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seano 's review for:
The Victorian Internet
by Tom Standage
The story of the rise and fall of the telegraph, and the communication revolution it spawned, is well-told, and foretold a lot about the social impact of the Internet.
The telegraph had a significant impact on the life of Edison (who began his career as a telegraph messenger boy,) and the invention of the telephone.
I believe this book is absolutely required reading for anyone interested in the Steampunk genre, because the truth is stranger than fiction. The laying of the transatlantic cable reads like a Jules Verne story.
It loses a star because it didn't go far enough. This could have been a longer and more satisfying book. The telegraph's importance during the American Civil war was only briefly touched. The telegram's cultural impact during the 20th Century was barely touched.
The telegraph had a significant impact on the life of Edison (who began his career as a telegraph messenger boy,) and the invention of the telephone.
I believe this book is absolutely required reading for anyone interested in the Steampunk genre, because the truth is stranger than fiction. The laying of the transatlantic cable reads like a Jules Verne story.
It loses a star because it didn't go far enough. This could have been a longer and more satisfying book. The telegraph's importance during the American Civil war was only briefly touched. The telegram's cultural impact during the 20th Century was barely touched.