This is a technological biography of the man who came to be known as the "father" of the technology he worked on for much of his life -- television. In many places Zworykin the man is displaced by the work he was engaged in. However, those are actually the most interesting and best-written parts of the book, sometimes becoming almost exciting reading. The chapters on Zworykin's early life in Russia tend to plod, even when recounting his adventures during the Russian Revolution.

Abramson is the principal television history researcher in the US , and his work is exceptionally detailed and as even-handed as any human can make it. He comes down on the side of Zworykin in the "who invented television" question, and has compelling data to back it up, but is careful to give credit where it's due to each of the many inventors who contributed to the technology. Abramson's biggest fault as a writer is that he loves his research too much, and includes EVERYTHING, to the detriment of narrative flow. The footnotes section is well over 10% of the book, and is interesting in its own right.

Despite the sometimes-clumsy prose, this is a fine book that illuminates the life of Zworykin and the history of early television technology.