Lightning Beneath the Sea by James M. Tabor

LIGHTNING BENEATH THE SEA by James M. Tabor is a fascinating read about “The Race to Wire the World and the Dawn of the Information Age.” Tabor, an award-winning and widely published author, chronicles events surrounding efforts to lay the first transatlantic cable. Most of this activity takes place in the mid-1800s and while the technology is interesting in itself (e.g., the need to develop a salt water cable and a way to safely lay it across the ocean floor) so are the various players, including Samuel Morse, and financiers of the day. I was astounded to learn that Cyrus Field and the group who formed the New York, Newfoundland, and London Telegraph Company in 1854 “committed $1.5 million ($57 million [in today’s dollars]) to start the project. That came from just five men and amounted to about 4% of the American government's total spending then.” For more than a decade, they battled some amazing obstacles, including weather issues, which adds to the tension of this tale of remarkable resilience. LIGHTNING BENEATH THE SEA received a starred review from Publishers Weekly (“epic maritime adventure, as well as a riveting study of technological progress”) and The Wall Street Journal described it as “full of drama and excitement.” Enjoy!