Sparks to Shortwaves: The First Fifty Years of Amateur Radio (Ham Radio Books by NN4Y) by Terry w. Platt NN4Y

Sparks to Shortwaves - Volume 1 of 3. Amateur Radio: A History in Three Volumes Before satellites, smartphones, and global networks, there was only curiosity, wire, and the invisible air. Sparks to Shortwaves tells the story of how amateur radio came into being — not as a formal service, but as a restless experiment carried forward by thousands of inventors, tinkerers, and young enthusiasts who refused to accept that communication had limits. This first volume of Amateur Radio: A History in Three Volumes follows the first fifty years of amateur radio, from the chaotic spark era of the early 1900s through the disciplined world of shortwave and into the profound transformations of World War II. Readers will meet the pioneers who built transmitters from scrap, learned Morse by ear, and spoke across oceans long before such things were routine. They will witness a time when the “air had no rules,” when interference was rampant, and when radio was as much art as science. Read more