Category Archives: Books

Pacific Odyssey: Latest Novel by DXer Ralph Perry

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Ralph Perry, who shares the following announcement:

Big news here is that after five years of hard work, yesterday was publication day for DXer Ralph Perry’s second novel, written under the pen name of Chet Nairene:

“PACIFIC ODYSSEY – The Curious Journey of Lew 2.0” follows Ralph’s successful predecessor novel in 2021, PACIFIC DASH – From Asia Vagabond to Casino King.

This new story is a quirky mashup, something like Poltergeist meets Wall Street in rural Asia, with mood and themes similar to PACIFIC DASH . . . exotic and funny, about Westerners muddling about and being lost in Asia, experiencing amusing culture clashes, etc.

Lew Clarke is a thirty-something New York tech business wiz who hooks up a supply line with an odd, tiny company hidden away in a quirky little SE Asian country. After a number of Lew’s customers in America start experiencing horrible accidents, which internet rumors link to his imported products, he is forced to travel to the mini hermit Kingdom of Amazia to unwind the mess. But once there in the tropics, he finds his modern Western knowledge all but useless . . . and things generally further unravel from there. He makes great friends, falls in love, and once he learns the dark secret haunting the Kingdom, his mission becomes more than just saving himself and his company.

Both are available as eBook or paperback.

Ralph sends his thanks in advance and gratitude for early Amazon reviews, which are ever so important to get the novel well launched before the public.

Click here to check it out on Amazon.com (note that this is an affiliate link that supports the SWLing Post at no cost to you.)

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Amanda Dawn Christie’s Book on the Radio Canada International Antennas

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Richard Langley, who writes:

Amanda Dawn Christie’s Book on the Radio Canada International Antennas

Amanda Dawn Christie together with Thaddeus Holownia and Radio Canada International has authored a 96-page bilingual book titled “Ghost Stations = Stations Fantômes” a catalogue of an exhibition in the Upper Gallery at 50 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, home of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, in March and April 2022. Amanda’s film and a shortwave radio simulcast were featured during the exhibition. From the preface of the book:

“Ghost Stations was an exhibition about the remarkable — and now-demolished — shortwave antenna array on the Tantramar Marshes in Sackville, New Brunswick that Radio Canada International (RCI) used to transmit programming internationally from 1945 until 2012.”

This is a true hard-cover art book with exquisite page display, typography, and binding and comes with a slip cover. Lots of great photographs and two extended essays: “Photography, Film, and Electricity” and “Radio Canada International’s Modern Spirit.” The end-pieces of the book feature images of a CBC Radio-Canada International Service QSL card.

A limited number of copies of the book are available from the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts:

Price List

Pick-up in Ottawa (no shipping)
CAD $50.85

Shipping anywhere in Canada
CAD $70.85

Shipping anywhere in US
$70.00 (U.S. Dollars)

Shipping Outside of USA/CANADA
CAD $85.00

How to Pay:

Through cheque
Send a cheque through the post:
Payable to the RCA
50 Sussex Dr
Ottawa, ON
Canada
K1M 2C9

Online
Pay through paypal link:
Follow the link paypal.me/RCAARC

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Hot Off The Press: The Worldwide Listening Guide’s Eleventh Edition

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As a dedicated content DXer and broadcast enthusiast, I’ve always found joy in the pursuit of obscure programming across various mediums. While shortwave radio has been my preferred method since childhood, the allure of Wi-Fi radio and streaming content has grown increasingly appealing over time. Amidst the vast landscape of online content, The Worldwide Listening Guide (WWLG) has consistently stood out as my go-to resource, and the recently released eleventh edition continues to be an invaluable tool for content discovery.

Once again, author and curator John Figliozzi has crafted a comprehensive guide tailored to the diverse interests of SWLs like myself. Going beyond a mere programming guide, the WWLG delves deep into the world of broadcasting and content delivery, covering platforms such as AM, Shortwave, FM, Satellite Radio, Internet (WiFi Radio), and Podcasting.

Each chapter dedicated to these platforms serves as a simple primer, offering insights into the state of broadcasting from both the broadcaster’s and listener’s perspectives. Reminiscent of the informative Passport to Worldband Radio that I first encountered in the 1990s, the WWLG not only provides programming details but also addresses the health and potential longevity of each platform.

What truly sets the WWLG apart is its attention to both over-the-air and online broadcasting.

Even for someone reasonably knowledgeable about radio and the media landscape, each edition of The Worldwide Listening Guide brings fresh discoveries. The eleventh edition, presented in a slim volume, maintains this tradition. What particularly pleases me is the WWLG‘s spiral-bound format, which makes it incredibly convenient to reference while exploring the airwaves or navigating the internet.

Figliozzi’s exploration of the many facets of radio is both insightful and detailed, making the WWLG an indispensable resource for anyone interested in broadcasting. It serves as a curated guide, akin to a local independent bookstore for online content and programming, aiding listeners in navigating the abundance of options.

Furthermore, each edition of the WWLG contains new and updated content, showcasing Figliozzi’s keen awareness of the dynamic space that is online streaming and downloadable media. As a dear friend of mine, I know there simply couldn’t be a better author and curator for this volume.

