Marconi

Despite the importance of Marconi as a precursor to our information age, a contention well argued in this book, it is surprising how little has been written about his legacy over the past half century. This neglect is more than offset by Marc Raboy’s exhaustive and detailed study which effectively combines biographical narrative with communication history. Two fortuitous events in Marconi’s life might have led to a somewhat different account—a narrow escape and a timely death. As daughter Degna notes in her memoir, the family was supposed to sail on the Titanic in 1912. As departure time neared Marconi opted for the Lusitania—a faster ship—to engage in some corporate raiding (of United Wireless) in New York; and when baby Guilio came down with a fever the rest of the family were spared the fateful voyage and sadly waved to the ship as it passed their summer home near Southampton.1 Had Marconi opted to travel on the doomed liner he probably would have perished, but his legacy to that point would have still been enormous and thus comprises approximately half the book. Had he survived, when several self-sacrificing notables did not, a taint might have clouded the rest of his career. A more positive connection to the ship emerged in the aftermath of the sinking. His wireless drew wide attention, He was deemed a hero, the apparatus having facilitated the rescue of 700 of the 2,200 on board—a view represented in a widely circulated news cartoon. Improved regulation might have yielded a better use of the medium and the book provides coverage of later debates and legislation. This was perhaps the defining public moment of Marconi’s career, although Raboy opts for the first transatlantic message in 1901.

Art · Art history · HERO · Literature · Memoir · Narrative · Political science · Sociology · History · Law · Media, Communication, and Education

• Post Americana

  Open Access•Michael Curtin•Media Industries•2020

  Add to list