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About the Book
The Inventors: Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, and the Race to Create the Modern World
Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell are two of the most well-known inventors in history, but many do not know about their rivalry. The Inventors is the first book to delve deeply into their intense competition, which spurred each man to greater achievement.
This carefully researched story begins with 21-year-old Edison’s arrival in Boston in 1868, intent on becoming a full-time inventor, continues through Bell and Edison’s battle to perfect and commercialize their dueling telephones, and concludes in 1880 with Edison’s launch of his electric lighting system and Bell’s invention of the miraculous photophone which transmitted phone calls over beams of light.
The Inventors also examines how the Wall Street battle between robber barons Cornelius Vanderbilt and Jay Gould for control of the telegraph industry fueled the explosion of key inventions during the Gilded Age.
Many know about the eureka moments when Bell’s telephone first “talks,” and Edison’s light bulb blazes to life. However, The Inventors reveals the day-by-day struggles of Bell and Edison to bring their brilliant ideas alive and through to commercial fruition. This is the story of two incredibly dedicated young men and their amazing race to create the electrified, modern world.
Coming Soon!
The Inventors is due to be published during spring 2026. Please join our mailing list or send us an email to be notified when the book is available.
Two Love Stories
At the heart of the book lies two love stories, that of Thomas Edison’s passion for Mary Stilwell, which was dampened when he discovered she did not understand his work, and that of Alexander Graham Bell and Mabel Hubbard, who had a tremendous impact on Bell’s life and steered him in the right direction time and again.
Edison’s young wife, Mary Stillwell
Bell’s young wife, Mabel Hubbard
Praise for The Inventors
The Inventors tells the fascinating story of the rivalry between Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell, in their quest to invent the multiple-telegraph, the telephone, the phonograph, incandescent lighting, and the photophone.
The Inventors drops you into the workshop with Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell and shows that greatness isn’t a single spark—it’s the grind. Vivid, human, and deeply inspiring. I can’t wait to see The Inventors on screen as a dramatic television series.
Stephen Burton, Screenwriter
It’s fascinating to learn how young Edison and Bell were when they did their most important work. They were not the white-haired sages shown on most book covers. They were bold early-career dreamers who made many naïve and costly mistakes, but they had determination and energy and kept going. Their perseverance is a great lesson for today’s would-be entrepreneur.
Russell Peak, PhD, Systems Engineer
The Inventors is amazing. Bell and Edison created so many of the technologies we consider necessities today. And the impact that Bell’s wife Mabel had on his work is quite intriguing.
Charlotte McCloskey, English Teacher
The side story of Gardiner Hubbard was a true surprise, without him we might not know the name Alexander Graham Bell or Bell Telephone and AT&T. Western Union, Thomas Edison, and Elisha Gray would be the names known for the telephone.
Greg Billups, MBA, Industrial Engineer, Sales Director
I couldn't put it down! If you enjoy David McCullough, T.J. Stiles, Stephen Ambrose, or any history that reads like compelling fiction, you will love The Inventors. It's also a great read for any student interested in technology, entrepreneurship, business, marketing, or who just loves a great story!
Jim Cianca, PhD, Head of School
The Inventors is a mesmerizing read. The phonograph has been hailed as Edison’s single greatest invention. Yet if Bell had not invented the telephone, it is likely that Edison would not have invented the phonograph.
Vilim Simcic, PhD, R&D Leader
Book Specifications:
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Publisher: Archway Publishing
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Dimensions: 6 in x 9 in
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Length: 858 pages
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References: 2875 endnotes
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Publication date: upcoming Spring 2026
- Formats: hardcover, softcover, ebook