about the cover illustration
The figure on the cover of Secure APIs is “Montanaro d’Imoschi” or “Mountaineer of Imotski,” taken from the book La Dalmazia Descritta by Francesco Carrara, published in 1846. Each illustration is finely drawn and colored by hand.
In those days, it was easy to identify where people lived and what their trade or station in life was by their dress alone. Manning celebrates the inventiveness and initiative of the computer business with book covers based on the rich diversity of regional culture centuries ago, brought back to life by pictures from collections such as this one.