The Life and Times of A D Blumlein

Front Cover
IET, 2000 - Biography & Autobiography - 534 pages

Alan Dower Blumlein was a genius and has been described as the greatest British electronics engineer of the twentieth century. Although he was tragically killed at the age of 38, he contributed enormously to the fields of telephony and electrical measurements, monophonic and stereophonic recording and reproduction, high definition television, electronics, antennas and cables, and radar systems of various types. His accidental death in June 1942 was described by an Air Chief Marshal as 'a catastrophe', and the Secretary of State for Air said that 'it would be impossible to over-rate the importance of the work on which [Blumlein was] engaged': his loss was a 'national disaster'. He was responsible for saving many thousands of lives during the Second World War, and his endeavours in peacetime led to pleasure being given to millions of people.

This meticulous, extensively researched and well-referenced book presents a balanced account of the life and times of a brilliant engineer. It is certain to be the major biographical source on Blumlein for all historians of technology and science.

 

Contents

Early life
1
Long lines
47
Monophonic recording and reproduction
85
Stereophonic recording and reproduction
123
PreEMI television history
151
EMI and highdefinition television
165
The London Station
209
Personality
227
The battle against the night raiders and AI Mark IV
323
The Blitz and AI Mark VI radar
349
Miscellaneous wartime activities
371
The Battle of the Atlantic
419
The crash and its aftermath
459
Genius
483
A D Blumlein and stereo sound recording
497
A D Blumleins patents
513

Blumleins technical achievements in electronics
247
Air defence
277
EMIs 60 MHz job
297

Common terms and phrases

About the author (2000)

Russell Burns held various appointments in higher education before retiring in 1986. He has been researching and writing on the history of electrical engineering for more than 25 years. His publications include the three books British Television: the formative years, Radar Development to 1945 and Televisions: an international history of the formative years, as well as over 50 papers. An IET fellow, Professor Burns is a past chairman of the IET's History of Technology professional group, Archives Committee and Science Education and Technology Divisional Board.