The Struggle for Unity: Colour television, the formative years traces the evolution of colour television from 1928, when rudimentary colour television was demonstrated for the first time, to c.1966, when the NTSC system and its variants, the PAL and SECAM systems, became widely available for the entertainment, education and enlightenment of society. Among the many topics discussed in the book, mention is made of the following: compatibility and non-compatibility; mechanical and all-electronic systems; field, line and dot sequential scanning; bandwidth constraints and band-sharing techniques; the CBS-RCA conflict; the relative merits of the different systems; the attempt to achieve unity of purpose in Europe; standards; and the development of colour cameras and display tubes. The book, which is based predominantly on written primary source material, does not simply provide a chronicle of dates and descriptions of events, devices and systems. Rather, it discusses the essential factors of colour television history from a general, technical and political viewpoint. Great care has been taken to ensure that an unbiased, accurate and balanced history has been written. Numerous references are given at the end of each chapter and the book is profusely illustrated.

Russell W Burns BSc, MSc, PhD, physicist, electical engineer and historian, has been researching and writing on the history of electrical engineering for more than 35 years and has produced books on British Television, Radar development, World television, John Logie Baird, A D Blumlein, and Communications, and is currently writing on Cherwell, Churchill and Science at War. Professor Burns has been awarded the international Kraszna-Krausz Prize, a Special IEE Book Award, the IEE's SET Divisional Board's Premium, and the IEE's Maxwell Premium (shared) for his writings. He served on numerous IEE committees and boards for more than 30 years.

• Chapter 1: A brief history of colour photography and colour cinematography
• Chapter 2: Low-definition colour television
• Chapter 3: RCA and pre-war colour television
• Chapter 4: EMI and high-definition television
• Chapter 5: J.L. Baird and colour television
• Chapter 6: CBS, RCA and colour television
• Chapter 7: The 1949-50 FCC colour television hearings
• Chapter 8: RCA's resolve
• Chapter 9: The work of the NTSC
• Chapter 10: Colour television broadcasting in the USA, 1953-1966
• Chapter 11: British developments, 1949-1962
• Chapter 12: Camera tubes for colour television to c. 1967
• Chapter 13: The development of display tubes to c. 1967
• Chapter 14: An attempt at unity
• Chapter 15: Epilogue