Inventing American Broadcasting, 1899-1922 (Johns Hopkins Studies in the History of Technology) [Paperback]

Susan J. Douglas (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0801838320 | ISBN-13: 978-0801838323 | Publication Date: February 1, 1989

Such organizations as AT&T, General Electric, and the U.S. Navy played major roles in radio's evolution, but early press coverage may have decisively steered radio in the direction of mass entertainment. Susan J. Douglas reveals the origins of a corporate media system that today dominates the content and form of American communication.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Good history of technology integrates institutional and economic history with biographies and technical events, then assesses these against a backdrop of their social and political milieu. It is cultural history in the broadest sense. The book by Abramson fails to do this: although it presents a massive quantity of research, the arrangement is almost strictly chronological, with no discussion of the impact of technical developments other than on subsequent technical events. Although the book is firmly grounded in the literature, its lack of a nontechnical framework severely limits its usefulness and makes for dull reading. For comprehensive collections only. Douglas's history of early radio is the converse: it assesses technical developments against their social and political background, brings to life important individuals, and clarifies their motives, strengths, and weaknesses. In key chapters, the author discusses the major role played by the press in deciding who would control the airwaves and argues that the Navy was not the positive developmental influence it was once thought to be. A solid work of scholarship, recommended for academic and larger public libraries. Donald J. Marion, Univ. of Minnesota Inst. of Technology Libs., Minneapolis
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

A superb portrait of the communications revolution that profoundly altered 20th-century life. It will provide fresh insights, and perhaps generate controversy.

(Washington Post Book World )

A successful, at times elegant interdisciplinary work. Douglas combines discussions of technology and of business structure, portraits of inventors and amateurs, and analysis of internal navy organization to construct a convincing narrative on the importance of the 'pre-history' of radio. She draws from an impressive range of contemporary newspapers and technical magazines, government and business reports, and personal correspondence. This is a significant contribution to the understanding of American radio.

(Robert B. Horowitz Business History Review )

Fascinating detail... A far clearer picture than has been previously available.

(Journal of Communication )

Not only the best history of early radio we have, but also a valuable contribution to our understanding of twentieth-century America.

(Daniel J. Czitrom, author of Media and the American Mind )

Arguably the most authoritative study of its kind to date and as such is an invaluable resource for anyone studying the origins of the nation's electronic media industry.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: The Johns Hopkins University Press (February 1, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801838320
• ISBN-13: 978-0801838323
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #339,598 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars They called Marconi crazy, January 3, 2007

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William H. Franklin Jr. "Bill Franklin, Ph.D." (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Inventing American Broadcasting, 1899-1922 (Johns Hopkins Studies in the History of Technology) (Paperback)

An interesting history of the development of broadcasting in America, which curiously started in Italy by the Irish-Italian Gugliemo Marconi. The problem Marconi was trying to solve was the creation of a wireless telegraph and through his and the efforts of others, radio broadcasting was invented, albeit as a by-product. This is the story of the technical breakthroughs that had to be developed, the intense competition between Marconi, Fessenden, Lee De Forest, the patent disputes, the shady claims made to raise capital, and the early use of marketing and manipulating the press. As a microwave engineer, I found this history fascinating, but I think non-technical readers will enjoy it also.