Tesla: Master of Lightning

Originally broadcast on PBS in 2000, Tesla: Master of Lightning is still the definitive documentary about 19th-century scientist/inventor Nikola Tesla, a strange and wonderful man of science, whose unconventional methods and charismatic personality led him to the pinnacle of society and the depths of misfortune. In all fairness, Tesla (1856-1943) should have been one of the richest men in the world, given that the technologies he discovered or developed (alternating current electricity, remote control, fluorescent lighting, and radio, to name a few) heralded major advances in modern civilization. Although his innovations literally changed the world, Tesla was intensely focused on his work to the exclusion of all else, and he died penniless and nearly forgotten. Engrossing from start to finish, Tesla: Master of Lightning combines archival footage and stills, scholarly interviews, diary readings, and dramatic reenactments to tell the story of Tesla's rise and fall and his legendary competition with Thomas Edison, as well as his all-consuming obsession with creating a worldwide source of wireless power. Vindicated by history, yet falling prey to his own quirks and foibles, Tesla emerges here as one of the most fascinating figures in the history of science. Highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (J. Shannon)