Lives of the electricians : $b Professors Tyndall, Wheatstone, and Morse.

The book introduces three pioneering figures whose work turned electricity from a curiosity into a force that reshaped daily life. It begins with the early years of a brilliant scientist who moved from surveying and teaching to groundbreaking experiments on radiant heat, magnetism and glacial phenomena, while climbing the Alps and visiting distant waterfalls that sparked his wonder.

Next, a gifted inventor’s story unfolds, tracing his youthful fascination with sound and light, his first attempts at a needle telegraph, and the spirited dispute that spurred him to refine electric clocks, printing telegraphs and even submarine cables. His relentless curiosity leads to practical tools that soon power emerging communication networks.

Finally, the narrative follows an artist‑turned‑engineer whose experiments in New York produce the first practical recording telegraph and the relay that makes long‑distance messages possible. His perseverance through poverty and skepticism eventually brings his system to the attention of governments, setting the stage for a new era of rapid, worldwide connection.