Radio Books

In a broadcast studio, a man in the audience introduces himself as "one of the very few people in America with a name that is completely unpronounceable", spelled W-W-Q-L-C-W. "I'd like to say hello to my brother on your program, but I don't know how to pronounce his name, either."

Consumer affairs expert Hoyt Netley recommends a child's tricycle from Denmark on account of its rounded edges, plus the gunpowder-fueled rocket engine that eliminates the need for dangerous pedals. "The child just lights a fuse when he's ready to ride."

Bob and Ray. How I miss those guys. This 1985 collection of sketches was their last published work before Ray's death in 1990, and catches them just about wrapping up their comedy career. Even though it is a half-step below their earlier two books in terms of consistent excellence, there's enough good moments in here to sustain many of today's comics over an entire career.

There's another episode of "Tippy The Wonder Dog" and a new visit to "The Hobby Hut", where host Neil Clummer meets a man who collects numbers held by people who wait in line. Two doctors exchange rote platitudes about patient confidentiality until they repeat each other's lines.

The accent on newer material is a drawback. By 1985, Bob & Ray were reworking old concepts rather than trotting out new ones with the boldness they displayed in the 1960s and 1970s. As sharp and witty as they were, there was also a structural element to Bob & Ray's best comedy, Monty Pythonish logic-stretching, which simply doesn't come off as well in a series of sketches of a man being interviewed, which is what you have here.

The newer ideas they did use, like the soap opera "Garish Summit" (a couple of episodes from which appear here) annoyed some older fans who remembered the goofier antics of "Mary Backstayge, Noble Wife". "Garish Summit" was funny, though, and so is regular sports announcer Biff Burns' interview with champion low-jumper Big Steve Wurbler, who explains why standing atop a cliff and jumping should be an Olympic sport.

"In high jumping, you can strain a muscle or hurt yourself on the way up," Big Steve explains. "But in low jumping, you only have to worry about what happens to you on the way down."

One thing "New! Improved!" has over the earlier B&R collections is the audio version that came out the following year, which shows the two men in fine form giving even the weaker material in this collection a fresh life. Bob & Ray had a habit of surprising you just when you thought you had them figured out; their like won't be seen again for a long while.

Here are Bob and Ray on tape again, late in their career but still the funniest duo on, and off, radio. Here they're reading (with sound effects) from their book - which is more like a collection of radio scripts; it's a good introduction to their work, and longtime listeners will find their material as fresh and funny as always. And while some hardcore fans may miss the unique "live radio" quality that Bob and Ray had, they're every bit as funny as in any of their earlier work. The running gag about walnut pickers is reason enough to buy this, as is the grammar lesson. It's also fun to read along while listening to the tape, so get the book as well. Bob and Ray are a reminder that enduring comedy needn't be offensive.

Approach this small book as a collection of comedy routines written for a Bob and Ray broadcast; while reading it, longtime fans will probably hear in their minds the duo's voices and inflections. And this book is even more fun when reading along with the recording of Bob and Ray themselves reading the routines. But whatever the circumstances, this is a good, and funny, introduction to Bob and Ray's work. And knowing that this was one of their last works together makes one realize how remarkable their comedy was.

A work of off-kilter genius from Bob and Ray, surreal comedy pioneers. From "small village endocrinologist Engelbretzen" to the seedy soap opera Garish Summit, it's one loopy deadpan laugh riot. The cheesy, mock-melodramatic music adds to the fun. Hilarious running gags, idiotic talk show guests, crackpot pseudo-experts, bizarre mini-dramas, pathetic losers we can simultaneously sympathize with and deride--the "New! Improved! Bob and Ray Book" is first-class lunacy.

How often do you find humor so insanely funny that you can't resist smirking and chuckling in public places as you remember your favorite lines? This is that funny. A great gift idea for anybody who likes warped humor that's both sophisticated and moronic at the same time.

I got this book when I was a kid, I could not put it down! It is a great introduction into the world of HAMs, and also has a great description of the Mount Jefferson Wilderness Area, which was interesting when I later walked through the real place.

Also check out Hostage In the Woods.

I read this book which translating to Thai language, it's very excite story I would like to another peple to read it so much.

