Marconi's Atlantic Leap

Gordon Bussey

Copies of this book were presented free to BVWS members by the society in February 2001, to commemorate the centenary of the first wireless transmission acoss the Atlantic by Marconi.

2001 is the centenary year of the first wireless signal in Morse code to be transmitted across the Atlantic. Guglielmo Marconi, described as 'the wizard of space', succeeded at the age of 27 to send the first wireless waves from Poldhu in Cornwall to a receiver in Newfoundland.

The book is a vivid, detailed account of how Marconi achieved his ambition, proving to the many scientists who believed that wireless waves only travel in straight lines from a transmitter, that the curvature of the earth was not an obstacle for wireless telegraphy over great distances.

Marconi's Atlantic Leap is an important record of the turning point in communications world wide, overcoming every distance and saving countless human lives. In the very early days Marconi's achievement reduced the loss of life by over 700 on the SS Titanic, and secured the arrest of Dr Crippen "the first arrest accomplished by radio" and the first transmission sent directly from the USA to England was a message from President Roosevelt to King Edward VII.

It is written by Gordon Bussey, who was the Historical Consultant to Marconi PLC.