Invented by Sir Clive Sinclair, the ZX Spectrum, successor to the ZX80 and ZX81 home computers, would come to define an age of video gaming, with a range of games as quirky and eccentric as the computer that inspired them.

Re-live the glory days of the Spectrum with this award-winning collection of over a hundred classic games. Starting with early titles such as The Hobbit, Hungry Horace and Psion’s Flight Simulation, you will trace the lineage of Spectrum games through iconic titles including Manic Miner, Harrier Attack, Elite, Jetpac, Deus Ex Machina, The Lords of Midnight, Knight Lore and Head Over Heels.

Each game is represented by its loading page or an archetypal screenshot, printed without margins on high-quality paper and using special fluorescent inks to capture the vibrant look of the ZX Spectrum’s palette.

Accompanying this iconic imagery is a wealth of anecdotes and reminiscences from the artists and developers who made the games, with contributions from the Stamper Brothers, Dave Perry, Bo Jangeborg, the Oliver Twins, Matthew Smith, Dawn Drake, Andrew Hewson and many more. The book also features interviews with key artists and profiles of the major games publishers, plus a look at the Russian and Eastern Bloc clone market and homebrew scene, which still produces new ZX Spectrum games to this day!

This stylish 304-page hardback, with a spot-varnished dust cover, was awarded Gold, for the best publication design, in the Roses Creative Awards 2016. So, if you cut your gaming teeth on this quintessentially British computer, grab a copy of this visual compendium and take a glorious, garish, character-clashing step back in time…

Book specifications
304 pages. 170mm × 230mm. Edge-to-edge high quality lithographic print. Special fluorescent ink throughout. Hardback. Sewn binding for enduring quality and the ability to lay flat for ideal double-page image viewing. Spot-varnished cover and dust jacket that highlight key elements against a matte background. Four coloured bookmark ribbons. Shrink-wrapped. Free PDF for viewing on the go.

Reprint updates
In this latest reprint of Sinclair ZX Spectrum: a visual compendium, we’ve added a handful of new game reviews. Contributor entries now include their role in the game or profession, in line with more recent visual compendiums.

Includes contributions from:
Neil Adamson, Jas Austin, Jim Bagley, Gregg Barnett, Brian Beuken, Matt Bielby, Steve Brown, Nick Bruty, Simon Butler, Robin Candy, Tim Closs, Andy Craven, Mel Croucher, Jonathan Davies, Rick Dickinson, Tony Dillon, Mevlut Dinc, Dawn Drake, Mark Eyles, Jason Falcus, Oliver Frey, Alberto J. González, Chris Graham, Bill Harbison, Peter Harrap, John Heap, Andrew Hewson, Chris Hinsley, Robin Hogg, Teoman Irmak, Bo Jangeborg, Steve Jarratt, Chris Jenkins, Colin Jones, David Jones, Mark R. Jones, Roger Kean, James Leach, Richard Leinfellner, Adrian Ludley, Steinar Lund, Veronika Megler, Shaun G. McClure, the Oliver Twins, Ray Owen, Bob Pape, David Perry, Ste Pickford, Mike Richardson, Andy Roberts, Nick Roberts, David Rowe, Bill Scolding, Phil South, Matthew Smith, the Stamper Brothers, Craig Stevenson, Kevin Toms, Steve Turner, Clive Townsend, Keith Warrington, Steve Wetherill, Robert White and Pete Williamson.