Letters of a Radio-Engineer to His Son

audiobook

Letters of a Radio-Engineer to His Son

by John Mills

EN·~5 hours·24 chapters

Chapters

24 total

LETTER 1ELECTRICITY AND MATTER

8:24

LETTER 2WHY A COPPER WIRE WILL CONDUCT ELECTRICITY

10:07

LETTER 3HOW A BATTERY WORKS

15:47

LETTER 4THE BATTERIES IN YOUR RADIO SET

10:03

LETTER 5GETTING ELECTRONS FROM A HEATED WIRE

7:47

LETTER 6THE AUDION

10:59

LETTER 7HOW TO MEASURE AN ELECTRON STREAM

12:30

LETTER 8ELECTRON-MOVING-FORCES

12:13

LETTER 9THE AUDION-CHARACTERISTIC

13:18

LETTER 10CONDENSERS AND COILS

12:53

Description

In a warm, conversational tone a seasoned radio engineer writes to his curious son, laying out the basics of electricity and matter as the foundation for radio‑telephony. He explains electrons and protons with vivid analogies, demystifies atoms, and shows how copper wire, glass plates, and simple batteries become the heart of a working set. The letters are designed to be read, re‑read, and taken apart piece by piece, so even a complete beginner can follow the rapid advances of early twentieth‑century radio.

Beyond theory, the writer invites his son to experiment, offering step‑by‑step sketches for constructing a tiny receiver that can pick up real broadcasts. Those hands‑on projects capture the excitement of early hobbyists, letting listeners imagine the crackle of distant stations as they tune a coil of wire. The letters keep the technical detail clear yet lively, making the history of radio feel like a personal adventure for anyone eager to understand how invisible currents become sound.

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Details

Language

en

Duration

~5 hours (326K characters)

Publisher of text edition

Project Gutenberg

Credits

Produced by Roger Frank, Robert Cicconetti and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net

Release date

2009-12-16

Rights

Public domain in the USA.

Subjects

About the author

JM

John Mills

1880–1948

Best known for making early radio and modern science easier to understand, this American engineer wrote clear, conversational books for general readers. His work turned difficult ideas about electricity, atoms, and communication into something lively and approachable.

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