Toni Baker
Voice of ZX assembly
Toni Baker's 'Mastering Machine Code on Your ZX Spectrum' taught a generation of British programmers how to escape BASIC and write real games.
Overview
Toni Baker wrote the book that transformed Spectrum owners from BASIC dabblers into assembly programmers. Mastering Machine Code on Your ZX Spectrum (1983) combined clear explanations with practical examples, providing the roadmap thousands followed into professional game development.
Fast facts
- Background: mathematics graduate turned technical author.
- Style: approachable yet thorough, with working example programs.
- Impact: the standard reference for Spectrum assembly programming.
- Approach: assumed readers knew BASIC but nothing of machine code.
Mastering Machine Code
The book covered:
| Topic | Approach |
|---|---|
| Number systems | Hex, binary explained from scratch |
| Z80 registers | What they are, how to use them |
| Instructions | Grouped by function, with examples |
| Memory | How the Spectrum organises RAM and ROM |
| Graphics | Screen layout, plotting, sprites |
| Sound | Beeper programming |
| Integration | Calling machine code from BASIC |
Teaching approach
Baker’s method worked because:
- Gradual complexity: started simple, built understanding step by step.
- Working code: every example could be typed in and tested.
- Practical focus: aimed at game programming, not abstract theory.
- Clear prose: avoided jargon, explained everything.
Influence
Many professional Spectrum developers cite Baker’s book as their entry point into assembly:
- Provided the missing link between BASIC and machine code.
- Made the intimidating Z80 instruction set approachable.
- Created a common foundation for the UK development scene.
Publications
- Mastering Machine Code on Your ZX Spectrum (1983) — Interface Publications
- Further Mastering Machine Code — sequel with advanced topics
- Regular columns in Spectrum magazines