I just finished reading this book. I could not put it down! It goes into details about a search and rescue of a 19-year old lost in the mountains. He's a ham radio operator who was hiking up a mountain to take school off his mind. As the tension mounts, ham radio becomes more and more important to being the key to his survival. This book would be of interest to anyone who is even remotely interested in radio communications and amateur radio. In fact, I would recommend this book to a non-ham to get them interested in it! It is definitely worth the 5 stars I gave it.

i am fifteen years old and i am reviewing this book for a school project. i thought this book was great. the best part is that it relates to Ham radio operators. this is a good book for young people that are interested in Ham radio. this book held my attention throughout the whole story.

If you want a book that will get your mind stirring, this is it.

As a person in the radio industry, "No static" gives one the straight goods. Quincy MCCoy has become my new mentor. "No static" certinally has opened my eyes to a industry that I thought I knew. If there is one book about the business we love to love, Q's book is a page tuner and a must read!!.

I recently had the pleasure of reading 'No Static' by Quincy McCoy and I found it to be not only an informative read but an entertaining one as well. The true mark of any book is whether or not the author can transport the reader into his/her world, commanding their rapt attention from the opening page until the last and McCoys' 'Guide to Radio Programming' fits snuggly into this mold. The books takes the reader carefully and swiftly from Mr. McCoy's humble radio beginnings in Utica, New York to the present day. It is in the journey that we learn where Quincy gained his radio genuis. Well known programmers like Paul Drew, Jerry Clifton, and Bill Tanner are interviewed by McCoy and speak to him about the science of radio programming and creativity not only as a subject for an interview but as a dear and respected friend. Among the legendary radio personalities that Mr. McCoy reems an enormous amount of information and insight from are Dan Ingram, Chuck Leonard, and John Mason.

This book is an absolute MUST for any radio professional (or future professional) who wants to learn the basics of radio programming, and more importantly creativity; an art somehow lost through in this age of over consolidation.

This book should be course-required reading for those aspiring to a career in radio. As a student studying broadcast communications this book has been invaluable at framing the industry and providing insight into the nuances of the medium. Mr McCoy has been a pioneer in the industry and has consistently inspired creativity in others... this book continues that trend.

I agree with everything the previous reviewer wrote. Aside from being annoyed by Boston Blackie, and one detective getting knocked out every episode(Jeff Regan or Pat Novak), I really enjoyed these stories. My favorite was Tales of the Texas Rangers with Joel McRae. I highly recommend this collection. This was my first time hearing any of these shows. Dragnet is often hysterical!! Like a good book, I'm sorry I'm on my last tape. This is great stuff!!

This is a great collection with only two potential drawbacks: 1) Sam Spade is not included, and 2) the Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar episodes are not from the Bob Bailey years (1955-60). This set is available on CD, but the CD copy is not listed on Amazon. The ISBN for the CD version is 1570194297 and the UPC code is 748754455928.

The following is a complete listing of the episodes on both the cassette and CD versions:

1) The Adventures of Philip Marlowe w/ Gerald Mohr
- The Hairpin Turn 01-28-50
- The Grim Echo 02-14-50
- The Gold Cobra 06-21-50

2) Barry Craig, Confidential Investigator w/ William Gargan
- Blood Money 08-24-54
- Hay is for Homicide 08-31-54
- Ghosts Don't Die In Bed 09-07-54

3) Boston Blackie w/ Chester Morris
- Star of the Nile 07-14-44
- Black Market Case 07-21-44
- Devon Estate 07-28-44

4) Broadway Is My Beat w/ Larry Thor
- Thomas Hart 04-14-51
- Philip Hunt 04-21-51
- Georgia Gray 04-28-51

5) Box Thirteen w/ Alan Ladd
- Daytime Nightmare 12-06-48
- Death Is No Joke 12-13-48
- Design for Danger 12-27-48

6) Casebook of Gregory Hood w/ Elliott Lewis
- The Daphne Bloggs Case 09-30-46
- Tommy, The Saddest Clown in the World 10-07-46
- Eloquent Corpse 10-14-46

7) Casey, Crime Photographer w/ Staats Cotsworth
- Loaded Dice 09-04-47
- Chivalrous Gunman 08-14-47
- Tobacco Pouch 09-18-47

8) Dragnet w/ Jack Webb
- The Big Little Mother 10-06-53
- The Big Plea 10-13-53
- The Big Paint 10-20-53

9) Gang Busters
- The Carnival Caper
- Case of The Four Feathers
- Horserace Hijackers

