Who Really Invented the Steamboat?: Fulton's Clermont Coup

By Jack L. Shagena

An engineer retired from aerospace electronics, and a historian, Shagena one day ran across a roadside marker identifying someone other than Robert Fulton as the inventor of the steamboat. He had to... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1591022061
• ISBN13: 9781591022060
• Release Date: June 2004
• Publisher: Humanities Press
• Length: 441 Pages
• Dimensions: 6.0" x 1.1" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

A fascinating true tale of intrigue and confusion

Historical accounts and claims of Robert Fulton himself attribute the invention of the steamboat to himself; but in fact he didn't invent it, says retired professional engineer Jack Shagena in his survey Who Really Invented The Steamboat?: Fulton's Clermont Coup. Various individuals contributed to its invention, and there's a more credible candidate who more justly earns the title of its inventor. Who Really Invented The Steamboat isn't just the story of these inventors and Fulton's coup of the credits; it follows how the myth was fostered in textbooks for almost two hundred years, providing a fascinating true tale of intrigue and confusion.

valuable insights into society and technology

i should start by saying i thoroughly enjoyed this book! fulton definitely did not invent the steamboat. he was, however, the first to make it a commercial success. this book clearly illustrates the difference in view between an engineer and the historian. in this case the historians got it all wrong and shagena explains why in easy to follow prose. the book is extremely well documented. despite it's "murder mystery" title, it shows the how science, technology and society interact to bring us the products we need.