Comprehensive book on the Apollo Guidance Computer for those interested - https://amzn.to/2PUQLTC

If you like this, you may also like this book that goes into crazy detail about the design and architecture of the AGC:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Apollo-Guidance-Computer-Architect...

See also Fran's pages; she does some reverse engineering with X ray micrographs:

http://www.frantone.com/designwritings/design_writings_LVDC....

Some important developments in computing in the sixties and early seventies were driven by the NASA space programs. Some sources:

Computers in Spaceflight - The NASA Experience: http://history.nasa.gov/computers/contents.html

Digital Apollo, by David A. Mindell - https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/digital-apollo

The Apollo Guidance Computer: Architecture and Operation by Frank O'Brien - http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Apollo-Guidance-Computer-Archite... (highly detailed)

I'd also recommend Turing's Cathedral by George Dyson and The Soul of a New Machine by Tracy Kidder.

Many early IT systems used special-purpose hardware, and boundary between the software and hardware development wasn't as clear as it is now. For this reason, I think, many surveys tend to emphasise the hardware aspect.

For those interested, there is also a fascinating book The Apollo Guidance Computer : Architecture and Operation

http://www.apolloguidancecomputer.com/index.html

http://www.amazon.com/The-Apollo-Guidance-Computer-Architect...

While looking at this another book came up in Amazon's recommendation: The Apollo Guidance Computer Architecture. Luckily almost whole books is available for reading in Amazon't Look Inside feature: http://www.amazon.com/The-Apollo-Guidance-Computer-Architect...

For those interested in this subject, I highly recommend "The Apollo Guidance Computer: Architecture and Operation":

http://www.amazon.com/The-Apollo-Guidance-Computer-Architect...

John Pultorak built a Block I AGC (think "version 1") and provides all of his work in the Public Domain here:

http://klabs.org/history/build_agc/

I think most of us would love to see your take on that. However, in case anyone's interested, a book like that does already exist:

http://www.amazon.com/Apollo-Guidance-Computer-Architecture-...

I haven't bought it yet but it's in my wishlist pending an Xmas purchase ;-)