The Telephone Gambit: Chasing Alexander Graham Bell's Secret.

Shulman, Seth.

ISBN 10: 0393062066 / ISBN 13: 9780393062069

Published by W. W. Norton, New York, 2008

About this Item

Hardback small octavo, dustjacket, very good condition (in very good dustjacket), cloth spine, black & white drawings, top edge little foxed, minor edgewear jacket. 256 pp. Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone and co-founder of the National Geographic Society, is challenged by the author Seth Shulman. A stellar example of historical investigation. Throughout his career, Bell was plagued by a secret: he stole the key idea behind the invention of the telephone. While researching at MIT, science journalist Shulman scrutinized Bell's journals and found the smoking gun: a deeply buried historical deception. Delving further into Bell's life, Shulman unearthed the surprising story behind the telephone, a tale of romance, corruption and unchecked ambition. First edition. Seller Inventory # 24834

Bibliographic Details

Title: The Telephone Gambit: Chasing Alexander ...

Publisher: W. W. Norton, New York

Publication Date: 2008

Binding: Hardcover

Dust Jacket Condition: Dust Jacket Included

Edition: 1st ed.

About this title

Synopsis:

A gripping intrigue at the heart of one of the world’s most important inventions.

While researching Alexander Graham Bell at MIT’s Dibner Institute, Seth Shulman scrutinized Bell’s journals and within them he found the smoking gun, a hint of deeply buried historical intrigue. Delving further, Shulman unearthed the surprising story behind the invention of the telephone: a tale of romance, corruption, and unchecked ambition. Bell furtively―and illegally―copied part of Elisha Gray’s invention in the race to secure what would become the most valuable U.S. patent ever issued. And afterward, as Bell’s device led to the world’s largest monopoly, the American Telephone and Telegraph Company, he hid his invention’s illicit beginnings. In The Telephone Gambit, Shulman challenges the reputation of an icon of invention, rocks the foundation of a corporate behemoth, and offers a probing meditation on how little we know about our own history.

About the Author:

Seth Shulman is an author, editor, and journalist specializing in issues in science, technology, and the environment. He lives in Northampton, Massachusetts.