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A Thread Across the Ocean: The Heroic Story of the Transatlantic Cable Audiobook
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(3.06) - 171 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Today, in a world in which news flashes around the globe in an instant, time lags are inconceivable. 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. 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. 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. 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.
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"Actually better than I expected. I am a sucker for non-fiction of this sort but it was spectacularly written and a very riveting account of a Sisyphean undertaking. I put it up there next to the Professor and the Madman. "
— Jp (5 out of 5 stars)
A Thread Across the Ocean Listener Reviews
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" One of my most favorite books! It's such a wonderful success story! It made me more determined to stick out the rough patches in my life, knowing that in the end it would all work out for my good. "
— Elisia, 12/29/2013 -
" Another interesting slice of history from JSG, who always manages to weave interesting asides into his writing. "
— Sully, 12/27/2013 -
" I wanted to like this book, the story of the laying of the first transatlantic telegraph cable, but I didn't. There is a lot of detail that didn't interest me, I would have liked it a lot better as a short story or magazine article. "
— Jack, 9/27/2013 -
" The title pretty much sums it up. I listened to it. What a project. "
— Dave, 4/15/2013 -
" A very interesting adventure, but this book is a bit tiresome in recounting each and every attempt to lay the first cable. The book has lots of details about the financing and organizing of the company and about Cyrus Field the man behind the venture. "
— carl, 9/3/2012 -
" Actually better than I expected. I am a sucker for non-fiction of this sort but it was spectacularly written and a very riveting account of a Sisyphean undertaking. I put it up there next to the Professor and the Madman. "
— Jp, 7/25/2012 -
" Cyrus Field was the main promoter of the Transatlantic cable and after 5 tries the cable was at last laid. "
— Bruce, 1/10/2012 -
" the first internet and an example of how entrepreneurs learn by trial and error. "
— Chadfogg, 2/9/2011 -
" I thought this was a very compelling and awe-inspiring story. The audacity and wherewithal it took to complete a trans-atlantic cable-crossing amazes me. This was enough drama in this book to translate well into a movie. "
— Kacee, 12/11/2010 -
" A very interesting adventure, but this book is a bit tiresome in recounting each and every attempt to lay the first cable. The book has lots of details about the financing and organizing of the company and about Cyrus Field the man behind the venture. "
— carl, 8/16/2010 -
" Cyrus Field was the main promoter of the Transatlantic cable and after 5 tries the cable was at last laid. "
— Bruce, 3/7/2009 -
" The title pretty much sums it up. I listened to it. What a project. "
— Dave, 11/6/2008 -
" the first internet and an example of how entrepreneurs learn by trial and error. "
— Chadfogg, 6/23/2008 -
" One of my most favorite books! It's such a wonderful success story! It made me more determined to stick out the rough patches in my life, knowing that in the end it would all work out for my good. "
— Elisia, 11/2/2007
About Scott Brick
Scott Brick, an acclaimed voice artist, screenwriter, and actor, has performed on film, television, and radio. He attended UCLA and spent ten years in a traveling Shakespeare company. Passionate about the spoken word, he has narrated a wide variety of audiobooks. winning won more than fifty AudioFile Earphones Awards and several of the prestigious Audie Awards. He was named a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine and the Voice of Choice for 2016 by Booklist magazine.