Ferranti and the British Electrical Industry, 1864-1930 (Business and Society)

Sebastian Ziani de Ferranti was one of the most gifted and intuitive electrical engineers of his time, making important contributions to a wide range of related fields, from electricity supply to radio components. His career spanned the period between the emergence of the electrical industry in 1882 and the momentous 1926 Act creating a national electricity supply network. Over those forty-nine years he fought vigorously against the technological, commercial and legal problems this vital sector had to overcome in its struggle for recognition as a component of the modern economy. He also insisted on investing a high proportion of his company's turnover in ambitious development projects, ensuring that the product range remained competitive in an industry dominated by powerful American and German multinationals. This analysis of Ferranti's remarkable career provides the reader with a fascinating insight into the endeavours of an individual driven by his passion for engineering excellence and the application of technology. It also highlights the problems to be overcome by individual entrepreneurs in this formative period of the electrical industry's development. The book should appeal to business historians and general readers interested in the history of British industry.