The Turk: The Life and Times and the Famous Eighteenth-Century Chess-Playing Machine (Five Stars)

In the 18th Century, during a time when automatons were toys to amuse the rich and entertain the public, a mechanical chess player called the Turk was crafted in Austria and became the wonder of its time. Standage unwraps the history and myth of the machine over its 80 years of existence, during which it intrigued Benjamin Franklin, Charles Babbage and Edgar Allen Poe, all of whom the machine had some influence over. Despite much speculation it wasn't until much later in the machine's existence that all its secrets were discovered.

Very well-written, with illustrations. Definitely an excellent book to read even if you're not really interested in automatons.