Hello World: A Life in Ham Radio by Danny Gregory
Jerry Powell began his ham radio operation in 1929 and with the exception of the World War II years (when government forbade ham radio operators to take to the air) he was in continuous communication with people all over the world until his death in 1999. This book tells the story of Powell and the people he met. It is a record of one man's contacts during times of war, depression, peace and floods. Whenever a communication is established for the first time, the recipient of the communication by law must send an acknowledgement card, called a QSL. These QSLs are unique to each individual, it is their stamp and their calling card. This book brings together over 500 QSLs received by Jerry and provides commentary on each one. The authors radioed many of his more recent contacts to get Jerry Powell's story - and the story of ham radio.