Circuits in the Sea

In 1855, an American visionary named Cyrus West Field, who knew nothing about telegraphy, sought to establish a monopoly on telegraphic revenues between North America and Europe. Field and the wealthy New Yorkers who formed the first Atlantic cable-laying company never suspected that spanning the vast and stormy Atlantic would require eleven years frustration and horrific financial sacrifice. It would eventually engage some of the most brilliant minds in England, Scotland, and the US, attracting men of science, men of wealth, and men of curiosity. Message time would eventually be cut from more than four weeks to about two minutes. Such a feat would not have been possible without the massive ship the Great Eastern, designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Britain's foremost engineer, or the financial backing of Thomas Brassey, the era's greatest builder of railways. This is the story of the men, their ships, and the technology that made it all possible. Behind the scenes were tough and worthy competitors who tried to beat them to the punch, adding a sense of urgency to their monumental task. Some called the Atlantic cable the greatest feat of the 19th century - with good reason. It perfected transoceanic communications and connected the world with circuits in the sea.