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findels's review against another edition
4.0
Makes a compelling argument (based on documents recently made available) that Alexander Graham Bell stole the telephone invention from Elisha Gray.
ldwcameron's review against another edition
4.0
I don't know exactly what it was that drew me to this book: the mystery, the scandal, the historical truth. I do know that historian Seth Shulman accidentally stumbled onto a potential cover-up that would change how we think about telephonic history. He presents a compelling case, rife with source materials and a multitude of inconsistencies. I don't know if we'll ever know the truth, but based on this book, it would appear that our mythical father of the telephone, Alexander Graham Bell, borrowed liberally from his predecessors and contemporaries. History is sometimes stranger than fiction!
nv6acaat's review
2.0
Bell pulled off a major deceit. Interesting, but not "gripping," per review. Could've been a long magazine essay instead of a whole book.
wictory's review
4.0
Seth Shulman's exposition of the shady tactics behind the invention of the telephone is an engaging read for anyone who has heard the one-sided tale of Alexander Graham Bell and his assistant toiling away at their workbenches.
Bell's background as a teacher of the deaf, the professional and personal pressure he faced to produce a working telephone and the underhanded actions of his business contacts to ensure that the most valuable U.S. patent ever granted was granted to Bell keep the story moving at an interesting pace. Shulman includes his discovery and research process as part of the story, so the book has a modern tone and isn't weighed down by too much discussion of 19th century technology.
I ended the book feeling bad for Elisha Gray, the forgotten pioneer of telephone technology and almost feeling worse for Bell, whose entire reputation is based on his lowest moment. A very interesting examination of a story few people ever question.
Bell's background as a teacher of the deaf, the professional and personal pressure he faced to produce a working telephone and the underhanded actions of his business contacts to ensure that the most valuable U.S. patent ever granted was granted to Bell keep the story moving at an interesting pace. Shulman includes his discovery and research process as part of the story, so the book has a modern tone and isn't weighed down by too much discussion of 19th century technology.
I ended the book feeling bad for Elisha Gray, the forgotten pioneer of telephone technology and almost feeling worse for Bell, whose entire reputation is based on his lowest moment. A very interesting examination of a story few people ever question.
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