Nikola Tesla and the Electrical Future

by Iwan Rhys Morus

'[This] crisply succinct, beautifully synthesized study brings to life Tesla, his achievements and failures...and the hopeful thrum of an era before world wars.' - Nature



Nikola Tesla is one of the most enigmatic, curious and controversial figures in the history of science. An electrical pioneer as influential in his own way as Thomas Edison, he embodied the aspirations and paradoxes of an age of innovation that seemed to have the future firmly in its grasp. 



In an era that saw the spread of power networks and wireless telegraphy, the discovery of X-rays, and the birth of powered flight, Tesla made himself synonymous with the electrical future under construction but opinion was often divided as to whether he was a visionary, a charlatan, or a fool. 



Iwan Rhys Morus examines Tesla’s life in the context of the extraordinary times in which he lived and worked, colourfully evoking an age in which anything seemed possible, from capturing the full energy of Niagara to communicating with Mars.
 



Shattering the myth of the ‘man out of time’, Morus demonstrates that Tesla was in all ways a product of his era, and shows how the popular image of the inventor-as-maverick-outsider was deliberately crafted by Tesla – establishing an archetype that still resonates today.

Genres: Biography

240 pages, Hardcover

Published October 8, 2019

About the author

Iwan Rhys Morus is professor of history and Welsh history at Prifysgol Aberystwyth University. He graduated in Natural Science from Cambridge University in 1985 before completing his PhD in History and Philosophy of Science there also.

Reviews

[Aidan Reid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting. Separates the man from the myth. A visionary to the end.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Physics Today magazine gave an interesting book review and promotion. I bought the book

Read Chapter 11, "The Greatest Show on Earth" The World's Columbian Exposition" in 1893 Chicago. How many miles of Lake Michigan waterfront were literally covered by massive roofs, tents, and electrified glass? All of the great inventors and businessmen and women were there.

The story of Tesla, the best you can say is he was a master of self-promotion. H.G. Wells was a contemporary author who got good press, and inspired scientists and inventors who brought his dreams to reality. Rivalry between Thomas Edison and Tesla was real, but Marconi won the prize for wireless inventions that worked.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of related history, very interesting.

[flutterby cakepan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had some unexpectedly funny bits- like when Tesla was a kid and made a generator powered by bugs and his friend ate the bug (clear difference in intelligence here, lol)- and the whole thing was written in the styles of both a narrative and an informative text which made it an entertaining and captivating read. Full of inside informations, facts, ideas and experiences you would never have known about this amazing man. Often I regret starting some non-fiction books because they're so long, boring and written without any care about whether it's captivating and/or entertaining for the readers (sorry but that should be kept in mind, no matter the genre), but with this one I never felt any regret!

[Kalle Wescott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read /Nikola Tesla and the Electrical Future/, by Iwan Rhys Morus:

https://eandt.theiet.org/content/arti...

Fascinating and detailed book on Tesla. Had never read one on Tesla before. What shorter bio blurbs skip is that Tesla worked for Edison for a year+.

Edison (and his 1300 inventions) became Tesla's role model and inspiration for his own experiments and inventions.

[Sagal Imaani · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book wasn’t what I expected but the author describes Tesla’s two personalities well. Both his technical genius and his con artistry. I think the author portrayed Nikola Tesla perfectly by giving him credit where it’s due and skepticism aswell when needed. However I feel as the author spoke to much about the technical side of Tesla’s life abit much which made it a boring read at times.

[Bogdan · Rating 5 out of 5]

j'aime que contrairement à d’autres livres, le livre ne perpétue pas les mythes, les histoires drôles sur lui . Il maintient un ton professionnel, mettant en évidence sa prouesse, comme exceller en physique théorique. Sur un ton éclairant, il amène beaucoup d’informations

[Patrick Macke · Rating 2 out of 5]

I purposely sought out a short book about Tesla and it was still too long ... Science and electricity are boring, so is Tesla ... I recommend a simple Google search, or better still, whatever vision you have of Tesla in your mind, just roll with that, it will surely be more interesting than reality

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disappointed that I didn't learn more about Tesla or his inventions. Not sure if the information can't be found or if there was a lack of research for this book.

[Mimro · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
Interesting facts. The dawning of our next future!

[Dana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Turns out Tesla's life isn't interesting to me at all!

[Misrab · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit repetitive, but I enjoyed the social context of Tesla's journey, such as the electrification of society and media attention, scientific exhibitions etc.

[Grzegorz Chrupała · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book says very little about Tesla's private life and even less about the science and technology he contributed to. Instead it mostly focuses on the social milieu, relying heavily on lengthy quotations from contemporary press. It's fine if that's your cup of tea, but quite uninformative if it's the only book on Tesla that you want to read.