This book provided an excellent intro into ALL radio, not just shortwave. The book title ignores the fact that the book deals with HAM and Scanner radio. Also, it was a bit elementary, but was filled with lots of helpful explanations and references. For a novice like me it was perfect! Well worth the read.

If you're new to hobby radio, this is THE perfect book to take to the beach and read. Being essentially a "crash survey course" on most things radio, you'll know everything you need to get started with a very small investment in time.

This slim volume is by no means a comprehensive guide on everything related to shortwave. It's more the "jump start" to get your motor running. Should you find your interest in listening to far-away places increased after reading her book, I would recommend Harry Helms' "Shortwave Listening Guidebook" as an ideal second book on the subject.

Allan had one heck of a life. Makes you wonder what a little determination and a lot of tolerance for being arrested can do for a guy!

The only gripe I have is that the book needs a good editor. It could stand to be cut by a quarter through tighter, crisper writing. But in terms of the story, this guy "walked the walk".

Thanks for sharing the journey with us.

I've met Alan, and he's pretty much what you would expect after reading the book; sort of a friendly, middle-aged hippie with a New York twang who enjoys needling the Establishment.

In Al's case, his Establishment arch-nemesis is not the CIA or the Pentagon, but rather the FCC.

The book outlines his history of run-ins with the agency, always attempting to circumvent the rules in the name of broadcasting freedom. The term "broadcasting freedom" is Alan's code-speak for having fun, which is really what radio is all about for him; just plain fun.

The book is fun, too. It follows Al from his first spark of interest in radio, through his many adventures in trying to stay on the air with patched together radio gear that would've been given up on by any other broadcaster.

When it comes to engineering, Scotty has nothing on Al Weiner!

Interestingly enough, the book also serves as a anecdotal history of broadcasting in New York and Northern Maine in the 70's and 80's.

The book's a fun read, written in a laid back and light style. Everyone from amateur radio enthusiasts, to the ex-hippie granola crowd, and even hard core conspiracy nuts will like this book.

Now here's a fascinating book for shortwave listeners, radio hobbyists, and anyone with an interest in pirate or LPFM broadcasting. While this is an autobiography of Allan Weiner, its focus is obviously radio. Here you get the exclusive history of several NYC-area pirate radio stations during the Vietnam era, some of the famous early 1980s pirates, and the infamous Radio New York International, which broadcasted from a ship in international waters, and later after their FCC bust, via legal shortwave station WWCR. You also get some discussion of Weiner's relationships with legendary British pirate Radio Caroline, with several Christian evangelists and their attempts to establish offshore radio broadcasts from international waters, as well as Weiner's involvement on the legal side of radio, with legal stations in Yonkers, New York and Aroostook County, Maine - one of which led to another run-in with the FCC. If you knew anything about pirate radio from the Vietnam era through the early 1990s, this book is your chance to get the inside scoop in it from somebody who was one of the key players in the whole scene.