Packed with a wealth of information, The Worldwide Listening Guide is a true bargain, promising to keep content DXers engaged for years to come. I wholeheartedly recommend it to those seeking a deeper understanding of broadcasting and a reliable tool for content discovery.

Click here to purchase from Universal Radio.

Click here to purchase The Worldwide Listening Guide on Amazon.com. Note that this Amazon affiliate link supports the SWLing Post at no cost to you. Thank you!

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Peter is impressed with the 2024 World Radio and TV Handbook

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Peter Luskey, who writes:

My new WRTH 2024 arrived from Germany on.the Radiodata earlybird program through their USA package fulfillment agent on Wednesday, 20 Dec. 2024, undamaged in excellent shape through USPS priority mail. This is the earliest date in the season that I have ever received my annual copy.

Editorially it seems to be a fine job, with a larger typeface in the front feature material and a slightly smaller but highly readable sans serif typeface in the balance of the book. The book actually contains more material than last year’s edition, despite being 816 pages in length, 32 pages fewer than last year.

Of particular interest is the greatly expanded SW broadcasting frequency list, which now indicates broadcasting days of the week and times of day divided by language, transmitter site and target area. All of the features from last year have been retained, including MW AM frequency lists for all major regions of the world, including North America, and the FM lists are now split by state or province for many countries, including the USA and Canada. They are again offering a digital edition updated every day, at a charge discounted for owners of a printed copy.

I am delighted by both the expanded content and the speed and quality of the shipment, and recommend that broadcasting DXers of every part of the spectrum consider either or both the print and digital editions.

Peter Luskey

Click here to order a copy of WRTH 2024 or check out the WRTH home page.

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Announcing Don Moore’s latest book: Tales of a Vagabond DXer

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor and friend Don Moore–noted author, traveler, and DXer–for sharing the following announcement about his latest book! Don is a brilliant author–you’ll enjoy accompanying him on his travels and radio journey in this latest book. I highly recommend all of his work!

Tales of a Vagabond DXer

Tales of a Vagabond DXer by Don Moore is a new book focusing on Latin American radio and DXing. In this 300-page volume, Don blends together stories from his radio station visits, his travels, and his experiences as a DXer. Don has been an active member of the DX listening hobby for over five decades. His interest in Latin American radio inspired him to serve in the Peace Corps in Honduras in the early 1980s.

Since then, he has traveled extensively in Latin America and visited more than 150 radio stations in the region. He has written dozens of articles on Latin American DXing for radio hobby publications including Monitoring Times, the NASWA Journal, Review of International Broadcasting, and Passport to World Band Radio. Today, Don is a regular contributor to the SWLing Post Blog.

Tales of a Vagabond DXer is available from Amazon.com in trade-sized paperback for $12.99 or Kindle eBook for $4.99, or for equivalent prices in local currencies on non-US Amazon stores.

Paperback: https://amzn.to/3t98tZt

Kindle: https://amzn.to/47O3Nak

Note: the Amazon Affiliate links above not only support author Don Moore, but Amazon shares a small percentage of the final sale with the SWLing Post as well.

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On Netflix: “All The Light We Cannot See” and radio references

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Many thanks to a number of readers who have noted that All The Light We Cannot See is now on Netflix. You may recall, we’re quite big fans of the book which has a strong radio theme.

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Jake Brodsky who notes:

Heads up: Netflix is serializing a story that centers around SW radio
during WWII in occupied France.

Here’s the IMDB reference https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15320362/

And I’ve just seen the first episode. Aside from some inevitable
anachronisms such as a dial that looks a lot like that of a signal
generator and a dial measured in MHz (That designation didn’t come
until the 1960s) It’s a good story and VERY radio centric.

More detail from Netflix can be found at
https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/all-the-light-we-cannot-see-cast

Also, SWLing Post contributor, Les Polt, notes a few of the radio quirks he found in the series:

This series on Netflix, based on a best-selling novel, shows a German officer listening to an illegal Resistance broadcast on his short wave receiver in occupied France during WWII. The receiver dial clearly is marked “MHz”, which was not adopted until 1970. I also heard a character referring to a “transceiver”, a term not in use that far back.

I’d be curious to identify the receiver.

This screenshot also shows a radio direction finder, presumably of German World War II vintage.

Many thanks, Les, for the screenshots and notes! I, too, and curious if anyone can ID that dial–perhaps it’s just a set mark up?

If you haven’t yet, I highly recommend reading the book by Anthony Doerr upon which this series is based. It’s superb, especially if you love WWII history and radio. Check it out on Amazon (affiliate link).

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Netflix shares trailer for “All the Light We Cannot See”

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Many thanks to a number of SWLing Post readers who have noted that Netflix has now published a trailer for “All the Light We Cannot See.”

Click here to view on YouTube.

All the Light We Cannot See is a book written by Anthony Doerr a favorite read among radio enthusiasts who also love a little WWII historical fiction. If you haven’t read this book, I can highly recommend it. Click here to read Greg’s book review.

The movie appears to have a star-studded cast and I do hope it does this amazing book justice! You’ve got a few months to read the book before the movie starts streaming on Netflix in November 2023.

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