''Fun with Radio'' is a book by

Gilbert Davey Gilbert Davey (7 June 1913 – 6 April 2011) was a British writer and radio enthusiast who introduced many youngsters to the rapidly developing fields of Radio and Electronics through his articles published in '' Boy's Own Paper'', and his books, ...

first published in 1957 by

Edmund Ward Ltd William Heinemann Ltd., with the imprint Heinemann, was a London publisher founded in 1890 by William Heinemann. Their first published book, 1890's ''The Bondman'', was a huge success in the United Kingdom and launched the company. He was joined ...

(London). At a time when

radio receiver In radio communications, a radio receiver, also known as a receiver, a wireless, or simply a radio, is an electronic device that receives radio waves and converts the information carried by them to a usable form. It is used with an antenna. T ...

s were still very expensive, and portable radios still a rarity (

transistors upright=1.4, gate (G), body (B), source (S) and drain (D) terminals. The gate is separated from the body by an insulating layer (pink). A transistor is a semiconductor device used to Electronic amplifier, amplify or electronic switch, switch e ...

were just being introduced), the book introduced many youngsters, mainly boys, to radio construction, and in some cases a career in radio or

electronics The field of electronics is a branch of physics and electrical engineering that deals with the emission, behaviour and effects of electrons using electronic devices. Electronics uses active devices to control electron flow by amplification ...

. Radio construction was, in the early years of broadcasting, a very popular hobby among boys. By the time he published 'Fun with Radio', Davey already had a huge following among readers of the ''

Boy's Own Paper ''The Boy's Own Paper'' was a British story paper aimed at young and teenage boys, published from 1879 to 1967. Publishing history The idea for the publication was first raised in 1878 by the Religious Tract Society, as a means to encourage yo ...

'', where he was said to be the most popular contributor on practical subjects among its readers, and in that same year he presented a series on BBC Television's ''Studio 'E which reportedly brought him 26,000 letters within a few days of the first broadcast Gilbert Davey had a career as an insurance official, and was an amateur in the field of radio, but his enthusiasm and straightforward writing with clear detailed diagrams inspired many youngsters. Six editions of the book were published, the final one in 1978. Davey also wrote ''Fun with Short Wave Radio'', ''Fun with Transistors'', ''Fun with Hi-Fi'', and ''Fun with Silicon Chips in Modern Radio'' (1981).List of titles by Gilbert Davey
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References

1957 children's books Children's non-fiction books Technical books Handbooks and manuals British children's books {{engineering-book-stub