[comp.society] History of Communications Networks

wpg@mendel.acc.Virginia.EDU (William P. Gardner) (05/30/90)

I am looking for references on the historical development of
communications networks.  For example, a history of the phone system, a
history of the telegraph, a history of the railways, a history of the
road systems.  I would particularly appreciate leads to articles on the
(very recent) history of computer networks.

I understand that these are vast topics, but I'm not looking to become a
scholar in any of these areas.  What I want are interesting, high-level
surveys, particularly ones that place the developments of these networks
in a larger historical context, or that present the history in an
analytical context (for example, an economic analysis).  Please reply by
mail, I will post a summary to the net if there is interest.

William Gardner

eugene@wilbur.nas.nasa.gov (Eugene N. Miya) (06/08/90)

I wrote an unpublished paper on this when I was invited to China
in 1984 (subsequently denied permission by the Government [sensitive
technological position]).

I collected papers from ARPAnet history (Elizabeth Feinler at SRI),
and others.

If you want to learn about phones, just go to the library, there are
numerous books, sorry none off the top of my head, on the history of the
phone systems, or just write AT&T, hell, phone them.  Places like this
write their own histories.  

A good history reference for computer networks (I have the history of 
Xerox PARC, Ames, etc.) is Tanenbaum's Computer Networks book, but it will 
not convey you the feeling of being an early net user.

Also try [John] Quarterman's "[The] Matrix" book.

e. nobuo miya

reggie@dinsdale.paradyne.com (George W. Leach) (06/09/90)

When I started my first tour of duty with the pre-divestiture Bell 
System, I was required to take a course in Basic Telephony.  I wish 
I still have the book, I forget what the title and author were.

There is a book: "Engineering and Operations in the Bell System", 
published by AT&T Bell Labs.  I have the 1st (1977) and 2nd (1983)
editions.  I don't know if another one has been published since by
AT&T (I went to Bellcore at divestiture).  For the 1983 edition,
the info is:

	ISBN 0-932764-04-5
	AT&T Customer Information Center (CIC) Select Code 500-478

	Call the CIC at 1-800-432-6600

There is always the AT&T Technical Journal (formerly called
the Bell Labs Technical Journal and before that the Bell System 
Technical Journal).  They started publishing back in the 20's or 
thereabouts.  There must be something during all those years on 
the history of the phone system.

George W. Leach