Some of the defining leaps in technology in the twentieth century occurred during the Second World War, from radar to nuclear energy. A fascinating and often overlooked contribution to the Allied victory and post-war development was the quartz crystal. The successful collaboration of the quartz crystal led to the rapid manufacture and frontline deployment of technically superior radios, and later became the core of some of the most basic devices of the post-war era.

Crystal Clear relates the story of the quartz crystal oscillator-from its early days as a curiosity for Amateur Radio enthusiasts to its use by the United States Armed Forces. It follows the intrepid group of scientists and engineers from the Office of the Chief Signal Officer of the U.S. Army as they raced to create an effective quartz crystal unit. They had to find a reliable supply of radio-quality quartz; devise methods to reach, mine, and transport the quartz; find a way to manufacture quartz crystal oscillators rapidly; and then solve the puzzling "aging problem" that plagued the early units. Ultimately, the development of quartz oscillators became the second largest scientific undertaking in World War II after the Manhattan Project.

Bringing to light a little-known aspect of WWII, Crystal Clear offers a glimpse inside one of the most significant efforts in the annals of engineering.

Hardcover. 230 pages. © 2007, by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.