cover image Stephen Fry on the Phone

Stephen Fry on the Phone

Stephen Fry, read by the author. AudioGO, library edition, unabridged, two CDs, 1.25 hrs., $29.95 ISBN 978-1-4084-7079-4

The evolution of one of the most ubiquitous modern devices, the mobile phone (as they call it in the U.K. is delightfully presented in this collection of segments that originally aired on BBC Radio Four. Stephen Fry—one of his country’s first mobile phone owners—enlivens what could have been a dry recitation of technological development and scientific advances with witty prose, lively narration, and crystal-clear diction. Fry interviews pioneers of the field, including Martin Cooper, an American inventor who worked for Motorola, and, in 1973, made the world’s first public handheld cellphone call. The long path from the over two-pound phone Cooper used to today’s four-ounce iPhones is covered with just the right blend of telling detail and amusing anecdote. (July)