10) Jeff Regan, Investigator w/ Jack Webb
- Prodigal Daughter 07-17-48
- Pilgrim's Progress 11-20-48
- Man Who Fought Back 11-27-48

11) Michael Shayne, Detective w/ Jeff Chandler
- The Man Who Lived Forever 05-10-49
- Hate That Killed 08-27-49
- The Gray Eyed Blond

12) Pat Novak, For Hire w/ Jack Webb
- Escape From Prison 04-02-49
- Pat's Boat is Missing 04-23-49
- Watch Wendy Morris 04-30-49

13) Philo Vance, Detective w/ Jackson Beck
- The Little Murder Case 11-15-49
- The Nightmare Murder Case 11-22-49
- The Thundering Murder Case 11-29-49

14) Richard Diamond, Private Detective w/ Dick Powell
- Casebury Case 02-02-51
- Blue Serge Suit 02-09-51
- The Gray Man 02-16-51

15) Rogue's Gallery w/ Dick Powell
- The George Grant Case 12-20-45
- The Stark McVey Case 01-03-46
- The Judge Collin Baker Case 05-16-46

16) The Saint w/ Vincent Price
- Baseball Murder 09-03-50
- The Ghost That Giggled* 09-17-50
- Dossier on a Doggone Dog* 09-24-50

17) The Shadow w/ Bill Johnstone
- Death Shows The Way 12-03-39
- Flight of the Vulture 12-10-39
- Murder Incorporated 12-17-39

18) Sherlock Holmes w/ John Stanley & Alfred Shirley
- The Case of the Dog Who Changed His Mind 09-28-47
- The Case of the Missing Heiress 10-05-47
- The Adventure of the Red Headed League 10-12-47

19) Tales of the Texas Rangers w/ Joel McCrea
- Dead Head Freight 01-07-51
- Death in the Cards 01-14-51
- Blood Harvest 01-21-51

20) Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar w/ Edmond O'Brien
- The London Matter 06-22-50
- The Barbara James Matter 06-29-50
- The Bello-Horizonte Railroad Matter 07-06-50

*These episodes star Barry Sullivan

There was a time when radio was everything. Sure, you could go to the movies on the weekends, maybe even during the week if you had the dough, but for entertainment on a regular basis, radio was all there was. Everyone knew where you'd be Sunday nights at 7:00; you'd be sitting around the radio with the family, listening to Jack Benny. On a different night you might listen to "The Shadow" or "The Life of Riley" with William Bendix. Or maybe Alan Ladd was your favorite, and you waited all week for "Box 13." When you were broke, and couldn't go to the movies, you could still listen to big stars doing radio adaptions of their films on "Lux Radio Theatre." Maybe you turned the lights out and huddled with your girl while Roma Wines presented "Suspense."

It was entertainment before people got lazy. You used your imagination and the world was endless. One of the most popular type of shows was the mystery or detective drama. This collection has 60 programs and over 30 hours of quality entertainment on 20 audio cassettes. There are rare episodes included that were formerly only available at the Library of Congress and had never been in circulation.

I've owned this for several years and they have brought me many hours of enjoyable and nostalgic adventure. New, this comes with a great booklet containing details about each program, including the cast, the plot, and the date aired. These program notes by Anthony Tollin with cast identifications by Tollin and William Nadel are invaluable, also giving an overview of the show's history.

There are three programs from 20 different shows. Here is my overview of each show included in this fine collection:

THE ADVENTURES OF PHILIP MARLOWE---Gerald Mohr had played The Lone Wolf in "B" films and did a great job as Chandler's Marlowe.

BARRY CRAIG, CONFIDENTIAL INVESTIGATOR---William Gargan is a name familiar to all film buffs and this was a great show.

BOSTON BLACKIE---These are the early summer replacement shows with Chester Morris as Blackie, before it was syndicated and Richard Kollmar took over. Blackie was sort of a "B" series and very enjoyable as such.

BROADWAY IS MY BEAT---Larry Thor was N.Y.P.D. Detective Danny Clover, whose beat was the mile between Times Square and Columbus Circle. This was a really good police show with good sound effects.

BOX THIRTEEN---Alan Ladd was Dan Holiday, a novelist who placed an ad for adventure in the Star-Times so he could get ideas for his books. Sylvia Picker was his daffy secretary. This show had great and exciting stories and always a touch of humor at the end. My favorite radio show of all time. A Mayfair production (Ladd's own company).

