The Untold Story of the Talking Book focuses on the fascinating history of audio-recorded literature. Matthew Rubery traces the path of innovation from Edison's recitation of 'Mary Had a Little Lamb' for his tinfoil phonograph in 1877, to the first novel-length talking books made for blinded World War I veterans, to today's billion-dollar audiobook industry. Rubery argues that audiobooks are not mere derivatives of printed books but their own form of entertainment.