Talking history

From shouted messages to optical fibres, Laszlo Solymar’s Getting the
Message does a terrific job of giving us the history of communications.
Alongside the usual impenetrable acronyms like ISDN and ATM you’ll find a
reminder of the unique power of electronic communications to frustrate
dictatorial regimes, and even bring them down. Published by Oxford University
Press, £25, ISBN 0198503334.