Pulitzer Prize Biography Winner
The American Leonardo: The Life of Samuel F. B. Morse
by Carleton Mabee
Summary
Carleton Mabee examines the double career of Samuel F. B. Morse, who won fame first as a painter and then as the inventor of the electric telegraph. The biography follows Morse's artistic ambitions, his struggle for recognition, and the patent battles that surrounded his communication breakthrough. Mabee also confronts the less admirable sides of his subject, including his political views and prejudices.
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Historical Context & Significance
Morse's invention of the telegraph and the code that bears his name transformed long distance communication in the nineteenth century.