I've found it's generally worthwhile to read the original literature; especially so when it was all worked out, but the technology didn't support doing it prope

I've found it's generally worthwhile to read the original literature; especially so when it was all worked out, but the technology didn't support doing it properly and people have persisted with approximations and fudges needlessly (like some areas of science). The standard of writing may be better in the '60s and '70s literature than in recent stuff anyway.