THE CASEBOOK OF GREGORY HOOD---Elliot Lewis portrayed the importer-turned-sleuth from San Francisco and Howard McNear was his attorney pal, Sanderson Taylor. Origionally a summer replacement show for Sherlock Holmes, there was witty banter between Gregory and his pal and some good scripts. Good show.

CASEY, CRIME PHOTOGRAPHER---Anchor Hocking, the most famous name in glass! They were the sponsor for this fun show that ran for 12 years under several variations of Casey, Crime Photographer. Staats Cotsworth was Jack "Flashgun" Casey and Jan Miner was his girl Ann. John Gibson was Ethelbert and Tony Marvin did a great job as the announcer who would help make the light and lively crime show one of the best!

DRAGNET---Jack Webb. "Nuff said!

GANGBUSTERS---Popular in its day, it had authentic crime stories from F.B.I. files made available to the show by Hoover. This is my least favorite in this collection. It's still worth listening to, just not on a par with the other shows, at least for me. Others may like it more.

JEFF REGAN, INVESTIGATOR----AND----PAT NOVAK, FOR HIRE-------Two separate shows with a lot in common; both starred Jack Webb as a hardboiled gumshoe and both had good stories. Both of these shows were pre-Dragnet. Novak was set in San Francisco.

MICHAEL SHAYNE, DETECTIVE---Jeff Chandler was great as David Dresser's (a.k.a.Bret Halliday) redheaded Irish P.I., who was based on a real guy who'd bailed Dresser out of a brawl in a Mexican cantina. The radio show was pulp fun, just like the books. Dresser's origional Michael Shayne novel was rejected by 22 publishers before he got a taker! Being redheaded and Irish, I have to like this one!

PHILO VANCE---Jason Beck portrayed S.S. Van Dine's high society sleuth. Another fun summer replacement show.

RICHARD DIAMOND--A young Blake Edwards wrote the scripts for this fun detective show. Dick Powell got to shed his early 1930's image and became a detective. He still got to sing, however, and this is a very good show.

ROGUE'S GALLERY---Dick Powell in another detective show. Not as good as Diamond, but still worth a listen.

THE SAINT---Vincent Price is The Saint on one episode and Barry Sullivan takes over on the other two as Leslie Charteris' cool-as-a-cucumber creation.

THE SHADOW---Probably the greatest show in the history of radio! Bill Johnstone is Lamont Cranston/The Shadow in all three of these shows and Marjorie Anderson is Margot Lane. Cranston used a strange power he learned in the orient to cloud minds and make him invisible so he could fight crime.

All three of these shows are terrific! My favorite of the three would be "Death Shows the Way" in which a weekend getaway for Lamont and Margo is halted by a diamond with a curse and.......well, you'll just have to listen!

SHERLOCK HOLMES---John Stanley and Alfred Shirley rather than Rathbone and Bruce, but entertaining still. Next to Gangbusters, my least favorite show in the collection, however.

TALES OF THE TEXAS RANGERS---Joel McCrea starred as Texas Ranger Jase Pearson. Based on authentic case files of the Texas rangers, this was a marvelous combination of crime and modern day cowboys. Many of the shows were based on the experiences of legendary Ranger Captain M.T. Gonzaullas, who was a consultant for the show. McCrea was the perfect guy to play a Texas Ranger. A fantastic show!

YOURS TRULY, JOHNNY DOLLAR---Edmund O'Brien was the insurance investigator with a padded expense account. These were good stories and this was an excellent show. Widely regarded as the last of the great radio detective shows before television finally put the dagger in the heart of the greatest of all mediums, radio.

If you are a radio buff and detective fan, this is a must have collection. You'll be taken back in time to better days when you listen to this stellar compilation of the best shows of their kind ever produced. Pull up a stool by the cracker barrel, pop the cap on an orange soda, and use your imagination.

Sixty shows at a dollar a show. You get quality and quantity at bargain basement prices. The show types range from true crime ("Dragnet", "Gangbusters", and "Tales of Texas Rangers") to traditional mystery/whodunnit ("Michael Shayne", "Philip Marlowe", and "The Saint") to comic book ("The Shadow"). The quality ranges from very good ("Box Thirteen", "Broadway is my Beat", and "Casey, Crime Photographer") to good ("Barry Craig", "Philo Vance", and "Richard Diamond") to not so good ("Jeff Regan", "Pat Novak", and "Rogue's Gallery") to ludicrous ("Boston Blackie"). The collection inevitably omits some shows (e.g. "Sam Spade", "This is Your FBI", and "The Black Museum"), but it gives you a wide-ranging overview of radio detective shows in the late 40's and early 50's. This collection gave me thirty hours of listening pleasure.

