AC/DC: The Savage Tale of the First Standards War

From Ben Franklin to industry after Edison and Westinghouse, this is a thorough examination of AC vs. DC electricity standards with an important role played by eccentric and unreliable Tesla. I have heard the story about Edison's stubborn and short-sighted clinging to DC and Westinghouse getting the AC edge thanks largely to Tesla's insights and his visionary induction motor, but this goes into much, much more detail of the horrific canine electrocutions done when Edison supported the similarly monomaniacal Harold P. Brown. Along the way this tells the story of the birth of electrocution as a capital punishment and the denouement of the Edison's side's animal cruelty in using electricity (AC, of course) to put down circus elephant show more target="_top">Topsy. Topsy outgrew her value as a "baby elephant" and no longer of use for entertainment, was worth more for the grisly souvenirs that could be made from her carcass. Filmed and still available in video, this 1903 act proved to be the first step to culminating over a century later in the modern circus saying goodbye to elephants. show less

The story is tremendously interesting and the book moves along at a rapid clip. It starts rather earlier, with Leyden jars and Ben Franklin, and finishes up later, with Blu-Ray and HD-DVD. The book is a bit facile, there are a few malapropisms, and the narrator had difficulties with the pronunciation of Schuylkill, or at least some difficulties pronouncing it like a Philly resident. But the story is so compelling that these problems are no real obstacle to enjoyment.

The "savage" in the title is probably justified by the animal electrocutions over which the author lingers rather longer than is necessary to make his point.

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2018 August

Probably because I know more about the subject the book didn't seem as interesting the second show more time around. I intend to read it in physical form anyway. It may have interesting illustrations or good references.

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2018 September

Alas, it had just one illustration: of the electrocution of a horse in Edison's lab. This illustration was labeled Fig. 4. Why's that? I intend to follow up the references, though.

It occurred to me that the analogies he draws to contemporary standards wars don't really work. These arguments are merely about standards; somewhere in the AC/DC war are buried fundamental questions of physics. show less

An interesting history of the harnessing of electricity in America and the two standards which would battle for market supremacy over the bodies of hundreds of dead dogs. It's an odd story, really which lead to the invention of the electric chair as a method of execution. The descriptions of the torture experiments performed on puppies that served no scientific purpose but were essentially a publicity stunt to drive a competitor out of business left me a bit nauseated.

I wish this book had covered Tesla more, as I found him fascinating. Ultimately though, this book focuses on the feud between Edison and Westinghouse.

Some may be familiar with the current "standards" battle between Blu-Ray and HD DVD. When I was young it was BetaMAX vs. VHS. But just over a hundred years ago it was AC vs. DC, alternating current vs. direct current electricity. Each side had its powerful backers. On the DC side was Thomas Edison, the world's greatest inventor, who was often best at developing new products and supported by a powerful marketing machine. On the AC side was George Westinghouse, another brilliant inventor who's mostly faded from history due to his unassuming personality and avoidance of the limelight. Nicolai Tesla plays a minor part on the AC side, providing a "99% inspiration" counterpoint to Edison's "99% perspiration" ethic.

The "War of the Standards," show more as it came to be known, forms the core of this short history of electricity. But it was personal for these inventive giants, and the attacks and slander got downright mean. Edison even supported an enterprising salesman named Harold Brown who conducted very UNscientific experiments to portray AC as inherently more dangerous. With Edison's tacit approval, he experimentally killed over a hundred stray dogs using electricity. Westinghouse and AC came out the winner but not before Brown and Edison helped develop a new system of capital punishment - the electric chair - that deliberately used the rival AC power (even electrocuting a circus elephant, which was captured by another of Edison's inventions: the motion picture camera).

Both AC and DC have important roles in today's world, and as technology advances the balance will move back and forth. But this was a surprisingly interesting read on a topic I didn't realize had been so contentious. It's a bit short, perhaps, but often provides just the right amount of detail for readers who aren't intimately knowledgeable about electricity. I found the part about Brown's "experiments" disgusting and even disturbing, and I think many will agree, but it was an interesting part of the history of something we all take for granted - electricity. (I listened to the audio book which was done very well.) show less

Breezy overview of Edison, Tesla and Westinghouse and the battle over early electrification standards. Engagingly written and performed.

This book is priceless. History comes alive in this wild tale of electical standards. Edison comes to life in all his stubborn glory. Tesla shines and Westinghouse lurks in the background. Plus, Edison electrocutes an elephant. Something for everyone!

Over 100 years ago Edison (DC) and Westinghouse (AC) fought for standards dominance in the electrical generation field. Very interesting read. Edison with the "trial and error" type of inventor while Westinghouse employed more cerebral types, such as Tesla. Note: Edison had developed an electric car that, for about two years, was very much a success, using his invention, the Edison battery. Cheap gas, the electric starter, and improved roads doomed it after that.