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TELECOMWORLDWIRE-16 August 2000-REVIEW:The Story of Telecommunications (C)1994-2000 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD http:// www.m2.com Sadly not many telecommunications and technology books published today will be viewed as classics in the future. There are just too many of them in the marketplace, all with shallow areas of coverage detailing information that will be out-of-date quite soon after purchase. Therefore it is pleasing to see a book which will have worldwide appeal to many for a long time to come. The Story of Telecommunications by author George P Oslin, who had (prior to retirement and his recent death) been actively involved in the telecommunications industry, can be viewed as a key work. While with an obvious North American-bias to its coverage and history, the book carefully and in detail chronicles the formative years of telecommunications in a way which makes it equally of interest to non-Americans and Americans alike. All of this from the man who claimed to invent the singing telegram. Technical knowledge is not needed here. Oslin writes carefully in a pleasurable, easy-to-read style which invites the reader to keep ploughing on through a subject they may not know much about. The uses of telecommunications in peace and war time, in 'primitive' and technological time and in the future are all covered in a particularly inimitable manner. Many of the chapters were compulsive reading and should you wish to know more a comprehensive bibliography is also provided to aid future research. Of course the book does not contain the very latest information - the majority was written prior to 1992 - although as a historical reference it is second-to-none. One hopes that one day someone will write a sequel in the same reassuring, easy-to-read manner to bring matters up to date a little. CONCLUSION: A de facto work for someone who wishes to learn about the development of communications without getting bamboozled with techno-speak and terminology. A pleasurable read. Title:The Story of Telecommunications Author:George P. Oslin Published by:Mercer University Press ISBN:0-86554-659-2 Price:USD30 Reviewer:Darren Ingram ((Comments on this story may be sent to [email protected]))