A Race on the Edge of Time; Radar--The Decisive Weapon of World War II
New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1988. First Printing [Stated]. Hardcover. 24 cm. xi, [1], 371, [1] pages. Illustrations (photographs and diagrams). Appendix. Notes. Bibliography. Index. DJ has some wear and soiling and is price clipped. David E. Fisher is the author of twenty-three books, including A Race on the Edge of Time and Fire and Ice. He and his son Marshall John Fisher co-wrote three books—Tube, Strangers in the Night and Mysteries of the Past. David E. Fisher is currently a professor of cosmochemistry and environmental sciences at the University of Miami, and also teaches graduate courses in theories of war and peace, and the impact of science on history. He holds a Ph.D. in nuclear physics. Fisher argues convincingly that radar was the crucial factor that won World War II for the Allied forces, and that it has played the same role in fashioning our present military and political environment. Derived from a Kirkus review: An absorbing, frequently lyrical appreciation of radar's vital contribution to the Allied cause in WW II. Fisher characterizes radar as, without qualification, the single most important scientific/military invention of all time--not only the sine qua non of victory in the pivotal Battle of Britain, but also the bulwark of defensive systems that so far have prevented a third world war. Fisher chronicles the under-the-gun development of RDF (radio direction finding) technology during the 1930's. Among the more notable personalities involved in the 11th-hour effort were Scots physicist Robin Watson-Watt and his largely unsung colleague, A.F. Wilkens, who created practical hardware for what was soon known as radar (radio detection and ranging). Also a hero is Hugh C.T. Dowding, the air marshall who championed radar early in the deadly game, oversaw installation of the Chain Home telecommunications network that made it an effective means of early warning, and led the gallant young pilots of RAF Fighter Command during their finest hour. Following Fisher's vivid account of radar's crucial role during the climactic summer of 1940 (when the Axis had still failed to realize, much less exploit, its potential), he provides accessible briefings on how, with US assistance, the technology was adapted for use in night-fighter aircraft and shipboard as well as airborne anti-submarine gear. He also reviews radar's postwar refinement and speculates on the lessons its original development may offer in the context of an atomic/spaceage arms race. In brief, then, a sharply focused and dramatically documented overview. The engrossing text has a wealth of schematic drawings that will help lay readers over the technical jumps. Condition: Very good / Good.
Keywords: Arnold Wilkins, Battle of Britain, Douglas Bader, Hugh Dowding, Lindemann, WWII, Radar, Watson-Watt, Winston Churchill
ISBN: 0070210888
[Book #36719]
Price: $50.00