The Telegraph in America, 1832-1920 (Johns Hopkins Studies in the History of Technology)
This well-researched and lucidly argued book will prove indispensable to specialists in the history of technology, journalism, and finance.(Richard R. John, Columbia University)While offering new insights into the relationship between Western Union and Associated Press, Hochfelder's strongest contribution to the history of telegraphy is his analysis of wiring on financial markets and the subsequent spread of speculation and gambling fueled by private wires and telegraph ticker services.(Daniel WuebbenMAKE: A Literary Magazine)InThe Telegraph in America, 1832–1920,David Hochfelder provides a taut and consistently intelligent history of the telegraph in American life. The book is notable for both its topical breadth—encompassing war, politics, business, journalism, and everyday life—as well as its focused, argument-driven chapters.(Jeff PooleyNew Books in Communications)The author... develops nuanced analyses to the impact of telegraphy on upon American life.(Alex NalbachEH.Net)Hochfelder’s work is exemplary in its caution about mediator technology-specific claims to exceptionalism or determinism. This authoritative and persuasive book will remain an essential reference for scholars.(David GoodmanAmerican Historical Review)For a quick assessment of telegraphy’s development and impact, this insightful book is hard to beat.(Christopher H. SterlingJournalism & Mass Communication Quarterly)