Fans of OTR will surely be familiar with the Amos & Andy radio shows. They were so extraordinarily popular and woven into the fabric of the lives of legions of Americans that everything stopped when the show was scheduled to air. Restaurant conversations halted; even the motion picture houses stopped the film long enough to air Amos & Andy for the audience (or risk having patrons just stay home so as not to miss the broadcast).

I've been reading an excellent book. The Original Amos 'n' Andy: Freeman Gosden, Charles Correll And The 1928-1943 Radio Serial. The author, Elizabeth McLeod, has produced a deft and scholarly look at a bit of radio history that was in great danger of being lost forever.

The radio show went beyond those years, but it is the early episodes (thousands) that warrant the attention of this book. What I found fascinating is that, while the Amos & Andy series is often regarded in modern commentary as patently racist and a propagation of stereotypes, the creators of the two characters, Gosden and Correll, took great pains to achieve just the opposite. The author addresses this early on and powerfully. Both Amos and Andy were treated as real people and given multi-layered story lines and and dignified treatment. They could easily have bent to sponsor pressure and allowed the characters to become silly minstrels doing gag lines. Instead, the programs followed the two as their own lives followed the pattern of many African-Americans of the time: migration from the southern US to Chicago in search of work, and from there to New York. They fell in love, got taken by slicksters, felt hunger, pain, and joy, got and lost work, cried at loss, and expressed it all through amazingly real story lines that hooked a generation of listeners. Astonishingly, Gosden and Correll voiced virtually all of the shows dozens of characters!
Amos & Andy received wheelbarrows full of not just fan mail, but objects that had to do with the story line of the shows, attesting to the way listeners thought of them - as real individuals about whom they came to care.
Sadly, none of the early, and if this book is to believed (and it is), best, original broadcasts remain in audio form, only the scripts survive. Ms. McLeod has done obvious, painstaking, laborious research, including the transcriptions of the early scripts.
The result is a truly excellent, well-executed telling of a fascinating story. She has accomplished something very difficult for a writer: she has presented in a very immediate and attention-keeping way what is actually a quite scholarly narrative. Her affection for the material is obvious and it is hard to imagine this book would have been as deliciously readable if that were not the case.
An excellent history of Old Time Radio.

This book is a must-read. Period.

Okay, that's not much of a review. But it's a fact. If you have any interest in genuine broadcasting history - indeed, if you want to know how broadcast entertainment evolved to embrace forms that we know and love to the present day, and you want to know EXACTLY WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE - this book is a must-read.

Most of you only know what you've been told about "Amos 'n' Andy." Most of you have been misled by so-called "enlightened scholarship" that has reduced this once-beloved show to what one revisionist termed "a nightly racial slur."

Behold instead the work of a genuine scholar, Elizabeth McLeod, who has evaluated all the latter-day critiques and not-so-benign neglect surrounding Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll's place in broadcast history and then sets the record straight with facts.

This is a thoroughly enjoyable, enlightening, fascinating account of a program that captivated millions of listeners of all races. It's a story of two performers who created characters that all of America cared about and considered friends. It's an account of the power of intimacy in all of broadcasting, whether strictly aural, visual or both. And it's a meticulous, exhaustively researched documentation of data that proves without doubt that Amos Jones and Andy Brown were beloved because they represented that which is good and decent in humankind, foibles and all.

Sadly, I know some who flatly declare they will never read this book (hopefully they won't be writing "reviews" here). I don't know whether they're afraid to let go of their pre-conceived notions, or afraid to think for themselves - or just afraid to be seen reading something with "Amos 'n' Andy" on the cover. To continue to skewer radio's "Amos 'n' Andy" without having read and reflected upon this work is akin to saying that, from 1928-43, this nation consisted of about 50 million racists, some of whom can be found in your own family tree.

The time has come - it was long overdue - to set the record straight about "Amos 'n' Andy" and its creators; time for America to know the rest of this story.

