"Americans have come to realize that many of us may be under surveillance at any time. It all started 150 years ago on the battlefields of the Civil War, where each side tapped the other's telegraph lines. In 1895 the NYPD began to tap telephone lines. In 1910 the dictograph arrived, making electronic surveillance easier still"-- Provided by publisher.

The Civil War -- Stealing electricity -- Worries about privacy -- Wiretapping the bookies -- Wiretapping the markets : stocks, commodities and bucket shops -- Wiretapping other businesses -- Wiretapping labor -- Wiretapping : other crimes and personal use -- Wiretapping : politics, laws, and police -- Dictograph : the first bug.