The Last Lone Inventor

A "cogent and elegant" chronicle of the young television pioneer and the corporate executive determined to steal his invention (Publishers Weekly).

Many men have laid claim to the title "father of television," but Philo T. Farnsworth is the true genius behind what may be the most influential invention of our time. In 1927, at only twenty years old, he created the first fully electronic television system, beating out inventors working on similar projects across the globe.


Driven by his obsession to demonstrate his idea, Farnsworth operated his own laboratory above a garage in San Francisco while filing for patents. The resulting publicity caught the attention of RCA tycoon David Sarnoff, who was driven by an obsession of his own: to control television in the same way he monopolized radio.


Based on original research, including interviews with Farnsworth family members, The Last Lone Inventor is the story of the epic struggle between two equally passionate adversaries whose clash symbolized a turning point in the culture of creativity.