During the time of America's Wild West, there was also a
wildness in the civilized East. It wasn't a range war; it was ruthless combat
on the frontier of science. Telegraphs and trains compressed time and space,
engines and motor gave man super strength, and electricity expanded day into
night. These were parlor tricks that burst out of the laboratories to the
wonder of a bustling nation. It was near magic, and hard-nosed men fought to
control these supernatural enterprises.
Jill Jonnes in Empires of Light: Edison, Tesla,
Westinghouse, and the Race to Electrify the World does an excellent job of
helping us understand the energy and competitiveness of the time. The "War
of the Electric Currents" was an exciting part of our history that could
have been made dull as mud. Jonnes avoids tedious explanations of technology to
tell the story through three men: Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla, and George
Westinghouse. The supporting cast includes robber barons that provided money
and intrigue. It was a Wild East fighting over a vast business frontier without
rules, fences, or referees.
In researching my latest book, I read, or seriously scanned
several books on Edison and one on Tesla. I picked up the Jonnes' book because
I wanted a better understanding of Westinghouse. Jonnes does a good job of
presenting all three key players in the "War of the Electric
Currents." Empires of Light is especially good if you want a single book
that puts this fascinating feud into perspective. She makes these giants human
and shows that they had distinct personalities. Empires of Light is a nicely
done, balanced history book about a world-shattering period of invention and
innovation.