Translation of the German review:

Stefan Kudelski, born in Warsaw, Poland, in 1929 and passed away in Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Switzerland, in 2013, invented the NAGRA tape recorders. During World War II, his family fled from the Nazis via Hungary and France to Switzerland, where they found asylum. He created his first tape recorder in 1948 while studying at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne. In 1951, he founded the NAGRA company and began producing the NAGRA I tape recorder for radio reporters. In 1990, he was honored with the Gordon E. Sawyer Award by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for his technical achievements. His son André Kudelski now runs the company KUDELSKI S.A., based in Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Switzerland.

The NAGRA book tells the fascinating story of Stefan Kudelski and how he succeeded in revolutionizing audio technology with his inventions shortly after World War II. The chronological presentation of all generations of his devices begins in 1951 with his first steps as a young engineer and ends with the era of magnetic recording machines and the worldwide successes and awards that he and his products have received. The book was signed by Kudelski's daughter Marguerite. She recounts her father's life and experiences.

Roland Schellin is the author of specialist books on the history of analog magnetic sound recording. He writes about the beginnings of this technology and the history of magnetic tape devices. He paid particular attention to the world's first miniature magnetic sound devices and spring-driven tape recorders. Further works on the history of the Stellavox and NAGRA Kudelski brands round off his oeuvre. He spent years researching the NAGRA book and was able to lay the foundation by accessing the NAGRA company archives and interviewing contemporary witnesses. Access to one of the world's largest collections of NAGRA devices in Vienna was an essential step in finalizing the work. In correlation with the history of the NAGRA company, the author describes the development of devices for professional sound recording in radio, film, and television, which could not do without the quality, precision, and reliability of NAGRA recorders. A very interesting topic is how the NAGRA company collaborated with authorities and secret services through the miniaturization of recording devices (spy devices). The company's policy of withholding information gave rise to legends and myths, some of which are confirmed by the author, while others are refuted.

This comprehensive work is written in English and features many previously unpublished images and documents. The photos are very powerful and of high quality. Detailed captions of people, technical drawings, and circuit diagrams round out the work. Like the NAGRA devices themselves, this masterpiece has a unique design and impresses with its high-quality materials and workmanship. The fascinating world of NAGRA tape recorders offers a deep insight into the history and technology of these legendary developments and exerts an irresistible pull-on reader with an interest in technology.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)