A Thread Across the Ocean: The Heroic Story of the Transatlantic Cable
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.65 (595 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0060524464 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 272 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2014-05-04 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
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. Today, in a world in which news flashes around the globe in an instant, time lags are inconceivable. 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. 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. 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.
Adventurous Capitalists The subtitle for this book should have been, "If At First You Don't Succeed" As I read the book I admired, and was amazed by, the tenacity of Cyrus Field. Although it took about 12 years and 5 attempts to finally get the transatlantic cable down and running, Field never lost sight of his goal and never gave up. He also invested hundreds of thousands of dollars of his own money back in the days when a dollar really meant something. Mr. Gordo. Amazon Customer said Five Stars. Outstanding. "Deep Six" according to Philip W. Henry. A Thread Across the Ocean: The Heroic Story of the Transatlantic CableThe Nineteenth Century saw massive growth in America's industrial infrastructure.Railroads criss-crossed the nation, factories grew up in New England and the mid Atlantic manufacturing shoes, clocks, guns, furniture, steel and machinery for making more products. Communications were vastly better with the telegraph than with its predecessor, the Pony Express, but messages
Illus.Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. He begins with Field gathering wealthy investors the initial funding was equal to 2.5% of the entire federal budget and ends, after 12 years and five distinct failures, with all of them striking it rich. We often forget that less than 150 years ago, if one wanted to do business in Europe, one got on a boat for two weeks because the only way to do business was in person. On another level, by focusing on entrepreneur Cyrus Field, the author traces what was in essence a venture capital deal. . From Publishers