Nortel Networks: How Innovation and Vision Created a Network Giant

Charles R. Crawford, a former associate professor of computer science at
York University, is a computer-programming and mathematics consultant.

While military history can be written by the winners at a normal pace,
historians of business have to write quickly since success in modern
business is never permanent. In this book, Larry MacDonald traces the
development of Nortel Networks Corp., from its birth as Northern
Electric, through its move into the U.S. market as Northern Telecom, to
its weaning from the parent company under the name Nortel Networks. At
the time of publication, Nortel was a very successful maker and seller
of communications equipment and software. What the book does not cover
is the company’s—and stock’s—subsequent fall from grace and CEO
John Roth’s announcement that he will retire in early 2002.

Even American reviewers admit that the Nortel story is a compelling
one. MacDonald tells the story well. His text is supplemented with
chronology of important events in Nortel history, a list of key
executives at Nortel and parent companies, an index consisting mostly of
names, and endnotes for each chapter. Included in the endnotes are
references to publications and interviews.

In some cases, the sources are not named. For example, in describing
how Bell Canada won a confrontation with the CRTC, MacDonald writes,
“[At one point] the consultants sensed a sudden and mysterious change
in the atmosphere inside the CRTC.” The incident makes for interesting
reading, but no source is identified.