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A Thread Across the Ocean: The Heroic Story of the Transatlantic Cable
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A Thread Across the Ocean: The Heroic Story of the Transatlantic Cable Paperback - 2003

by John Steele Gordon

Shedding fascinating new light on an American saga, Gordon explores the laying of the transatlantic cable in 1866--one of the greatest engineering feats of the 19th century.


From the publisher

Today, in a world in which news flashes around the globe in an instant, time lags are inconceivable. In the mid-nineteenth century, communication between the United States and Europe -- the center of world affairs -- was only as quick as the fastest ship could cross the Atlantic, making the United States isolated and vulnerable.

But in 1866, the Old and New Worlds were united by the successful laying of a cable across the Atlantic. John Steele Gordon's book chronicles this extraordinary achievement -- the brainchild of American businessman Cyrus Field and one of the greatest engineering feats of the nineteenth century. An epic struggle, it required a decade of effort, numerous failed attempts, millions of dollars in capital, a near disaster at sea, the overcoming of seemingly insurmountable technological problems, and uncommon physical, financial, and intellectual courage. Bringing to life an overlooked story in the annals of technology, John Steele Gordon sheds fascinating new light on this American saga that literally changed the world.

First line

THOMAS NIGHTINGALE HAD PROSPERED in South Carolina almost from the day he had arrived as a young man from his native Yorkshire in the 1720s.

Details

  • Title A Thread Across the Ocean: The Heroic Story of the Transatlantic Cable
  • Author John Steele Gordon
  • Binding Paperback
  • Edition First Thus
  • Pages 272
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Harper Perennial, New York, New York, U.S.A.
  • Date July 1, 2003
  • Illustrated Yes
  • ISBN 9780060524463 / 0060524464
  • Weight 0.48 lbs (0.22 kg)
  • Dimensions 8 x 5.3 x 0.79 in (20.32 x 13.46 x 2.01 cm)
  • Themes
    • Chronological Period: 19th Century
  • Library of Congress subjects Transatlantic cables - History, Telegraph - United States - History
  • Library of Congress Catalog Number 2003040743
  • Dewey Decimal Code 384.15

Media reviews

Citations

  • New York Times, 07/27/2003, Page 16
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A Thread Across the Ocean: The Heroic Story of the Transatlantic Cable
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A Thread Across the Ocean: The Heroic Story of the Transatlantic Cable

by John Steele Gordon

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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
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