Never learnt to program your Spectrum, Amstrad or BBC? Step this way...
Publisher Usborne re-releases 15 computer coding books from the 1980s as free PDF downloads
Educational publisher Usborne has re-released 15 of its top computer programming titles from the 1980s - and made them available as free PDF downloads.
The initiative was made to coincide with the launch of a new range of "learn to code" titles, so that parents can finish learning to program the Sinclair Spectrum they grew up with, while their children learn something a little bit more advanced.
The programming titles offer instructions and type-in-yourself game listings for classic eight-bit computers from the 1980s. In addition to the Spectrum, Usborne has also re-released titles for the Commodore 64, Commodore Vic 20, MSX standard machines, Amstrad CPC-series and the BBC Micro.
The publishing house, fondly remembered for its titles as broad as French phrase books and lessons in spycraft, has emphasised that the techniques in these books are, in essence, obsolete. But if your childhood ZX Spectrum 48k has long since been consigned to landfill, you could always buy the recreated ZX Spectrum, which was released last year and proved a big hit at Maplin.
Titles such as Spooky Computer Games and Practical Things To Do With A Microcomputer will bring back some misty-eyed reminiscences for some of today's parents, who it is hoped will go on to buy the new titles for their own kids. These are handily available for purchase on the same page.
Launch titles are Coding For Beginners using Scratch and Lift the Flap (that's what she said) Computers and Coding.
The new titles will teach basic (not BASIC) modern coding techniques to youngsters experimenting in languages such as Scratch, and coding on machines like the Raspberry Pi and BBC micro:bit.
The full list of original titles for retroists and misty-eyed romantics is Programming Tricks and Skills, Machine Code for Beginners, Introduction to Computer Programming and Practical Things to do with a Microcomputer.
There are five themed game listing books: Spy Computer Games, Spooky Computer Games, Weird Computer Games, Computer Battlegames and Computer Spacegames.
Four titles are dedicated to text adventures: The Mystery of Silver Mountain, Island of Secrets, Write Your Own Fantasy Games and Write Your Own Adventure Games, and for even younger retro kids there's Computer Fun and Simple Basic (a tautology surely?).
The new titles are £9.99 for flap-lifting and £12.99 for Scratch. Both are aimed at the Key Stage 1 coding requirements of the National Curriculum.
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