Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

The war of the currents and its larger-than-life personalities are illuminated by a flickering light.In the 1870s and 1880s, two competing systems of electrical current were backed by three very different men. Thomas Alva Edison, the "Wizard of Menlo Park," advocated for direct current, while inventor Nikola Tesla, a Serbian immigrant, and George Westinghouse were leading proponents of alternating current. The potential for acclaim and riches was high, but it all came down to which systemdirect or alternating currentwould prevail. Edison had the name recognition but a flawed system, while Tesla and Westinghouse were confident in alternating current's superiority, even when it was branded too dangerous in the press. It took a world's fair, court battles, and worldwide financial panic to yield a winner in the war of the currents. Although the men and the historical events provide plenty of drama, Winchell (Been There, Done That: School Daze, 2016, etc.) blunts the impact by spending too much time at the beginning of the book on the development of the electric chair and its first victim. Black-and-white photographs and technical drawings supplement the text, which is based on extensive primary and high-quality secondary sources. There is unfortunately no mention of influential African-American inventor and Edison employee Lewis Latimer, who patented the carbon filament.The appeal of the events shines through despite a shaky start. (timeline, bibliography) (Nonfiction. 12-16) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

School Library Journal
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Gr 7 Up-A narrative nonfiction account of the cutthroat competition among Thomas Alva Edison, Nikola Tesla, George Westinghouse, and a host of stakeholders during the Gilded Age in the United States. This volume is plainly about the intersecting ventures of three white men and is void of discussion about race and gender dynamics in this history. That said, a sense of morbid fascination will grab readers as the author opens the book with a retelling of the first execution by electric chair. This chilling moment serves as an entrance to the crux of the narrative-the battle between alternating and direct current electricity. The informal tone makes the prose quite inviting and the text is rich with anecdotes, such as Tesla's inventive inspiration via the family cat and Westinghouse's revelation via a magazine subscription solicitation, which illustrates the debut author's careful research and commitment to storytelling. Edison is characterized as viciously competitive, defending his direct current system. Meanwhile, Westinghouse is shown as a benevolent leader, and Tesla embodies enigma until his final days. Scientific explanations are incorporated, but this work focuses on the social aspects of this "war." VERDICT Purchase where narrative nonfiction flies off the shelves.-Angela Wiley, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

Welcome to the late 1880s and the war of the currents, a furious battle over the viability and future of electricity. The combatants were, in one corner, the legendary inventor Thomas Edison, the inveterate champion of direct current (DC); in the other corner, the eccentric Serbian inventor Nikola Tesla and his partner, the formidable George Westinghouse, champions of alternating current (AC). It was an epic battle, for the stakes were enormous, being, in short, who would light and power America. It was a battle royal with the venerable Edison emerging as the villain of the piece. But will the good guys win? In his first book, Winchell does a fine job of investing his story with considerable drama; yes, his subject is occasionally a bit wonkish, but it will delight techies. As for his style: it's serviceable but suffers when he reaches for colorful figures of speech; thus, a building lit up like a mushroom on fire. Nevertheless, readers will be electrified by his three main characters and further enlightened by numerous period photographs.--Michael Cart Copyright 2019 Booklist