Last Days of Night by Graham Moore

This novel provides a fascinating portrayal of one of the most exciting times in world history, at least when it comes to scientific invention and the birth of technology.  It was enjoyable to read, to get to know the real-life characters, and at the same time learn about these historical events in a non-textbooky way.

The plot revolves around three main historical characters: Thomas Edison, George Westinghouse, and Nikola Tesla.  The inventor, the businessman, and the genius.  All three men were primary warriors in what became known as the “current war”, i.e. the battle over whether or not A/C or D/C would win out in the end.  In the middle of this tripod of giant historical figures is a young 26 year old recently graduated attorney named Paul Cravath, a name not familiar to me when I began reading this book but who I learned became one of the giants of the legal profession, largely due to his involvement in the “current war” and its successful resolution (depending on one’s point of view).

This is a pretty fast-paced novel with short chapters and a swift narrative style.  The facts are well-researched and the author provides a welcome section at the end wherein he separates facts from fiction.  There is also a nice little romance sub plot. But where the novel really shines is in how it is capable of transcending the simple facts of the events during the late 1800’s when electricity was harnessed and helps us to understand the nature and value of the inventive process.  A relatively brief 15 years in our history saw not only many new discoveries related to electricity, but also the birth of new ideas on how we would go about “inventing” in the future.  The notion of an eccentric lone inventor working in his personal lab quickly morphs into the business of inventing.  Really, it’s the beginnings of how technology is advanced today. 

This was what made me interested to read this book.  But in addition, thanks to having Paul Cravath as the protagonist character, I also got to witness the concurrent development of the legal profession, seeing it change quickly from a cottage industry into a legal “factory” with Cravath’s introduction of the idea of associate attorneys and building an entire legal firm.  Pretty cool.

I’ve read this author’s previous novel, "The Sherlockian" and enjoyed it a lot and I’ve also seen the “The Imitation Game” movie for which he was the screenwriter.   Clearly, much like the characters he writes about, Graham Moore is a name to watch in the future.

Highly recommended!