Sounds Out of Silence: A Life of Alexander Graham Bell

by James A. MacKay

Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922) was the son of Melville Bell, inventor of Visible Speech which revoltionized phonetics and linguistics. He was inspired by his deaf mother to try and communicate with deaf-mutes and teach them to speak. While exploring the mechanism of speech, sound and hearing, he discovered the principles of the telephone, arguably the most important invention of all time, without which the gramophone, radio, television, Internet and videophone could not have been possible. The telephone made him fabulously wealthy, but he went on to invent the iron lung, pioneeered aircraft, improved the breeding of sheep and co-founded the National Geographic Society. This biography follows Bell from his upbringing in Edinburgh to his studies and teachings in London and Europe and thence to riches and fame in the United States and Canada.

320 pages, Hardcover

First published March 13, 1997

About the author

Also credited as "James MacKay" or "James Alexander MacKay".

Dr. James Alexander MacKay was a prolific Scottish writer and philatelist whose reputation was damaged by a criminal conviction for theft and repeated accusations of plagiarism. In an obituary by John Holman, Editor of the British Philatelic Bulletin, Mackay was described as a "philatelic writer without equal". Mackay's output was broad.

Reviews

[Elisabeth Hess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not usually a biography person and I was also reading this for class but it was very good. Thorough and kept me interested so I applaud that.