Customer Reviews

The Zenith Trans-Oceanic, the Royalty of Radios: The Royalty of Radios (A Schiffer Book for Collectors)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Whenever radio-guys assemble to swap tales of great radios one name stands above the rest - the Zenith Trans-Oceanic. Considered the radio for listening to the world, Trans-Oceanic portables were one of the finest engineered and designed products made in America. I learned of the magic of the Trans-Oceanic from my foster Dad, who carried one (the R520\URR military version) in Korea. He told me it was the most reliable radio he had ever seen. A few years later I bought a 600 series and discovered for myself the joys of short-wave listening. I carried that Zenith from the States to Europe where, two years later, I bought a Royal 3000-1 which went back to the States and then on to Southeast Asia. The Zenith Trans-Oceanic - The Royalty of Radios, is one of the finest collector books I have ever seen. The author's spent more than two years researching the Zenith archives to bring this book to life. Page after page of beautifully produced color, combined with black and white photographs show each model inside and out, along with original magazine ads presented in their original format. Information covering the origin of the Trans-Oceanic and model changes through the years make for interesting reading. Also included are repair hints, as well as collecting information. The section on original cost compared to 1996 dollars demonstrates how expensive these sets were when new. The original Trans-Oceanic sold for $75 in 1942, which translates to $695 today. The most astounding price was on the first transistorized model, the 1000-D, introduced in 1958 at a 1996 price of over $1400! This is a book for anyone interested in the history of one of the finest products ever produced in the United States - the Zenith Trans-Oceanic radio. The authors, publisher and printer deserve a thank you for producing this fine volume. by Bob Moore The Roving Editor

I recently acquired a 1956-57 model Y600 at a flea market. The Zenith Trans-Oceanic is clearly in a class by itself and I wanted to learn as much about the history of this model as possible. What a pleasant surprise when I received "The Zenith Trans-Oceanic, The Royalty of Radios" and found it to be extremely well documented, highly entertaining and it even includes a restoration guideline section. The print quality is first class with all the historical photographs of related personages and reproduction of Trans-Oceanic advertisements that a reader could want. The writing style is both scholarly and entertaining. In short this book has provided significant additional pleasure in owning, restoring and listening to a radio worthly of being known as a historical benchmark in radio history. Thanks to Amazon Books the finding and acquiring this book was made easy!

This is easily the best written book for collectors that I've read -- not just for radio collectors, but for collectors in general. Its 160 magazine-sized pages are thorough and exhaustive in their presentation of history, key personalities, and technical data, and the book is thoughtfully structured to be as useful as a reference as it is an entertaining read. A wealth of pictures, many in color, come from ads, from Zenith archives, and from individual collections.

The book places the genesis and subsequent evolution of the TO clearly in historical context and explains the impact of the TO on the commercial development and acceptance of the portable radio. The authors provide practical advice for collectors, even citing restoration techniques and specific restoration products used by museums. (See my note at the bottom of this review.)

Especially gratifying is the use of endnotes that provide sources of historical information. More than just references, the endnotes contain enough interesting anecdotal data that you'll find yourself reading them in their entirety when you finish the main text.

If you are interested in the history of radio for any reason, you won't go wrong with this fascinating, authoritative work. I expect that it has already significantly increased interest in the collecting of Trans-Oceanics.

Note: The book mentions the use of shoe polish as a way of improving the appearance of the TO's black vinyl coverings. You can do better. Try one of the various swab-on, "scuff cover" products for shoes. They work better, look better, and don't rub off.

As a collector of Trans-Oceanics, I found this to be the best book I have read in awhile. Couldn't put it down.

The book covers several areas: the history of the Trans-Oceanics, details of the various models, restoration and repair information, and accessories.

The history information is well worth reading, and told me a lot I didn't know about the radios.

The repair/restoration sections are excellent, whether you are experienced with electronics or not.

I would say this book is a must-have for anyone with an interest in Trans-Oceanics

If you're a Trans-Oceanic aficionado like myself, you need this book! These sets command a mystique like no other and this book is an excellent tribute to these outstanding receivers.