Executioner's Current
Thomas Edison, George Westinghouse, and the Invention of the Electric Chair
$36.31
- Paperback
304 pages
- Release Date
15 November 2003
Summary
Thomas Edison, George Westinghouse, and the Invention of the Electric Chair
A “fascinating and provocative” story of high stakes competition between two titans that shows how the electric chair developed through an effort by one nineteenth-century electric company to discredit the other.
In 1882, Thomas Edison ushered in the “age of electricity” when he illuminated Manhattan’s Pearl Street with his direct current (DC) system. Six years later, George Westinghouse lit up Buffalo…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780375724466 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 037572446X |
| Author: | Richard Moran |
| Publisher: | Random House USA Inc |
| Imprint: | Vintage Books |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Number of Pages: | 304 |
| Release Date: | 15 November 2003 |
| Weight: | 279g |
| Dimensions: | 203mm x 132mm x 16mm |
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What They're Saying
Critics Review
“Fascinating and provocative… . Moran skillfully used the story of the creation of the electric chair to illustrate the brutal clash between Edison and Westinghouse.” —The Washington Post Book World
“Fascinating… . Moran conclusively shows that Edison hoped to discredit alternating current–by associating it in the public mind with death–and advance his own direct current.” —Los Angeles Times
“Chilling… . A ‘Coke-versus-Pepsi’ story as if told by Stephen King… . A macabre jolt of history.” —Chicago Sun-Times
“A remarkable account… . A fantastic tale, well told.” —Forbes
“[An] engaging analysis of the relationship between electrocution and the personal and corporate battles waged between Edison and Westinghouse.” —Louis P. Masur, Chicago Tribune
“Richard Moran shows us not only how the death penalty in America affects condemned prisoners, but also how it is used by powerful interests in our society to further their own political and economic ends… . Five stars, and three cheers, for Professor Moran!” —Sister Helen Prejean, author of Dead Man Walking
“Riveting. … Moran [has a] lively reportorial style… . In this narrative of callous ambition and hypocrisy, a condemned criminal plays an unexpectedly dignified role.” —Seattle Weekly
“Compelling… . Reads like pages torn from today’s headlines about nefarious CEOs and corporate greed.” —Albany Times Union
“Haunting…. Incisive… A chilling look at something that has become a too-common theme of modern times: the use of technology to develop new ways of killing.” —Roanoke Times
“An eye-opening and riveting account of the battle for the future of electricity and the part that played in changing the technology of execution.” —Wilmington Sunday News Journal
About The Author
Richard Moran
Richard Moran is professor of sociology at Mount Holyoke College and the author of Knowing Right from Wrong- The Insanity Defense of Daniel McNaughtan and numerous articles and reviews. He has also served as a commentator for National Public Radio’s Morning Edition and written op-eds for the Boston Globe, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, Chicago Tribune, Christian Science Monitor, New York Times, Newsweek, and The Wall Street Journal. He lives in South Hadley, Massachusetts.
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