Botjer has written a compact, accessible work that makes the strong argument that the humble telegraph had great social, political, and economic impact and parented a wide range of telecommunication and military innovations up to the 21st century. It is also the first book to delve into previously unpublished, primary archival sources to uncover Morse the man, why he was the one to invent the telegraph, and how his invention impacted him as a human being. Chapter titles, such as 'An American Artist: Fame and Misfortune' and 'Starving Artist Invents Telegraph in Greenwich Village Garret' will pleasantly surprise student readers . . . If anything, Botjer’s work has the potential to inspire those who might not consider themselves STEM-oriented to do a little tinkering themselves. The well-organized bibliography will help students do more research on the man and his telegraph. Appropriate for advanced high school students and lower division undergraduates. For school libraries and academic libraries that support history of science and technology curricula. Summing Up: Recommended. General readers, lower-division undergraduates.
