Instruments of Darkness cover art

Instruments of Darkness

The History of Electronic Warfare, 1939-1945

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Instruments of Darkness

By: Alfred Price
Narrated by: David de Vries
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About this listen

The rapid evolution of radio and radar systems for military use during WWII, and devices to counter them, led to a technological battle that neither the Axis nor the Allied powers could afford to lose. The result was a continual series of thrusts, parries, and counter-thrusts, as first one side then the other sought to wrest the initiative in the struggle to control the ether. This was a battle fought with strange-sounding weapons: 'Freya', 'Mandrel', 'Boozer', and 'Window'; and was characterized by the bravery, self-sacrifice, and skill of those who took part in it. However, for many years the use of electronic-warfare systems during the conflict remained a closely guarded military secret. When that veil of secrecy was finally lifted, the technicalities of the subject meant that it remained beyond the reach of lay researchers. Alfred Price, an aircrew officer with the RAF where he flew with V-Force and specialized in electronic warfare and air fighting tactics, was in the unique position to lift the lid on this largely unexplored aspect of the Second World War. When it was first published in 1967, Instruments of Darkness came to be regarded as a standard reference work on this intriguing subject. This completely revised edition concludes with the Japanese surrender in August 1945 and brings the analysis fully up to date in the light of what we now know.

©1967, 1977, 2005, 2017 Alfred Price (P)2023 Tantor
Military Military Science Weapons & Warfare War Warfare Air Force

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All stars
Most relevant
I liked the, that it was very interesting, simple enough to not professional to understand, but deep enough to really appreciate the efforts by the actors

interesting story, well and clearly written

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I really enjoyed the attention to detail in this. Other overarching books of this era mention the tech battle, but this book gives you more of a sense of the thought process and research, as well as the effects.
I’ve heard the narrator before, his gruff voice takes a little getting used to and British listeners will cringe a little at his pronunciations. But still listenable.

Great detail

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