This book is a must-read.

this book is a *must read* for anyone interested in amos 'n' andy, the history of early old time radio, or the comic serial format generally. "must read" is an abused and overused cliche in book reviews, but in this case no other phrase would fit.

if there is an overarching theme to the book, it's that correll and gosden's contributions to broadcasting, which were far reaching and numerous, have been unfairly obscured by the various controversies surrounding amos 'n' andy over the years: e.g., they virtually invented the concept of syndicated broadcasting, the daily serial format, and to a large extent, the very concept of a fully plotted continuing radio series. what louis armstrong was to american popular music, correll and gosden were to broadcasting.

in addition, mcleod also concerns herself largely with shattering numerous well-established myths surrounding the duo and their show. for instance, she thoroughly-- yet respectfully-- debunks the notion that amos 'n' andy was a controversial show during its initial serial run. she convincingly presents evidence that the only major organized protest against the show by african americans was by a philadelphia newspaper in 1931, and that the publisher's motivation was more likely to increase the circulation of his newspaper than to express any genuine outrage. in any event, the public failed to rally around the cause, and the first instance of serious organized protest
against amos 'n' andy didn't ocurr until the television era. even then, mcleod points out, the radio show-- which was still on the air-- remained almost entirely outside the storm of controversy.

she also demonstrates, through fascinating excerpts from the original scripts, that the world of amos 'n' andy was far from a simplistic and demeaning exploitation of stereotyped minstrel characters. the lack of surviving recordings from the serial era, and the huge popularity of the later radio and television
sitcom versions, have all but completely obscured how diverse and individualized the characters populating the amos 'n' andy universe were. in fact, it may have been the only show on radio to have presented african americans as anything *but* subservient characters.

the book is extremely well-written, perfectly straddling the language line between serious academic study and readability. there's enough material here with enough backing evidence and research to justify a doctoral thesis, but the prose is never anything less than completely fluid and accessible, unlike so many academic pop culture studies (ever read any "serious" film criticism? my *goodness*.)

the book itself is hardbound with a lovely laminated cover (no dust jacket included or required), with numerous black and white photos throughout. an appendix provides a detailed analysis of the ratings history of the program over the years, which debunks
yet another myth that the soaring popularity of the show in its early years was followed by a sharp decline in listenership in the early '30s.

while a bit on the pricey side, the monumental nature of the task at hand, and my guess that mcleod's years of research work was not funded by grants, and the fact that the topic itself has such a limited potential readership, i can't imagine she will ever receive anything close to the compensation she deserves. i was quite happy to contribute something to the "cause". i've spent far less on other serious OTR studies and regretted the
money spent. this book is well worth the investment.

For far too long history has ignored the immense contributions to the radio medium by two men who were radio story-telling pioneers. The two men were Freeman F. Gosden and Charles J. Correll---Amos 'n' Andy.

Most radio and social histories dismiss Amos 'n' Andy as merely "racist," but they fail to put Amos 'n' Andy in a proper perspective.

Finally someone has come along who has set the record straight--Elizabeth McLeod.

Using the original scripts as her primary sources, she has painstakingly retold the true story of Amos 'n' Andy---leaving the question of the program's place in race relations up to those who wish to make up their own minds---which they will have little trouble doing, as the facts are presented clearly and accurately in this book.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Amos 'n' Andy or the history of broadcasting and mass media in the United States. I would love to see the complete Amos 'n' Andy scripts reprinted in book form---perhaps this will be accomplished on the coat-tails of this work.

Sammy Jones
Athens, GA

This book not only explains PSIP it also "connects the dots" for the broadcast and cable system. Mr. Eyer has provided a valuable resource that is easy to read and understand. Any engineer "worth his salt" should read this book.

The 13818 and the accompanying ATSC and DVB specs are powerful, flexible, inclusive, and incomprehensible. Mr. Eyer does a fantastic job of deciphering the important information and even provides sample streams which are more useful than any diagrams when you're sitting in front of a scope. Highly recommended if you are working with ATSC SI information -- engineers and technical managers alike.

A few people usually participate in the development of complicated systems standards. A few more learn directly from the standard. Most of us rely on books to understand what's really behind a standard like PSIP. Mark Eyer does a fantastic job explaining what PSIP is about and what it means for the digital television industry. PSIP is critical to making digital broadcast television work for consumers, and Mark's book wraps it up in a highly readable, complete package.

