The Victorian Internet

by Tom Standage

First published 1998

Before the internet, a revolution in long-distance communication swept the globe. Tom Standage's The Victorian Internet chronicles the visionaries, eccentrics, and rivals who brought the electric telegraph to life in the 1800s. From the pioneering experiments of French scientist Jean-Antoine Nollet to Samuel Morse's first practical telegraph and Thomas Edison's early career, this vivid history captures the era's electric excitement. As the telegraph network expanded, it transformed business, news, and social connections worldwide, presaging today's digital age. Standage weaves a colorful tale of scientific discovery, technological cunning, and cutthroat competition that would forever change how the world communicated.

Genres: history, science, 20th-century, non-fiction, technology, 19th-century

Vibes: engaging, informative, thought-provoking

Tropes: historical-non-fiction, technological-innovation

Period: 1800s

256 pages · Paperback · Walker Books

More by Tom Standage

• The Neptune File
• A Brief History of Motion
• The Turk
• Writing on the Wall
• The Mechanical Turk
• Go Figure
• The Economist Quiz Book
• Seriously Curious

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