The Victorian Internet

The Remarkable Story of the Telegraph and the Nineteenth Century's On-Line Pioneers

Tom Standage traces the development of the electric telegraph and its rapid transformation of communication in the nineteenth century. The book follows the inventors, entrepreneurs, operators, and critics who built and used the new network, including Samuel Morse and Thomas Edison. It also draws parallels between the telegraph and the later rise of the Internet, showing how faster long-distance communication reshaped business, news, diplomacy, and everyday life.

by Tom Standage

Walker and Co. · First published 1998 · 227 pages