Lee de Forest: King of Radio, Television, and Film
From the reviews:“‘Lee de Forest: King of Radio, Television and Film’ – Author Mike Adams, a media professor at San Jose State University, knows radio and film: he brings those worlds together in his discussion of de Forest, including the inventor’s role in the film industry. This is a well-documented history book that media and technology history fans will appreciate.” (Radio World, September, 2012)“Lee de Forest: King of Radio, Television, and Film … is the first full biography of the once-famous inventor to appear in years. Adams, a longtime San Jose State University faculty member and historian, has plumbed the de Forest archive for this study which brings to light many new details of a complex and sometimes maddening man. … An appendix provides details of many key patents. … This is an important book for the too-thin shelf on radio’s pioneers.” (Chris Sterling, CBQ Communication Booknotes Quarterly, Vol. 43 (2), April-June, 2012)“We have a new and insightful biography of Lee de Forest, by long-term radio-history author Mike Adams. … the reader gets ‘basic training’ in motion-picture history and production theory, a helpful addition. … Adams treats the personality of de Forest with realism … . he had his admirers, especially himself, and did perform useful (!) work. This book is a real contribution to de Forest lore, well organized and satisfyingly written.” (Ludwell Sibley, Tube Collector, February, 2012)“This book is well written, flows well and is easy to read. … I enjoyed the book very much. There are many very interesting images from the de Forest papers that I had not seen before … . The book and the images therein provide an opportunity for further research and insights into the real history of de Forest. … I certainly recommend this thought-provoking book to anyone interested in de Forest’s contributions to the evolution of radio … .” (Eric Wenaas, Antique Wireless Journal, Vol. 53 (1), January, 2012)“At long last we have a biography of Lee de Forest, the self-proclaimed ‘father of radio.’ Mike Adams brings to life the story of a great inventor. … the reader will discover that Lee de Forest’s contributions went well beyond radio’s sound technology. … The book is organized into ten chapters walking the reader through life, controversies, inventions, and contributions. … a very significant contribution to the history of electronic media and motion pictures and to the scholarship and classrooms of both disciplines.” (Donald G. Godfrey, Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, Vol. 56 (2), 2012)