Philipp Reis: Inventor of the Telephone

Philipp Reis was one of the better known claimants to the title eventually granted to Alexander Graham Bell. This biography of Reis includes a discussion of Reis' telephone invention, details of his claims to prior completion of his experiments, and many contemporary documents and eyewitness accounts. Thompson provides a great deal of data in support of Reis' claim that he invented the telephone 16 years before Bell. His major contention is that the successful implementation of the telephone was actually the result of the scientific achievements of many people at different times. This provocative and informative biography constitutes a valuable early document in the field.