An Excellent Book that Has a Major Flaw
Written: Nov 08 '07
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Good writing, excellent characterization, humanizes radio technology and underscores its importance to us.
Cons: Too selective. Omits one of the most important radio figures.
The Bottom Line: While a must-read (and a well-written must-read at that), this book does a disservice in ignoring one of the greatest radio men of all time.
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| oxfordmike's Full Review: Tom Lewis - Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Ra... |
I snapped this one up when it came out in 1996. I'm a fan of the history of 20th Century technology (if such can exist). I like finding long-forgotten or never-told tales of the people behind the technology that shapes our lives.
I was particularly pleased to see Empire of the Air become so popular after the Ken Burns documentary, because it provided a valuable service in reviving interest in and telling much of the story of the single most-important technological leap of the past century--more important than the Internet.
Was radio really that important? As the first truly instantaneous mass communications system in the world, yes! Radio had no precedent; society and individuals were completely unprepared for it, and it wrought a greater degree of change on our culture than the Internet has. People were ready for the Internet. The Internet had precedents--computers, telephones, TV, FAX, etc.--all of which prepared us as we moved gradually toward the Internet and the Web. But, again, radio had no precedent. Its impact was far greater than that of the Web.
So, thanks to Tom Lewis (and Ken Burns) for getting the history out there. Lewis crafted an interesting, well-written story, balancing his selected heroes and anti-heroes to build a decent plot. But he did himself and the reading public a disservice by omitting one of the most important peers of De Forest, Armstrong, and Sarnoff: Powel Crosley, Jr.
This is not to say that Lewis did not do his research. His facts are almost all correct, and Empire of the Air portrays the personalities of "the Men Who Made Radio" almost flawlessly. In all, this is a book not only worth reading, but worth owning.
But, I must ask, how is it that Powel Crosley, Jr., the man who built the most powerful commercial radio station ever in the U.S., is mentioned only once, referred to in passing as an inventor in a garage? Crosley, the creator of one of the first 100 radio stations in the U.S., a man who consistently led in breaking the barriers to higher power for more than a decade, and who almost single-handedly established the market for radios (something Sarnoff tried to do six years earlier--and failed). Crosley, who was at one time the world's biggest radio manufacturer? Crosley--who bested Sarnoff's RCA in a 7-year legal battle?
I can't blame Tom Lewis for the omission; I believe it is part of the legacy of what may be Sarnoff's revenge against Crosley. Sarnoff may have persuaded his contemporaries to omit Crosley from history. (There's an argument for that, but this is not the place to propound it.)
That aside, Empire of the Air deserves a place on your history bookshelf. It's on mine.
--Mike
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
oxfordmike
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Member: Michael Banks
Location: OXD
Reviews written: 94
Trusted by: 10 members
About Me:
Author of Blogging Heroes, Crosley, The eBay Survival Guide, etc.
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