Book Review: Thomas A. Edison and the Modernization of America By Martin V. Melosi Copyright 1990 Review by Steve Fritsch (June 2008)

As author Martin V. Melosi points out in the first pages of the book, by the late nineteenth century the American West—that “seedbed of democracy, individualism, prosperity, and inventiveness”—saw its frontier closed by the Pacific Ocean, ending a chapter of American history that Frederick Jackson Turner determined was largely “the history of the colonization of the Great West.” And as the twentieth century was approaching, and new technology and innovation pushing the United States towards maturity and power as the leading industrialized country in the world, a new frontier opened up in the northeast and midwest: the industrial city.

.

It is the thesis of Melosi’s book, Thomas A. Edison and the Modernization of America, that the industrial city of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century—with its business enterprise, industrial growth, social change, acquisitiveness, and technical achievement—was most epitomized by the life and career of Thomas Alva Edison. In this, Melosi is correct. “The cities nurtured him, and inspired him, giving his inventions definition and purpose,” he writes, asserting that the industrial city was an “essential component” to Edison’s career, providing him the “financial wherewithal to push ahead to new inventions, to suggest new public needs and public wants, to serve as a foundation for building a research and manufacturing empire.” Through a career that saw him receive 1,093 patents, Edison transformed America with his contributions to communications, transportation, illumination, electrical power, industrial production, research and development techniques, and entrepreneurship, and in the end helped establish one of the most creative periods of modernization and ingenuity the world has ever seen.

.

Therefore, it is appropriate that the Library of American Biography added a volume on Thomas Edison and his impact on this period of U.S. history. Matthew Josephson’s 1959 biography of Edison was still the standard biography at the time of this book’s publication, although Melosi’s book gives updated scholarship thanks in large part to the Edison papers. Edison’s lifespan (1847-1931) saw U.S. society shift from one dominated by growing industry to one of a “consumer-oriented, city dominated mass culture.” It was an era of great businessmen, writers, and inventers—and before 1901 with the ascension of Theodore Roosevelt as president—an era of lackluster political statesmen. There is no doubt that along with Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, George Westinghouse, and Henry Ford (with whom Melosi provides an excellent chapter on the friendship between the two very flawed, but very talented men), Edison participated in the creation of the modern American system.

.

Along with presenting analysis and explanation behind some of Edison’s most famous inventions, from devices improving the telegraph and telephone, to the phonograph and electric light, Melosi also gives us a broad picture of what American society was going through as a whole. Although it may confuse some readers why Melosi oftentimes delves away from Edison to discuss events such as the opening of the Suez Canal, the construction of the Corliss steam engine, the Haymarket riot, and the 1893 Chicago World Fair, a good biography explains more than just the series of chronological events in the subject’s life. It also explains the major events shaping the society around that subject and putting him or her into historical perspective. William Manchester, the great biographer of Winston Churchill and Douglass MacArthur, wrote that, “There can be no enlightening life which does not include an account of the man’s times. This need for context is even greater when the central figure is a towering statesman.”

.

Perhaps Edison was not a statesman, but he was a towering figure. At the end of his life he was honored at a banquet for his achievements and among the guests in attendance were President Herbert Hoover, John D. Rockefeller, Jane Addams, and Orville Wright. Yet Melosi points out that despite Edison’s celebrity status, true friends were always in short supply. As mentioned earlier, Edison and Ford’s friendship is analyzed in a separate chapter, although those closest to Edison, his family, are only given sporadic mentions. And while the book is not a complete biography that allows for further introspection into Edison’s personal life, Melosi does do a much better job than Harold Livesay in his Library of American Biography volume, Andrew Carnegie and the Rise of Big Business. Melosi does give the reader some sense into Edison’s personal life, especially regarding his first wife and his lack of attention towards her. Even more evident of Edison’s flawed personality is his treatment of some of his children (he disowned one son), his electrocuting of stray dogs and cats for test purposes, and his anti-Semitic beliefs (though they were no where near as bad as Ford’s).

.

Overall, Melosi has done a fine job with presenting the average history reader with a round portrait of Edison in a readable, concise biography. He provides the background for Edison’s spectacular achievements, explains his competitive streak and work ethic, and chronicles the challenges he was presented from fellow inventors, city bureaucrats, and finding enough venture capitalists to give him the funds necessary to continue working on new inventions. Melosi also does not outright ignore Edison’s personal life, giving the reader enough to make Edison appear more human like, rather then that untouchable “wizard” full of abnormal genius and intellectual capabilities.

.

Moreover, for the most part, reviewers have also agreed. David E. Nye of Copenhagen University said that Melosi provided a deft presentation of Edison’s life as a “focal point for grasping American industrialization and urbanization.” He adds that Melosi gave ample discussion to Edison’s associates, which were instrumental in the inventor’s success, even though Edison sometimes did not always treat them with much respect, such as his relationship with the gifted Nikola Tesla. Furthermore, Nye adds that Melosi broke new ground in his examination of Edison and Ford’s friendship and calls it the best brief book available on Edison.

.

Another reviewer, Keir B. Sterling of Harford Community College, provided a similar assessment, stating the book has considerable value in bringing awareness of Edison’s achievements to students and others. Sterling gives positive marks to Melosi for his successful combining of Edison’s contributions to American society and the intricacies to how he ran he business conglomerations (some of which worked very well and some of which failed miserably).

.

In conclusion, it is important for all Americans to know at least a little bit about Thomas Edison and what he did for the country and the world and Martin V. Melosi’s Thomas Edison and the Modernization of America is an ideal place to start. For when we go see a movie, or listen to music, or turn on that light at night, we are living in Thomas Edison’s shadow. And all the great inventors today stand on his giant shoulders, attempting to create the next big thing that will revolutionize how we live. But most importantly, learning about Thomas Edison can help us realize that the American Dream is fully realized when the individual has the access and resources to fly as high as his or her abilities permit and that more than anything else, a burning desire to work and produce is what keeps the American economy and way of life progressing at an enormous pace.

.