By Michael O'Malley (1990)
Focusing on the period from 1820 to 1920, Keeping Watch details the far-reaching changes in American society brought about by the transition from natural to mechanical sources of time - from farmers' almanacs and religious formulations of time to regional time zones, synchronized watches, and factory punch clocks. Michael O'Malley shows how the pressures of industrialization, the emergence of the telegraph, and the spread of railroads led to a demand for uniform, consistent schedules.
For more information about the history of time, including an interview with author Michael O'Malley, listen to this podcast from BackStory with the American History Guys: On the Clock: A (Brief) History of Time
