Apple

The First 50 Years

By: David Pogue

Narrated by: David Pogue

Instant New York Times Bestseller

In time for Apple’s 50th anniversary, CBS Sunday Morning correspondent David Pogue tells the iconic company’s entire life story: how it was born, nearly died, was born again under Steve Jobs, and became, under CEO Tim Cook, the most valuable company in the world. The book features new facts that correct the record and illuminate its subversive culture and fresh interviews with the legendary figures who shaped Apple into what it is today.

On April 1, 1976, two scruffy twentysomethings, both named Steve, founded a startup. Their goal: To bring the revolutionary power of computers to everyone.

Over the next five decades, Apple reshaped the technology and cultural landscapes, introducing the public to breakthroughs like the mouse, laser printing, CD-ROM, WiFi, digital video, home networking, touchscreen phones, and tablets. Jobs’s obsessive eye for detail set the stage for products—Mac, iMac, iPod, iTunes, iPhone, iPad, AirPods, Apple Watch—that married advanced technology with beauty, simplicity, and fine design.

Deeply researched, Apple: The First 50 Years includes new interviews with 150 key people who made the journey, including Steve Wozniak, John Sculley, Jony Ive, and many current designers, engineers, and executives. The book busts long-held myths; goes backstage for both the titanic successes (450 million iPods, 700 million iPads, 2.2 billion iPhones) and the instructive failures (Lisa, Apple III, MobileMe); and assesses the forces that challenge Apple’s dominance as it enters its second half century.

Bursting with tales of frenetic all-nighters, engineering genius, and creative rebellion, this book is a true testament to Apple’s unique and innovative vision, and a must read for anyone whose life Apple has touched.

Critic reviews

"A fun and inspired telling of the Apple story provided by an insider who knows his subject."

"Pogue's narration is charming and a little infectious as he takes listeners through his history of the legendary tech company. The broad strokes of Apple's story may be well known to most listeners, but Pogue is dedicated to clarifying the myths surrounding the "two Steves" (Jobs and Wozniak) while relaying details about the storied company's rise, fall, and reemergence. The audio production features clips from Jobs' famous keynote speeches and memorable Apple commercials and sounds from Apple software. Yet it's Pogue's enthusiasm for his subject that's the highlight of the soundscape. His storytelling skill never wavers."

Loved every second of it. It just works

Apple: The First 50 Years is exactly what it promises to be, a 50-year clear and detailed journey on how Apple grew from a small idea into one of the most influential companies in the world. With Apple turning 50 on April 1st, this audiobook feels perfectly timed and it takes you through the key moments, the people, and the decisions that shaped Apple, in a way that is easy to follow.

For me, this story is personal, because I’m totally blind, and Apple is the only company in this world that truly makes a huge difference in my everyday existence. Their products allow me to live a life that is as close to normal as possible. I can pick up an iPhone or a Mac, turn on VoiceOver, and use it independently from the very first minute. No extra tools, no special versions, no workarounds. As the tagline goes, it just works. That level of accessibility is built into everything they do, and it’s something I rely on every single day and I even have a job teaching other blind, low vision, or students with other disabilities on how to make the best of Apple products. Although I already knew a lot of the stories, I was pleasantly surprised by the high-quality audio production and excellent narration by David Pogue.

The audiobook is performed by the author himself, David Pogue, and his journalistic experience and love for Apple really show. He’s been covering the company from Cupertino for decades, following its evolution from the early days to where it is now. His narration is enthusiastic, engaging, entertaining, clear, and easy to follow. The audio production feels natural and Mr. David Pogue‘s reading feels like someone who knows this story inside out is simply guiding you through it.

The structure of the audiobook works really well. It starts with Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak looking for ideas on how to build something new, then moves through the early success of the Apple II and the ambition behind the Macintosh. From there, it gets into the more difficult years, when Apple struggled to find its direction, followed by the return of Jobs and the shift into what we now think of as modern Apple. The big successes are all here, the iMac, iPod, iPhone, and iPad, but the book also makes space for the failures like the Lisa, the Newton, and MobileMe. That balance makes the whole story feel honest and complete.

Another welcome addition to the audiobook is the inclusion of real recorded interviews. You hear directly from people who were part of Apple’s journey, and that adds a lot of depth. There are also musical cues used for side notes. They’re fine, but they stand out a bit too much. A simpler, more minimal sound would have worked better here. Something subtle and clean, more in line with Apple’s own design philosophy. It’s a small detail that doesn’t detract from the experience in any way, but worth mentioning in case the author wants to make the listening even more immersive and seamless.

David Pogue has done a tremendous job with writing, gathering all the interviews, chronicling all the events, and last, but definitely not least, with bringing to life in his own voice Apple: The First 50 Years in audiobook format. If you, like me, love Apple and want to know everything about the company and the people behind it, then I highly recommend you to pick up Apple: The First 50 Years.

Like I already said in the beginning of this review, Apple has changed the world for the better, so I can’t wait but be excited for the future. Listen to this and get your extremely entertaining history lesson, and here is to the next 50 years!

For flawless writing and perfect narration, Apple: The First 50 Years by David Pogue receives my highest praise: the Editor’s Choice Award for Excellence in Entertainment.

A golden ribbon with the site's logo and the text Editor's choice award for excellence in entertainment.

Complete and Fascinatng!

I learned so much from this book and David goes into a great amount of detail without being boring.

Think different, read deeper

Who better to tell this story…and what a story it is.

Halfway through listen two.

Part History Lesson, Part Time Machine

This is the feel-good book I needed in 2026. I started with the audiobook, and David Pogue’s narration is calm, measured, and genuinely easy to spend hours with. I enjoyed it so much that I picked up the hardcover halfway through just to see the accompanying photographs. Having both formats turned out to be the ideal way to experience it, and I’m happy to have the hard cover as a quick reference on my bookshelf.

I came to Apple in 2004 with an iBook G4 and a 3rd Generation iPod, so the early chapters on the founding era and the dawn of personal computing were educational. But once the book reached the iPod years, the Intel transition, and the launches of the iPhone and iPad, I was able to wrap myself in the nostalgia of my youth.

Whether you're a longtime Apple follower, or just curious about one of the most consequential companies in tech history, this is a great book. I highly recommended in any format, although I'd argue the hardcover is worth it for the visuals alone.

Fantastic history of one of the world’s most innovative companies

David Pogue, the former reviewer of Apple products for Mac world in later than New York Times, is written a thorough and even delightful history of Apple. There’s probably no one else so qualified to write this book. The pros is witty and engaging the book as well researched without feeling like an academic slog. It’s also one of the best audiobooks, I’ve listened to, with mini interspersed sound bites and audio. David Wright that this book was written because his wife had the idea for him to write this book in a dream in the middle of the night. Thank you, Natalie!