Sunday, April 28th, 1PM
Mary Morton Cowan presents her children’s nonfiction book, CYRUS FIELD'S BIG DREAM: THE DARING EFFORT TO LAY THE FIRST TRANSATLANTIC TELEGRAPH CABLE. Co-hosted by Waynflete.
Join Print: A Bookstore and Waynflete as we dive into history to learn about the first transatlantic telegraph cable. Written by award-winning author Mary Morton Cowan, this middle-grade, nonfiction title explores one of the greatest engineering feats of the nineteenth century. Cyrus Field had a big dream to connect North America and Europe with a telegraph line, which would enable instant communication. In the mid-1800s, no one knew if it was possible. That didn’t dissuade Field, who set out to learn about undersea cables and build a network of influential people to raise money and create interest in his project. Field experienced numerous setbacks: delays and failed attempts, millions of dollars lost, suspected sabotage, technological problems, and more. But Field never gave up, ultimately realizing his dream in the summer of 1866. “An inspiring portrait of a man with a dream and his steadfast determination to achieve it,” says Kirkus Reviews, while Booklist says, “This detailed biography, filled with archival reproductions, chronicles Field’s rise from a penniless paper mill worker to one of the richest men in New York City. Cowan relates the scientific and historical events that shaped the process…there is much for young entrepreneurs to learn.”
Following the talk we’ll be hosting some exciting activities, including assembling a telegraph circuit, writing in Morse Code, puzzles, and more!
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