This book, written by one of the primary authors of PSIP, is a comprehensive look at what PSIP is, what the information carred by PSIP is, and how to use it.

There are very few books available that explain in detail the standards and specifications for the ATSC digital television system. This is one of the best, taking on one of the most complicated and confusing topics.

Anyone involved in digital television, including broadcasters, programmers, PC and receiver designers, technology journalists, etc., should have a copy of this book on his/her shelf.

This is the only book I found which covers the land mobile radio. Can't believe I couldn't find it until now! I highly reccommend the book.

This is the only book I've found that covers land mobile radio systems. If you are involved with 2-way radio, SMR, PAMR, you should have this book. It covers the technologies and the applications. I've learned a lot from this book and I highly recommend it.

This book provides a great overview of land mobile radio technology. I finally found an unbiased description of the different technologies. Now I really understand the options and services that I can offer in my system.

The economics chapter in this book helped me understand the real costs and lots of hidden costs in the operation of systems. The descriptions in the advanced services chapter helped me to discover a few new messaging applications that will make me more money.

Bottom line, a good book on land mobile radio!

If you want an overview (non-technical) of radio trunking architecture, such as TETRA, P.25, ESMR, etc., then this is the best book on the market.

There is a generous treatment of U.S. and European standards and a great chapter on LMR Economics (for LMR system planners).

My only complaint is that there should have been a chapter on site acquisition, site development, and O & M system integration. For another good book, read Singer's classic "Land Mobile Radio".

Even though the book was written in Europe (it refers to some materials, which are hard to find in the U.S.), its quite useful and well written. I consider myself an experienced scratch builder, but I found a lot of useful information, building techniques, and construction ideas in this book. Highly recommend to everybody using foam in the airplane construction.

Anyone interested in learning the basics of foam model construction would be well advised to pick up a copy of this book. Everything is written in a clear, easy-to-understand text that takes one through making tools, cutting foam, covering and sheeting methods, and other modeling uses for foam.

It is highly recommended.

Even though I just bought this book (not from Amazon), my edition appears to be the 1999 one, not 2000. At any rate, the book is really excellent. What impressed me most was the simple design of the tools employed, from the hot wire cutter to the vacuum bagger, all appear to be buildable from stuff at the local auto parts store, junkyard, and hardware store. Things like a cheap auto battery charger, old refrigerator compressor, etc. Nothing exotic.

Not only that, but after describing how to build wings from templates, he gives an explanation of how to draw the templates, with details on a half-dozen popular wing shapes. Like everything else in the book, he takes you through it step-by-step, leaving nothing out.

Overall, I think this must be one of the best "how to" books I've ever read.

Thank you NEXUS Special Interest Books (UK) for putting this book back in circulation. If anyone is even thinking about building their first Foamie, this book is a must, for it will answer your basic questions on the "dos and don't" about FOAM, a very well though out book for any modeller's first Foam aeroplane.. Thank You David Thomas, Sid King

My husband and I went to see a local production of Radio Gals. We knew nothing about it prior to going. It was so delightful that I came home and ordered the CD right away. Then we got tickets so our kids could see the production too. It's truly a family favorite. We enjoy music that's just plain fun and you can't get much more fun than this.

This CD is awesome! You feel as if you were listening to Hazel and her Hazelnuts broadcasting in 1927! The songs are cute and funny! I LOVE THIS SHOW! If you love musical theatre, you must have this CD!

I just came from a performance of radio gals (since it was FABULOUS) and decided to look for the soundtrack...i heard this one and was glad that it could give me my radio gals fix...im glad i ordered it

Attracted by the theme, I ordered this CD without having heard it at all, and it has turned out to be one of my favorites! This is the story of Hazel Hunt and her Hazelnuts, a day in the life of a homegrown all-gals radio station in 1927 Arkansas. There is a lot of great songwriting on this album, well-rendered by find song-singing and playing. Tender love songs, winsome ballads, foot-stompin' hand-clappin' homefried numbers, and even a couple of song-stories fill out the bill of 22 songs, with not a single bad apple in the barrel. "Radio Gals" is a musical playing here and there around the country; see it if you have a chance, and by all means give this CD a listen! (The musical is written by Mike Craver of "Wagoner's Lad" fame and the late Mark Hardwick, who was a co-creator of "Pump Boys and Dinettes" and other musicals.)

