The ingenious Yankees

by Joseph Gies

Book by Gies, Joseph

376 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1976

About the author

Joseph Gies and his wife Frances were historians and writers. They both collaborated on a number of books about the Middle Ages, and each also wrote individual works. Joseph Gies graduated from the University of Michigan in 1939.

Reviews

[Nolan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a collection of short biographical essays that explain inventions in America between 1776 and 1876. Open this to read about how the typewriter came to be. Another essay looks at the creation of various guns—yes, there really were a couple of guys named Smith and Wesson.

There are chapters on railroad and bridge construction. One chapter looks at why the confederate states resisted so long and well during the civil war.

You won’t get by without essays on Bell and Edison, and you’ll learn about some far more obscure inventers who built various types of bridges and of others who focused on the importance of interchangeable parts.

The best way to read this is to skip the sketches you don’t find interesting. I recommend the one on Alexander Graham Bell, but I doubt you’ll gain much information you didn’t already know.