The Analogue Revolution: Communication Technology 1901–1914

by Simon Webb

We are all familiar with the digital revolution that has swept across the developed world in recent years. It has ushered in an age of smartphones, laptop computers and ready access to the internet. A little over a century ago, a similar explosion took place in the field of information and communication technology. This revolution was not digital but analogue, and it saw the birth of mass media such as newspapers, cinema and radio.In The Analogue Revolution, Simon Webb examines the impact that developments in printing, photography, wireless telegraphy, gramophones and moving pictures had in the years preceding the First World War, and shows how the modern world was shaped by the media used to record it. From the first mass-circulation newspapers to cameras so cheap that everybody could afford them, from early experiments in radio broadcasting to cinema films in color, The Analogue Revolution charts the history of the first information revolution of the twentieth century. The parallels with the modern world are uncanny, ranging from anxiety about the use of new technology to distribute pornography, to worries about children losing interest in reading because they prefer to watch films.For anybody wishing to understand the modern world, this book is an essential primer in the nature of information revolutions and the way in which they affect the world.

168 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 30, 2018

Reviews

[Coffee & books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really interesting book, worth reading. I enjoyed the details on media and the funny stories. I feel I learned a few things from the book and I like the writing style as well.

[Todd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not what I expected. Truly amazing the similarities between the analogue revolution of the early 20th century vs. the digital revolution of the 21st century. I was also surprised by some of the things that we think are relatively recent inventions that actually date back to the beginning of the 20th century.

[Nigel Carrington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mind blowing facts.

A very thought provoking and scrupulously
researched book. Some editing problems though, words either missing or re-iterated. The author repeats some facts a few times. Otherwise an amazing look at the brilliant and visionary
Edwardian analogue technology that helped shape our modern digital world.