Cyrus Field's Big Dream

In this middle-grade nonfiction title, award-winning author Mary Morton Cowan explores the extraordinary achievement of Cyrus Field and one of the greatest engineering feats of the nineteenth century: laying a transatlantic
telegraph cable to create instant communication between two continents.

Cyrus Field had a big dream to connect North America and Europe with a telegraph line, which would enable instant communication. In the mid-1800s, no one knew if it was possible. That didn’t dissuade Field, who set out to learn about undersea cables and build a network of influential people to raise money and create interest in his project. Field experienced numerous setbacks: many years of delays and failed attempts, millions of dollars lost, suspected sabotage, technological problems, and more. But Field did not give up, ultimately realizing his dream in the summer of 1866. Mary Morton Cowan brilliantly captures Field’s life and his steadfast determination to achieve his dream. Back matter includes an author’s note, timeline, bibliography, source notes, and index.