Empires of Light

More about the book

In the late nineteenth century, three visionary figures of America's Gilded Age—Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla, and George Westinghouse—engaged in a fierce competition to establish a powerful electrical empire. Historian Jill Jonnes vividly depicts their world of groundbreaking science, invention, and corporate intrigue. Central to the narrative is Thomas Edison, the renowned inventor of the incandescent light bulb and pioneer of direct current (DC) electrical networks. In contrast, the eccentric Nikola Tesla revolutionized electricity generation and delivery, while George Westinghouse, a tough entrepreneur from Pittsburgh, envisioned a future powered by affordable electricity and worked tirelessly to realize it. Edison faced challenges as Tesla and Westinghouse promoted their alternating current (AC) technology, igniting the infamous War of the Electric Currents. Key battlegrounds included Wall Street, the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, and Niagara Falls. Jonnes also recounts the chilling moment when William Kemmler, a convicted murderer, became the first person executed in the electric chair, symbolizing the profound impact of this technological rivalry. This gripping account reveals how the clash of these titans transformed the world through the mysterious power of electricity.