Crystal Clear: The Struggle for Reliable Communications Technology in World War II

This is actually a history of the American production of 71 million quartz crystal oscillators for precise-frequency radios during World War II, starting from virtually no production ability in 1939. There's a lot of story here, as the Signal Corps deals with Brazilian quartz miners (virtually all the quality quartz in the world was mined there during these years), American "can-do" businessmen trying to support themselves and make a buck, demands from Air and Armor for masses of radios, quartz shortages, company trade secrets (very few in retrospect; there was a lot of information-sharing from top-down Signal Corps researchers and bottom-up factory floor guys), more quartz shortages, crystal "aging" causing radios to drift off frequency, cooperation (and non-cooperation) with British needs, a quick look at captured Japanese and German radio equipment, and an overall summary.A little-known story of World War II, and well worth remembering: the quartz crystals were a technical miracle at least as important to the war as the better-known atomic bomb, radar, and proximity fuses.Highly recommended.

I liked this book but it seemed a bit disjointed. It doesn't flow very well but I did find it interesting but I'm a ham radio operator. If you are not into radios you will not like this at all. Not technical but it does not flow chronologically. There are so many players that you have to keep a notepad to get all the names straight.

My first job as a one man jr. tech in 1960 was making xtail for company usage from thousands of left over blanks and with several barrels of rocks in drums and old oil covered saws and crude X-RAY machine in storage this book puts the history all together.

It truly does indeed cover The Struggle for Reliable Communications Technology in World War II just as the title implies - and in great detail by the author derived from an amazing variety of historical resources on the subject. Almost if not all aspects regarding the massive crystal manufacturing effort is included as well. In summary, it provides insight into the processes involved from the quartz mining in Brazil, to the finished product are covered.DC

This is a really excellent book for those who like the history of warfare and technology. Crystals seem like a mundane area, but they are critical to modern electronic and wireless technology, and were an important advantage of the Allies in WW2. It is also very interesting to see the human aspect so well depicted, how there was lack of understanding and resulting struggle where some people performed brilliantly under pressure and others made mistakes. As a former marine in my youth, a man who has followed military history all his life, and a wireless engineer now, this book was one I could very much appreciate. Anyone who has that sort of mindset will love this book.