Join Amazon Prime and get unlimited Free One-Day Delivery. Already a member? Sign in.

 

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
   
More Buying Choices
25 used & new from £0.89
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Masters of Doom: How Two Guys Created an Empire and Transformed Pop Culture
 
 
Share your own customer images
Search inside this book

Masters of Doom: How Two Guys Created an Empire and Transformed Pop Culture (Paperback)

by David Kushner (Author)
4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
RRP: £8.99
Price: £6.99 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £2.00 (22%)
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.

Want guaranteed delivery by Tuesday, July 7? Choose Express delivery at checkout. See Details
17 new from £0.89 8 used from £2.40
Other Editions: RRP: Our Price: Other Offers:
Hardcover 4 used & new from £50.78

Frequently Bought Together

Customers buy this book with Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution by Steven Levy

Masters of Doom: How Two Guys Created an Empire and Transformed Pop Culture + Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution
Price For Both: £13.98

Show availability and shipping details

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution

Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution

by Steven Levy
4.6 out of 5 stars (11)  £6.99
Smartbomb: The Quest for Art, Entertainment, and Big Bucks in the Videogame Revolution

Smartbomb: The Quest for Art, Entertainment, and Big Bucks in the Videogame Revolution

by Heather Chaplin
5.0 out of 5 stars (1)  £8.52
The Ultimate History of Video Games

The Ultimate History of Video Games

by Steven L. Kent
4.2 out of 5 stars (8)  £10.49
Watchmen

Watchmen

by Alan Moore
4.6 out of 5 stars (135)  £8.09
Flat Earth News: An Award-winning Reporter Exposes Falsehood, Distortion and Propaganda in the Global Media

Flat Earth News: An Award-winning Reporter Exposes Falsehood, Distortion and Propaganda in the Global Media

by Nick Davies
4.3 out of 5 stars (34)  £6.29
› Explore similar items

Product details

  • Paperback: 335 pages
  • Publisher: Piatkus Books; New edition edition (27 May 2004)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0749924896
  • ISBN-13: 978-0749924898
  • Product Dimensions: 19.2 x 13 x 2.6 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 30,122 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #3 in  Books > Biography > Science, Mathematics & Technology > Computers
    #6 in  Books > Computing & Internet > PC & Video Games > Strategy Guides > Genres > Action & Adventure
    #50 in  Books > Biography > Science, Mathematics & Technology > Science

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Product Description

Review
'Masters of Doom is an impressive and adroit social history.' New York Times Book Review

Product Description
'Masters of Doom' is the true inside story of John Carmack and John Romero, co-creators of the most innovative and notoriously successful video games in history - Doom and Quake. They created an empire, ruled a multi-billion-dollar industry, and provoked a national controversy.

See all Product Description
Inside This Book (Learn More)
Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
Search inside this book:

Suggested Tags from Similar Products

 (What's this?)
Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
Check a corresponding box or enter your own tags in the field below
(3)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(2)
(2)
(1)
(1)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Masters of Doom: How Two Guys Created an Empire and Transformed Pop Culture
96% buy the item featured on this page:
Masters of Doom: How Two Guys Created an Empire and Transformed Pop Culture 4.8 out of 5 stars (12)
£6.99
The Ultimate History of Video Games
4% buy
The Ultimate History of Video Games 4.2 out of 5 stars (8)
£10.49
Explore similar items
 

Customer Reviews

12 Reviews
5 star:
 (10)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.8 out of 5 stars (12 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars This book reads like a thriller!, 2 Aug 2003
This review is from: Masters of Doom: How Two Guys Created an Empire and Transformed Pop Culture (Hardcover)
An excellent book about the people behind many killer games like Commander Keen, Castle of Wolfenstein and Doom. The book starts from the very beginning, from the time before the first shareware hit games. In addition to being excellent history book about id software, it also shows the potential problems and pitfals facing each game developer, especially the problem of too big egos and different visions among to developers.

And what's best.. It's the author's style. He certainly knows how to write a good book.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Simply marvellous!, 24 Nov 2003
This review is from: Masters of Doom: How Two Guys Created an Empire and Transformed Pop Culture (Hardcover)
I bought this book as a way of learning the story behind the development of a range of my most favourite games. When the likes of Doom and Quake were released, I wasn't too bothered about the people behind them. 10 years on, I had a great curiosity to find out what drove Carmack, Romero et al to produce their programmatic excellence.

