MIT Radiation Laboratory (Rad Lab)

Updated November 13, 2011

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The Rad Lab series (click image for close-up)

New for March 2011! A tremendous amount of research and development was made during World War II in the development of radar and related technologies. The Radiation Laboratory at Massachusetts Institute of Technology operated under the supervision of the National Defense Research Committee, from October 1940 until December 31, 1945. Key personnel were paid for six months after the war was over to document all that they had learned, and the Rad Lab series of books serves as the original microwave encyclopedia.

Early developments at Rad Lab include airborne intercept radar, a gun aiming system, and aircraft navigation (Loran). Loran was named after millionaire Alfred Lee Loomis, a great patron of science leading up to the war.

The twenty seven volumes (plus index) and their publication dates are provided below. Check out other recommended books on microwave engineering here.

1. Louis N. Ridenour, Radar System Engineering. McGraw-Hill, New York, 1947.

2. John S. Hall, Radar Aids to Navigation. McGraw-Hill, New York, 1947.

3. Arthur Roberts, Radar Beacons. McGraw-Hill, New York, 1947.

4. J. A. Pierce, A. A. McKenzie, and R. H. Woodward, Loran. McGraw-Hill, New York, 1948.

5. G. N. Glasoe and J. V. Lebacqz, Pulse Generators. McGraw-Hill, New York, 1948.

6. George B. Collins, Microwave Magnetrons. McGraw-Hill, New York, 1948.

7. Donald R. Hamilton, Julian K. Knipp, and J. B. Horner Kuper, Klystrons and Microwave Triodes. McGraw-Hill, New York, 1948.

8. C. G. Montgomery, R. H. Dicke, and E. M. Purcell, Principles of Microwave Circuits. McGraw-Hill, New York, 1948.

9. George L. Ragan, Microwave Transmission Circuits. McGraw-Hill, New York, 1948.

10. N. Marcuvitz,Waveguide Handbook. McGraw-Hill, New York, 1951.

11. Carol G. Montgomery, Technique of Microwave Measurements. McGraw-Hill, New York, 1947.

12. Samuel Silver,Microwave Antenna Theory and Design. McGraw-Hill, New York, 1949.

13. Donald E. Kerr, Propagation of Short Radio Waves. McGraw-Hill, New York, 1951.

14. Louis D. Smullin and Carol G. Montgomery, Microwave Duplexers. McGraw-Hill, New York, 1948.

15. Henry C. Torrey and Charles A. Whitmer, Crystal Rectifiers. McGraw-Hill, New York, 1948.

16. Robert V. Pound, Microwave Mixers. McGraw-Hill, New York, 1948.

17. John F. Blackburn, Components Handbook. McGraw-Hill, New York, 1949.

18. George E. Valley, Jr. and Henry Wallman, Vacuum Tube Amplifiers. McGraw-Hill, New York, 1948.

19. Britton Chance, Vernon Hughes, Edward F. MacNichol, Jr., David Sayre, and Frederic C. Williams, Waveforms. McGraw-Hill, New York, 1949.

20. Britton Chance, Robert I. Hulsizer, Edward F. MacNichol, Jr., and Frederic C. Williams, Electronic Time Measurements. McGraw-Hill, New York, 1949.

21. Ivan A. Greenwood, Jr., J. Vance Holdam, Jr., and Duncan MacRae, Jr., Electronic Instruments. McGraw-Hill, New York, 1948.

22. Theodore Soller, Merle A. Star, and George E. Valley, Jr., Cathode Ray Tube Displays. McGraw-Hill, New York, 1948.

23. S. N. Van Voorhis, Microwave Receivers. McGraw-Hill, New York, 1948.

24. James L. Lawson and George E. Uhlenbeck, Threshold Signals. McGraw-Hill, New York, 1950.

25. Hubert M. James, Nathaniel B. Nichols, and Ralph S. Phillips, Theory of Servomechanisms. McGraw-Hill, New York, 1947.

26. W. M. Cady, M. B. Karelitz, and Louis A. Turner, Radar Scanners and Radomes. McGraw-Hill, New York, 1948.

27. Antonin Svoboda, Computing Mechanisms and Linkages. McGraw-Hill, New York, 1948.

28. Keith Henney, editor, Index. McGraw-Hill, New York, 1953.