Crossed Wires: The Conflicted History of Us Telecommunications, from the Post Office to the Internet - Hardcoverby Dan Schiller (Author) A sweeping, revisionist historical analysis of telecommunications networks, from the dawn of the republic to the 21st century. Telecommunications networks are vast, intricate, hugely costly systems for exchanging messages and information within cities and across continents. From the Post Office and the telegraph to today's internet, these networks have sown domestic division while also acting as sources of international power.