Constant Touch: A Global History of the Mobile Phone

by Jon Agar

From nowhere, it is the land of the Finns, not the land of the free, that is setting the technological pace. The device that keeps us in constant touch has shifted how we live, work and play. Constant Touch tells the historical story of the mobile phone, what happened and why. The next generation of mobile phones is one of the greatest gambles in history, with the existence of major companies riding on the outcome. But are historical lessons being learnt

Genres: Nonfiction, History

185 pages, Hardcover

First published December 15, 2000

About the author

Jon Agar is Professor in Science and Technology Studies at University College London. Agar earned his BA in mathematics from the University of Cambridge in 1990 and a Ph.D. in the History of Science from the University fo Kent in 1994. From 1994 to 2001 he directed the UK National Archive for the History of Computing.

Reviews

[Allan Olley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting relatively short history of the mobile phone. The edition I read was written in 2004 ends before some of the most dramatic developments in mobile telephony we would 22 years later recognize. However it is an interesting survey of some of the various technical and regulatory developments in mobile telephone around the world and over the period from about 1900-2004. However it focuses on broad description with only a few details about a few specific applications. It interestingly connects modern mobile telephony with historical developments in telephone and radio. Some of the vignettes chosen are deftly drawn and insightful, but it often leaves you wanting more detail. Also, the book has some suggestive themes of the interrelation between technology, society and politics, but I'm not sure it focuses these into a clear thesis or through line for the reader.

I read the 2004 edition as rendered as a pdf for the web. The format is a bit difficult to read (at least on an e-reader) lacking basic formatting (text is not write justified, written as a word processor manuscript not a typeset text etc.), but everything is basically legible. The links in principle allow you to jump around the book, but I'm not sure this feature would have worked well on my e-reader and I wanted to read it linearly anyway.

[Chris Turner · Rating 2 out of 5]

The content of this book is broad and piqued my interest. The author has a history in the UK, so a lot of the stories felt familiar of things that I had forgotten (Do you remember when happy slapping was a thing?). However, there was not much depth, and looking at the references, very few of which are referred to properly, I noticed a lot of references to BBC new articles. The grammar is also poor and needs a good edit. The sentence structure is informal and as my wife said, more appropriate for young adult fiction. There were too many sentences starting with "But" or "And" and I just rushed through it, keen to get the overview that was being supplied.

Of that overview, some really interesting under reported points are made, such as the establishment of mobile networks in Iraq and Afghanistan. Not sure I can recommend it though, as I feel a Wikipedia article on the history of the mobile phone would have given me as much to chew on.

The whole first edition is available for free here: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/sts/staff/agar/d...

[Dani Ollé · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brief account of mobile communications, with several interesting insights regarding different countries. Obviously 200 pages are not enough for this topic but this is a useful very short introduction.

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good short introduction to the history of mobile phones. Very well written, easy to read - jargon explained. Originally written in 2003. I read the 2014 edition which is now (2021) becoming dated - needs a third edition.

[dejah_thoris · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've checked a few times and Agar really should publish a third edition. Most of the book is interesting, especially because it is told from a non-American perspective with a focus on international examples. I have to take away a million points though for omitting Heddy LaMarr.

[James Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really enjoyed this history of the mobile phone. I really enjoyed reading about the differences around the world. However, I wish the narrative had been a little bit more flowing in the middle, and the technology's development explored a bit more.

[Matas Petrikas · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great overview of the mobile history and different usage patterns across the globe. Recommended reading to all who work in the industries related to the mobile media.

[Laura Zachary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting history of the cell phone.