Did you look at the sample pages there? It has expository research about the languages, design, and illustrations beyond just the implementations.
Though I don't personally think this is an exciting way to learn about programming languages or their history, it looks like an appealing book that a lot of work went into.
Though I don't personally think this is an exciting way to learn about programming languages or their history, it looks like an appealing book that a lot of work went into.