Frank Julian Sprague: Electrical Inventor & Engineer

Frank Julian Sprague invented a system for distributing electricity to streetcars from overhead wires. Within a year, electric streetcars had begun to replace horsecars, sparking a revolution in urban transportation. Sprague (1857-1934) was an American naval officer turned inventor who worked briefly for Thomas Edison before striking out on his own. Sprague contributed to the development of the electric motor, electric railways, and electric elevators. His innovations would help transform the urban space of the 20th century, enabling cities to grow larger and skyscrapers taller. The Middletons' generously illustrated biography is an engrossing study of the life and times of a maverick innovator.

Author: William D. Middleton
Publisher: Indiana University Press
Published: 09/25/2009
Pages: 336
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.90lbs
Size: 10.10h x 7.10w x 1.20d
ISBN: 9780253353832

Review Citation(s):
Chronicle of Higher Education 11/20/2009 pg. 21
Choice 05/01/2010

About the Author

William D. Middleton is the author of more than 20 books and many hundreds of articles on rail transportation, engineering, and travel topics. He is editor (with George M. Smerk and Roberta L. Diehl) of Encyclopedia of North American Railroads (IUP, 2007).

William D. Middleton III is a contributor to the Encyclopedia of North American Railroads (IUP, 2007).