISBN|978-0-14-025826-4}}, Pub date April 4, 1996, Paperback


==References==
==References==
{{Primary sources|date=December 2009}}
{{Refimprove|date=December 2009}}
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}


== External links ==
== External links ==
* [http://books.google.com/books?id=QMrfJ-OVIp4C&printsec=frontcover Accidental Empires] - at [[Google Book Search|Google Books]]
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=QMrfJ-OVIp4C ''Accidental Empires''] at [[Google Book Search|Google Books]]
* [http://www.cringely.com/tag/accidental-empires/ ''Accidental Empires''] at the author's blog


[[Category:1992 books]]
[[Category:1992 non-fiction books]]
[[Category:United States history books]]
[[Category:Addison-Wesley books]]
[[Category:Books about computer and internet companies]]
[[Category:History books about the United States]]




{{US-hist-book-stub}}
{{US-hist-book-stub}}
{{Media-book-stub}}

Latest revision as of 02:47, 14 November 2023

Accidental Empires
Revised edition (1996)
AuthorMark Stephens (as Robert X. Cringely)
LanguageEnglish
SubjectComputer industry
PublisherAddison-Wesley Publishing Company, Inc.
Publication date
February 1992
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (Hardcover, Paperback)
Pages324
ISBN978-0-201-57032-8
OCLC24141993
338.4/7004/0979473 20ca
LC ClassHD9696.C63 U51586 1991

Accidental Empires: How the Boys of Silicon Valley Make Their Millions, Battle Foreign Competition, and Still Can't Get a Date (1992, 1996), is a book written by Mark Stephens under the pen name Robert X. Cringely about the founding of the personal computer industry and the history of Silicon Valley.[1]

The style of Accidental Empires is informal, and in the first chapter Cringley claims that he is not a historian but an explainer, and that "historians have a harder job because they can be faulted for what is left out; explainers like me can get away with printing only the juicy parts."[2] Notably, the book was critical of Steve Jobs and Apple, as well as Bill Gates and Microsoft.[3] The book described how companies in the technology industry were built and critiqued the public-relation campaigns that explained such narratives.[4]

The book was revised and republished in 1996, with new material added. A documentary based on the book, called Triumph of the Nerds: The Rise of Accidental Empires was aired on PBS in 1996, with Cringely as the presenter.[5][6] In November of 2011, a film based on the miniseries called Steve Jobs: The Lost Interview, was exhibited at the Landmark Theatres.[7] It included the missing footage of the interview that Jobs did with Cringely in 1995 for the PBS documentary.[8]

In February 2012, Cringely wrote on his blog that he will republish the book online, free for all to read.[9]

Release details

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Lewis, Peter H. (7 August 1992). "Summer books for computer nerds". New York Times.
  2. ^ Cringely, Robert X. (1992). Accidental Empires: How the Boys of Silicon Valley Make Their Millions, Battle Foreign Competition, and Still Can't Get a Date. p. 11.
  3. ^ Wilmott, Don (31 March 1992). "Cringely makes Silicon Valley shutter with scathing industry history". PC Magazine. 11 (6): 7.
  4. ^ Beckett, Jonathan (2020-12-04). "Great Books About Computers, History, and the Internet". The Startup. Retrieved 2022-07-28.
  5. ^ Goodman, Walter (12 June 1996). "Mapping cyberspace in Bay Area garages". New York Times. Retrieved 18 August 2015.
  6. ^ Reed, Sandy (24 June 1996). "Notes from the legal front: the real Robert X Cringley appears in Infoworld". InfoWorld. 18 (26): 67.
  7. ^ Ng, Philiana (2011-11-05). "Unseen Footage From Lengthy Steve Jobs Interview Heading to Theaters". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2022-07-28.
  8. ^ Ong, Josh (May 4, 2012). "'Steve Jobs: The Lost Interview' coming back to Landmark theaters May 11". AppleInsider. Retrieved 2022-07-28.
  9. ^ Cringely, Robert X. (7 February 2012). "What the Dickens? Accidental Empires Rebooted". I, Cringely.
[edit]


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