This book is a collector's item as well as a gentile introduction to radio electronics for the intermediate to advanced hobbyist, amateur radio operator, or experimenter. The book is also a good text for a quick refresher on network analysis, transmission lines, and antennas although not a rigorous replacement for a more advanced book. The value is in the short, to the point chapters with attention paid on educating the reader without tedious mathematical manipulation. Complex numbers are introduced in a manor that the serious amateur radio operator can appreciate. The book begins with a brief introduction to the history of work contributing to the understanding of modern radio. Progression from component level electronics, progression to network analysis, transmission lines, and later antennas, all chapters meld together in a very well written easy to read text. As stated in the preface, the organization of the book is:

Part I: Electrical Networks
Part II: Transmission Lines
Part II: Radio Antennas
Part IV: Radio Transmitters

Don't count on this book as your only source of theory as you will note, from the first edition date (1962) there are no references to Smith Charts, bi-polar transistors, computers, electronics calculators. Hence, the utility of the book is to provide, primarily, a historic view of the state-of-the-art radio electronics at the time (1962). The book is a joy to read, and fun to remember how a slide-rule works. Incidentally, no slide rule is required and the discussion of slide rules does not detract from the remainder of the text.

This is an outstanding educational text for both those beguining their study of Electrical Engineering and those who what to go back and refresh the fundamentals of some topic. It is clearly written, provides concise well thought out explaination of the topic at hand. The author works hard to provide the understanding of only the mathmatics necessary and does not lose himself or the reader in mathematical proofs. The focus is to provide a empirical understanding of the physics. Extremely well done.
It's value does not age with time.

This is possibly the best book I have ever read on the topic of radio transmission fundamentals. It is very well organized and the clarity of the explanations is outstanding. If you really want to understand transmission lines, antennas and radiation, I highly recommend this book. The book does not rely heavily on mathematics, but instead relies on clear explanations of the basic concepts. I believe this is a must for Hams who want to improve their understanding of transmission lines and antennas.

OK, this isn't my review, but I wanted to be sure that the review from QEX was attached to this title ...

Review by Doug Smith, KF6DX
QEX Editor
(from Jan/Feb 2001 QEX)

It has been said that a good teacher can take the most complex of subjects and boil it down to something even a simpleton can understand. That is a potentially dangerous statement, because what knowledge is left at the end of the boiling may be sublime, yet insufficient for true understanding. Perhaps it is better to say that a good teacher is one who knows what to include in his or her lessons and what to leave out: That is why being a good teacher is so difficult.

Radio-Electronic Transmission Fundamentals is not really a new title, since the first edition was published in1962. We are glad to see that Noble have brought it back into print, though, because Whit Griffith found the above-mentioned elusive balance between theory and commonsense reasoning in his explanations of the basic workings of antennas, transmission lines and RF networks. He begins with a history of great discoveries in electromagnetism. Continuing on to fundamental electronic network theory, he assumes very little expertise on the part of the reader as he asks and answers most of the right questions about electricity. ("What is this thing called 'juice'?" "Why attach all this importance to electric and magnetic fields?")

The bulk of the work concerns itself with showing how electromagnetic field theory neatly predicts many aspects of network, transmission line and antenna behavior. It should prove interesting reading for those experimenters and engineers who want a clearer picture of what makes things tick. Graduate students and working designers may find it insightful. It is perhaps especially useful to technicians in other fields who need a concise introduction to electromagnetism.

Some of the material treats subjects that are now outmoded. For example, very few will gain from the discussion of computation using slide rules; however, an entire generation of mathematicians has grown up without knowing much about them, and even such quaint stuff may prove useful. The section on vacuum-tube transmitters remains a good introduction to the topic.

This book may be more valuable than many undergraduate texts to the electronics experimenter. It leaves out most of the mathematics, thereby avoiding the fog that is often created by rigorous derivations; but it includes just enough math to start working with RF networks and transmission systems. There is even a short chapter on calculus. It is highly recommended for those who want to take their RF knowledge beyond just a rudimentary understanding of simple circuits.

Whit Griffith, N5SU, went to MIT, then worked in the FCC's Boston field office before joining E. F. Johnson. There, he developed RF components and phasing/coupling equipment for AM directional antenna arrays. He also worked at Continental Electronics in Dallas, designing high-power transmitters and serving as their resident expert on antenna systems. He retired in the late 1980s and currently resides in the Dallas area, where he is still active on the amateur bands.