Excerpt from A History of the Mathematical Theory of From the Time of Pascal to That of Laplace
The favourable reception which has been granted to (my History of the Calculus of Variations during the Nineteenth Century has encouraged me to undertake another work of the same kind. The subject to which I now invite attention has high claims to consideration on account of the subtle problems which it involves, the valuable contributions to analysis which it has produced, its important practical applications, and the eminence of those who have cultivated it.
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This is the most authoritive 19th century history of the development of modern probability theory. Modern readers will not find it easy to read. By modern standards, the prose is dense. The mathematical notation is somewhat antiquated. But for those who are interested in where modern probability came from, it is indispensible. The book was reprinted a few years ago in a bulky paperback edition. There are also electronic, PDF, editions on the web. Todhunter was a very interesting chronicler of the development of mathematical ideas. He also wrote on the history of the Calculus.