This is a balanced biography of one of the 20th Century's outstanding inventors, published to coincide with the 75th anniversary of Baird's first public demonstration of a rudimentary television system.

Russell W. Burns graduated from the University of Durham in 1948 with a first class honours degree in physics. Following post-graduate research he joined the Royal Naval Scientific Service in 1952. Professor Burns subsequently held various appointments in higher education in the UK and abroad, obtaining his PhD from the University of Leicester in 1976, and retired in 1989. He has been researching and writing on the history of electrical engineering for more than 30 years. He was awarded the IEE's SET Divisional Board Premium in 1993 and shared the Maxwell Premium in 1994. An IEE Fellow, Professor Burns is a past chairman of the IEE's History of Technology professional group, Archives Committee and Science Education and Technology Divisional Board.

• Chapter 1: Early life


• Chapter 2: Hastings


• Chapter 3: Frith Street, London


• Chapter 4: The first demonstration of television


• Chapter 5: Noctovision and phonovision


• Chapter 6: Company formation and long-distance television


• Chapter 7: Television and the BBC


• Chapter 8: The first television broadcast and other 'firsts'


• Chapter 9: Overseas interests


• Chapter 10: Large-screen television


• Chapter 11: The early television work of Bell Telephone Laboratories


• Chapter 12: Financial difficulties


• Chapter 13: The first public 30-line service


• Chapter 14: Baird's personality


• Chapter 15: A rival and high-definition television


• Chapter 16: The London television station


• Chapter 17: Baird and cinema television


• Chapter 18: The war years


• Chapter 19: Epilogue: Two 'greats'


• Appendices