The Zenith® TRANS-OCEANIC

Book excerpt: The previously untold story of the Zenith Trans-Oceanic, the world's most romantic and expensive series of portable radios, now in a newly revised & expanded edition. Long a companion of kings, presidents, transoceanic yachtsmen and world explorers, the Trans-Oceanic was also carried into battle by American troops in three wars. Its great popularity in spite of a very high price can be laid at the feet of several generations of armchair travelers who used the shortwave capabilities of the Trans-Oceanic as a window on the world. With access to the Zenith corporate archives and their long experience as radio enthusiasts and writers for both the popular and scholarly press, Professors Bryant and Cones present the engrossing stories of the development and use of the Trans-Oceanic throughout its forty year life. They present a wealth of never-before published photographs, documents and information concerning these fascinating radios, their collection, preservation and restoration.