Written in a very appealing and non-technical way, the book is as much a thriller as it is a record of events. My only slight gripe with the book is the fact that it glosses over the technical side of things to favour the "people" side of the story. This is by no means a fatal flaw, since the book is fantastic, it just would have been nice to have had a little more technical details to go on.

According to the writers notes, the book took 6 years to write, which included endless interviews and contact with all involved.

Simply marvellous!

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Yep, great read, 14 Feb 2005
I spent sooooo many hours, like soooo many other people, playing these games. The story of the Two Johns has been touched upon in the computer press but the story more than bears telling in a full length book. I picked it up just to read about what the background was to these incredible games that dominated weeks / months of my adult, slacker life, and sure enough the account given of how Wolfenstein and onwards were written was at turns exhilerating and bittersweet. I then started moving back through the book to the earliest days of the two johns and it held my attention throughout. Great story, great characters, and the author has a great eye for his subjects and the allure of the story of how geeks became rockstars. Gaming isnt going to disappear, and Carmack and Romero are like two Neil Armstrongs in terms of their acheivements. THis is a good history book in the making if nothing else, and it is surprising how much you end up feeling for both Carmack and Romero, two lost boys in a gold mine. Carmack in particular is an odd and mysterious character. My rating? Five stars. mmmm.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome read
If you're interested in reading all about the genesis of the FPS genre, this is the book for you. As well as being a thoroughly entertaining and well-researched read thanks to... Read more
Published on 15 Dec 2006 by Flupstar

5.0 out of 5 stars Mmmmm
A very interesting book about a slice of popular culture that tends not to be covered too well in mainstream media. Read more
Published on 9 Mar 2006 by yorkjack99

5.0 out of 5 stars The most influential book I ever read
If you are a developer, a programmer, someone who likes using his computer for creating games, or even 'casual' applications, you MUST read this book. Read more
Published on 2 Sep 2005 by Marcos Papadakis

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fantastic Book
This book really is fantastic. From the moment I picked it up I couldn't put it down, it's compulsive reading. Read more
Published on 26 Dec 2004 by mikeG

5.0 out of 5 stars A very enjoyable read
I normally keep to technical programming literature, but whilst spending some book vouchers I saw this book and decided to pick it up as a filler. Read more
Published on 1 Nov 2004 by Mr. D. H. H. Mack

4.0 out of 5 stars Only if you're familiar with the games
The story of John Romero and John Cormack, founders of id Software and creators of the PC games Castle Wolfenstein 3D, Doom and Quake, is much more interesting than you'd think... Read more
Published on 15 Oct 2004 by Neb

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting but not that revealing
Id have created some outstanding original entertainment but they're clearly also masters of self promotion. Read more
Published on 7 Sep 2004

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing and so clear!
I have searched online, through a vast pool of servers hosting
games such as Counter-Strike and Soldier Of Fortune 2, and not a
single person I've queried has told me who... Read more
Published on 23 Nov 2003 by T. Hussein

5.0 out of 5 stars A Terrific Read
The two guys referred to in the sub-title are the two Johns, Carmack and Romero, near-legends for their creation of the Doom and Quake games. Read more
Published on 22 Nov 2003 by Edward Bird

Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
This product's forum (0 discussions)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
  No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums

Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category

Look for similar items by subject













i.e., each product must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...

Feedback

Health & Beauty at Amazon.co.uk

Elemis Resurface and Renew Skin Care Gift Set of 4 Products
From soap to shavers, massagers to mascara, stock up on your daily essentials or truly pamper yourself.

›Discover Health & Beauty

  

Make A Wish

Get what you want with an Amazon.co.uk Wish List Make sure you always get what you want with an Amazon.co.uk Wish List.

›More info on Wish Lists

  

Train Hard...Play Hard

Nike, Gola, Converse, and more
Gear up with up to 60% off athletic and outdoor shoes.

›Shop now

  

Treat Someone

Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates--available in any amount from £5 to £500 With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is).

›Learn more about Gift Certificates

  
Ad

Where's My Stuff?

Delivery and Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.
Continue Shopping: Top Sellers

amazon.co.uk Amazon Home
International Sites:  United States  |  Germany  |  France  |  Japan  |  Canada  |  China
Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Fulfilment by Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage
Customer Service  |  Help  |  View Basket  |  Your Account
About Amazon.co.uk  |  Careers at Amazon
Conditions of Use & Sale |  Privacy Notice  © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. and its affiliates