2 comments about Zenith Transistor Radios: Evolution of a Classic.

1. This is an excellent book not only for its rendition of the history of Zenith transistor radios during the "Golden Years" but also because it provides a perspective on how the consumer electronics industry changed over the decade of 1955 ~ 1965.
   
   Zenith's legendary leader Commander MacDonald was still running Zenith at the beginning of this period and you can see his influence driving the engineers to come up with superior products like the Royal 500H, the best tube portable radio ever made (the A600/B600 series Trans-Oceanics) and the first transistor Trans-Oceanic, the Royal 1000. At the end you see the effects of the death of Commander MacDonald and the other changes that drove Zenith (and the other U.S. consumer electronics companies as well) to be less engineering-focused and more marketing-focused.
   
   In some ways it was painful for me to read this book since I was in the consumer electronics industry at the end of this period (and into the 1990s) and witnessed this transistion take place.
   
   If you collect transistor radios I'd recommend this book even if you don't specifically collect Zenith radios, since it is a good history of the development of transistor radios in general during the period.
   
   Mr. Smith obviously did a tremendous amount of research to produce this book and his work is to be commended. It also is obviously a labor of love.



2. It is always fun to read a book written by someone in love with a subject. This beautifully illustrated history of Zenith transistor radios is the perfect example of a love affair in print. Ads, color photos, engineering trivia, pricing estimates, and a firm dose of opinion, all beautifully packaged.

No comments about Classic Plastic Radios: 2.

No comments about Handbook of simplified radio, phono, and tape recorder repairs: An illustrated troubleshooting guide.

1 comments about Goldmine's Promo Record & Cd Price Guide.

1. This book is not one of Goldmine's best issues but for the most part it gets the job done. The listings are many but detailed they are not. The part that bothered me the most was the general price guidelines...for example if you look under an artist and you do not see the album listed it might say in small print the record label and a general price value. It would be more helpful to list more album titles for the artists instead of giving a general price. It was also disappointing that only NM values are given. How many records from the 1950's do you have that are NM?

   On a good note I have not seen any other promo guides so I guess it gets the job done more or less.

1 comments about Crystal Radio: History, Fundamentals, and Design.

1. The Xtal Set Society sells several books on crystal radio including back volumes of the society newsletter. Crystal Radio: History Fundamentals and Design was one of the first and it is still one of the best. Contrary to the above information, all of their books are still in print, and you can find the XSS easily by typing in the keywords "crystal radio" on most of the major search sites.

No comments about Bakelite Radios: A Fully Illustrated Guide For The Bakelite Radio Enthusiast.

1 comments about The Portable Radio in American Life (Culture & Technology).

1. Elegant and well-written, this is one of the few books to take a realistic look at American popular cultural technology. Historians and archaeologists coupld learn a lot from this case study.

No comments about Old Gramophones (Shire Library).

No comments about Old Radio Sets Library).

5 comments about The Zenith Trans-Oceanic, the Royalty of Radios: The Royalty of Radios (Schiffer Book for Collectors).

1. If you're a Trans-Oceanic aficionado like myself, you need this book! These sets command a mystique like no other and this book is an excellent tribute to these outstanding receivers.



2. As a collector of Trans-Oceanics, I found this to be the best book I have read in awhile. Couldn't put it down.
   
   The book covers several areas: the history of the Trans-Oceanics, details of the various models, restoration and repair information, and accessories.
   
   The history information is well worth reading, and told me a lot I didn't know about the radios.
   
   The repair/restoration sections are excellent, whether you are experienced with electronics or not.
   
   I would say this book is a must-have for anyone with an interest in Trans-Oceanics



3. This is easily the best written book for collectors that I've read. Not only are its 160 magazine-sized pages thorough and exhaustive in their presentation of history, key personalities, and technical data, but the book is thoughtfully structured to be as useful as a reference as it is an entertaining read. A wealth of pictures, many in color, come from ads, from Zenith archives, and from individual collections.

   The book places the genesis and subsequent evolution of the TO clearly in historical context and explains the impact of the TO on the commercial development and acceptance of the portable radio. The authors provide practical advice for collectors, even citing restoration techniques and specific restoration products used by museums.

   Especially gratifying is the use of endnotes that provide sources of historical information. More than just references, the endnotes contain enough interesting anecdotal data that you'll find yourself reading them in their entirety when you finish the main text.

   If you are interested in the history of radio for any reason, you won't go wrong with this fascinating, authoritative work. I expect that it has already significantly increased interest in the collecting of Trans-Oceanics.




4. I recently acquired a 1956-57 model Y600 at a flea market. The Zenith Trans-Oceanic is clearly in a class by itself and I wanted to learn as much about the history of this model as possible. What a pleasant surprise when I received "The Zenith Trans-Oceanic, The Royalty of Radios" and found it to be extremely well documented, highly entertaining and it even includes a restoration guideline section. The print quality is first class with all the historical photographs of related personages and reproduction of Trans-Oceanic advertisements that a reader could want. The writing style is both scholarly and entertaining. In short this book has provided significant additional pleasure in owning, restoring and listening to a radio worthly of being known as a historical benchmark in radio history. Thanks to Amazon Books the finding and acquiring this book was made easy!



5. Whenever radio-guys assemble to swap tales of great radios one name stands above the rest - the Zenith Trans-Oceanic. Considered the radio for listening to the world, Trans-Oceanic portables were one of the finest engineered and designed products made in America. I learned of the magic of the Trans-Oceanic from my foster Dad, who carried one (the R520\URR military version) in Korea. He told me it was the most reliable radio he had ever seen. A few years later I bought a 600 series and discovered for myself the joys of short-wave listening. I carried that Zenith from the States to Europe where, two years later, I bought a Royal 3000-1 which went back to the States and then on to Southeast Asia. The Zenith Trans-Oceanic - The Royalty of Radios, is one of the finest collector books I have ever seen. The author's spent more than two years researching the Zenith archives to bring this book to life. Page after page of beautifully produced color, combined with black and white photographs show each model inside and out, along with original magazine ads presented in their original format. Information covering the origin of the Trans-Oceanic and model changes through the years make for interesting reading. Also included are repair hints, as well as collecting information. The section on original cost compared to 1996 dollars demonstrates how expensive these sets were when new. The original Trans-Oceanic sold for $75 in 1942, which translates to $695 today. The most astounding price was on the first transistorized model, the 1000-D, introduced in 1958 at a 1996 price of over $1400! This is a book for anyone interested in the history of one of the finest products ever produced in the United States - the Zenith Trans-Oceanic radio. The authors, publisher and printer deserve a thank you for producing this fine volume. by Bob Moore The Roving Editor