Alexander Graham Bell : The Life and Times of the Man Who Invented the Telephone.

Grosvenor, Edwin S., 1951- ; Wesson, Morgan, 1951- [Sharon AvRutick, Judith Michael, Robert V Bruce, Alexander Graham Bell, Eliza Symonds Bell]

ISBN 10: 0810940051 / ISBN 13: 9780810940055

Published by New York : Harry Abrams, 1997., 1997

About this Item

304 pp. ; illustrated ; 29 cm. ; ISBN: 0810940051; 9780810940055 LCCN: 97-7636 ; OCLC: 36407845 ; LC: TK6143.B4; Dewey: 621.385/092 ; brown cloth with gold lettering in photographic dustjacket ; Contents: Birth of an Inventor Education and Experiments in Scotland -- "I May Succeed" Deaf Education and Telegraphy -- "Mr. Bell, Do You Understand What I Say?" Inventing and Patenting the Telephone -- "One Good Invention" The Bell Telephone -- The Highest Incentive a Man Can Have Photophone, Medic al Research, Graphophone -- The Bell Monopoly Growth of an Industry -- "It Will All Be Up With Us!" A Summer Retreat, Flying Machines -- The Rise of the Independents After the Monopoly -- "The World And All That's In It" The National Geographic Society, the Smithsonian, Travels -- "To Get Into The Air" Manned Flight -- From Coast to Coast Long-Distance Telephony Comes of Age -- Life With Grandfather The Late Years -- "What the World Calls Failures" The Golden Age . ; "This volume is the fir st fully illustrated book about Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922) and the early years of the telephone - an invention that transformed the culture, social fabric, and economy of the United States and, eventually, the world. Hundreds of rare and previously unpublished images reveal early phone history, turn-of-the-century America, and the remarkable Bell family. At the center of this book is Alexander Graham Bell himself, whose remarkably fertile imagination spawned a raft of inventions most of us have never associated with his name. Working in the United States and Canada, he devised the first practical phonograph, the metal detector, the hydrofoil, and the respirator. In addition, Bell and his associates conducted 1,200 pioneering experiments in aviation, achieving the first public airplane flight in the United States. Bell helped found the National Geographic Society and its distinguished magazine. Further, he was instrumental in bringing Montessori education to America, was involved in early civil rights efforts, and did seminal work in deaf education (he was responsible for Helen Keller meeting her teacher Annie Sullivan). Created with unprecedented access to private materials - one of the coauthors is Bell's great-grands on - Alexander Graham Bell reveals the inventor as a man of warmth and human frailty, loved by his wife, children, and grandchildren. ; FINE/FINE. Seller Inventory # 4397

Bibliographic Details

Title: Alexander Graham Bell : The Life and Times ...

Publisher: New York : Harry Abrams, 1997.

Publication Date: 1997

Binding: Hardcover

Condition: Fine

Dust Jacket Condition: Fine

Book Type: Book

About this title

Synopsis:

A splendidly engaging narrative of Bell's life and work, abundantly illustrated with captioned photos (approx. 400; 25 in color) of the vibrant and prolific inventor himself, his family and associates, his numerous inventions, and his wide-ranging activities. A well-conceived, nicely produced reference, and a wonderful browse. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

From Kirkus Reviews:

Great inventors tend to become so closely identified with their most famous invention that their very lives become obscured. As this terse, admiring assessment of Bell's (18471922) life makes clear, the telephone--his greatest accomplishment and a leading invention of the 19th century--represented only one element in his long and restless career. He also devised the first practical phonograph and did important work on aviation in its infancy. This shy, amiable man also headed the National Geographic Society, was an outspoken proponent of civil rights, and worried publicly about the impact of technology on the environment. Grosvenor, Bell's great-grandson, and Wesson, a documentary filmmaker, offer a useful overview of Bell's professional achievements, succinct descriptions of his ideas, and a lively account of the telephone's impact on American society. The 405 illustrations (35 in color) offer a fascinating view of Bell's high-spirited family life and circle of friends, and of the early years of the telephone business. An effective marriage of text and photographs, and a succinct portrait of a decent man and a remarkable scientist. (Book-of-the-Month Club featured selection; History Book Club alternate selection) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.