Bookshelf: Antenna Physics and Basic Antennas

From the Shelf:

• R. J. Zavrel, Antenna Physics: An Introduction. 2020. (https://home.arrl.org/action/Store/Product-Details/productId/132743)
• J. R. Hallas, Basic antennas: understanding practical antennas and design. 2012. (https://home.arrl.org/action/Store/Product-Details/productId/114354)

Antenna Physics by R.J. Zavrel, and Basic Antennas by J.R. Hallas are two very accessible references that are easier to digest than popular (and also highly recommended) textbooks on the topic of practical antenna design for those needing a quick reference or to brush up on some functional knowledge. I wanted to pull these books out into a separate post because they're different than the textbooks I tend to reference for my research or active projects. I've mentioned (or cited) Fundamentals of Applied Electromagnetics by F. T. Ulaby, Antenna Theory: Analysis and Design by C. A. Balanis, and Elements of Electromagnetics by M. Sadiku in multiple papers and repositories - those have been great reference books for the mathematics and low-level physics needed to academic papers or preparing lecture. These two books aren't like that.

The textbooks and the two books that I want to focus on in this post have specific audiences in mind. Basic Antennas and Antenna Physics were written by amateur radio operators to address a broader audience that would be looking for references for implementation. Antenna Physics is designed to (kindly) answer "every stupid question I've ever had and been too afraid to ask" while building up the background knowledge that amateur radio operators would need for their own setups and custom builds. Likewise, Basic Antennas has introductions to the basic concepts (physics, chart reading, physical designs, measurements) and examples of building common designs. It is, of course, lighter on the physics than the book devoted primarily to the physics, but it's designed to jump into the examples and antenna building faster. Neither book ignores planned design factors either, offering discussion on different antenna topologies and what it means for radio operators.

Both of these books are good entry points on the topic of practical antenna design. They were written by HAMs to lower the barrier to entry for those interested in amateur radio and the math/physics behind it. The two books are also only a couple hundred pages combined, which makes them an easier read than the (highly recommended, very useful for my area of research) more than 2-inch-thick textbooks on advanced electromagnetics.