The Cable: The Wire That Changed the World

by Gillian Cookson

This is the compelling story of how the first transatlantic cable was laid—the people who dared, the people who lost, and the people who profited. It tells of the dramatic attempts to cross the Atlantic during the 1850s and 1860s, from the first failed attempts to the project that finally succeeded. An inconceivably audacious attempt to overcome the forces of nature in the name of human progress and technology, the laying of the cable was to change forever our means of communication. The speed with which information could now be transmitted was unprecedented and revolutionized the face of news and the global economy.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

224 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2003

About the author

Gillian Cookson is the County Editor for Durham of the Victoria County History of England and is a lecturer at Durham University. She lives in Yorkshire.

Reviews

[George · Rating 3 out of 5]

Technically interesting, but boringly written - could have been much more passionate about the players.

[Mariya · Rating 3 out of 5]

informative and consise. Easy to read in a couple days and I am glad of the inclusion of pictures in the centre page spread.

Personally I found that the timeliness were a bit jumbled. If were in 1856 why mentions 1865 and then go back to 1857 but then ofcourse remember we're actually still in 1856. Its like that the whole way through and makes your head spin. Also way too many names and numbers. Can skim so much of the book if you choose to look past every mention of share price increase and donations etc etc. Superfluous to the story. Some numbers I felt were missing eg the Great Eastern was the biggest ship of it's size but we were not told a length or gross tonnage.

Still enjoyed it though thanks Gillian

[Caolan McMahon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I preferred Arthur C Clarke's telling of this tale in the first part of 'How the World Was One'. This book has a good detail but can be dry.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A comprehensive but sometimes technical account of this feat of ingenuity