[GreenKeys] Good books...

[jhhaynes at earthlink.net]

This is a posting I will make from time to time for the benefit of new
subscribers who may have missed it earlier, or a reminder to old hands.

The Story of Telecommunications by George Oslin - still in print by
the publisher Mercer University Press.  Oslin was the P.R. man for
Western Union for a long time, and wrote the book when he was 92 years
old and had done a lot of research into telegraph history.  The book
suffers from bad editing, but the middle section especially is
excellent and contains many interesting stories about Western Union
and AT&T.

One Man's Century, also by Oslin, also still in print by M.U. Press.
More of an autobiography, but contains a number of interesting W.U.
stories.

The Telegraph by Lewis Coe, still in print by McFarland & Co.  This
is a good complement to the Oslin book as the two books tell different
stories about the same topic.  Seems to be written more from a Postal
Telegraph Co. perspective.

Wireless Radio and The Telephone and its Several Inventors, also by 
Lewis Coe, also from McFarland & Co.

Old Wires and New Waves by Harlow.  This is an out-of-print and hard to
find 1936 book on the history of electrical communication.  Your library
may have it.

Principles of Electricity Applied to Telephone and Telegraph Work -
an AT&T training book, out of print but readily available through the
used book network such as www.abebooks.com  There are several editions:
1938, 1953, 1961 especially.

A History of Engineering and Science in the Bell System - also readily
available through ABE Books.  There are several volumes, which the
booksellers don't always make clear.  The ones of most interest to this
group might be The Early Years, 1875-1925; Switching Technology 1925-1975;
National Service in War and Peace 1925-1975.

Engineering and Operations in the Bell System - several printings -
ABE Books - hardly a word about TTY, but otherwise a good description
of the Bell System, when there was a Bell System.

American Telegraphy and Encyclopedia of the Telegraph; Systems, Apparatus,
Operation by William Maver Jr.  This is an old (1912) book that was
recently reprinted by Lindsay Publications.  Still available.

Printing Telegraph Systems and Mechanisms, by H. H. Harrison.  The
state of the art in 1923.  ABEBooks has, but they are expensive.
Try your library.

Teleprinter Switching by Rossberg and Korta.  Mostly about European Telex,
but some coverage of other systems.  ABE Books.

(I've left out the many books on amateur radioteletype)



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jhhaynes at earthlink dot net