Commodore: The Inside Story (German)

Commodore: The Inside Story: 30 Untold Stories of a Computer Giant takes readers on a journey through the exciting world of Commodore, the legendary technology company that shaped the computer revolution - from its humble beginnings to its rise as the undisputed icon of the home computer era to the company's final crash due to fatal mismanagement.

This gripping book not only provides a comprehensive account of the origins of Commodore, with its revolutionary C64, PET and Amiga computer models and its many failed developments, but also reveals the fascinating stories of the visionaries, engineers and developers who made the company what it was.

17 of the gripping chapters are written directly by David John Pleasance, the former managing director of Commodore UK. His precise descriptions and many personal photos provide exclusive details and an intimate perspective on the events.

Former Commodore legends such as RJ Mical, Dave Haynie, Gail Wellington and Peter Kittel talk very personally about their eventful time at the American home computer giant of the 1980s in 13 further, comprehensive chapters. These extraordinary stories provide a deep insight into the culture, the innovations and the passion that shaped Commodore.

"Commodore: The Inside Story" is the ultimate tribute to an era that changed the world of computing forever. With his in-depth insights, captivating anecdotes and the personal contributions of industry legends, David John Pleasance inspires his readers and takes them back to the golden age of home computers.

From the contents

Part 1: The Inside Story

1. In the beginning ...
2. Commodore UK - The first five months
3. Commodore Corby
4. Interlude 1: Spirit of the Stones
5. Maidenhead, Part 1: We don't sell computers, we sell dreams
6. Maidenhead, part 2: The dealer bonus program
7. Commodore Electronics Limited: Basel, Switzerland
8. Interlude 2: Commodore Netherlands
9. Commodore Inc.: West Chester, Pennsylvania, USA
10. A comedy of errors: Our illustrious leader, Mehdi Ali
11. Interlude 3: Irving Gould
12. The launch of the CD32
13. The SCI Amiga 1200 manufacturing saga
14. Interlude 4: The PC Week court case
15. Management buyout
16. Interlude 5: Chelsea FC shirt sponsorship
17. After Commodore

Part 2: Commodore memories

1. RJ Mical: Another untold Amiga story
2. Dave Haynie: RUN
3. Tim Chaney: Commodore UK - The early days
4. Gail Wellington: Memories of the soft side
5. Peter Kittel: My time at Commodore Germany
6. Beth Richard: Develop a lot, publish a little
7. Miguel De Gracia: Memories of a young recruit
8. Joe Benzing: Memories of Commodore
9. François Lionet: How Amiga changed my life
10. Wim Meulders: Death by management, customers and users
11. Kieron Sumner: The benefit is everything
12. Stephen Jones: A love letter to AROS
13. Carlo Pastore: The history of the Commodore

The author

With a career spanning more than 45 years in the computer industry, David John Pleasance's success is legendary - it is estimated that he was directly responsible for the sale of some 2.25 million computers.

During his influential tenure at Commodore, which included offices in the UK, Switzerland (responsible for 35 countries) and the USA, David formed long-term partnerships with the world's leading publishers of games and productivity software, always at least one step ahead of the competition. He has set the standard in marketing and is especially known for his pioneering idea of bringing combined computer and software packages to the market.

No one else is better qualified to tell this riveting, unbelievable (but true) story about the mismanagement of a global computer giant.

The book

Author: David John Pleasance
Language: German
Edition: Hardcover
Length: 384 pages