On February 1'st, 1999, radio-telegraph service on board ships was ended. The radio officers were no longer needed and left the ships, and the majority of coast-stations stopped their services. The grand era of the transmission of messages by Morse code had lasted almost 100 years .

Former German ship's radio officer Sylvester Föcking (DH4PB) distributed more than 700 copies of his CD-album "Radio Telegraphy Worldwide News." In many letters  the OM's confessed that they listened to the recordings with "tears in their eyes," and raved about the tremendous periods of this profession. 

To prevent oblivion of a total profession, he - together with ex-colleagues Rolf Marschner (DL9CM) and (Dutchman) Hans Polak (NL 9694 and ex-PCH)  collected funny, sad and unbelievable stories of colleagues from all over  the world to publish them - after 1½ years - in a book, titled:

"Sparks what's going on?"

In 300 pages, A5 format, 64 colleagues from 20 nations tell more than one hundred, partly illustrated, stories in the English language. 
For examples, there is the partly illustrated story of:
Disaster Hinnerk
Legendary Tugboat Captain Kalkman
Radio officer with a Service Bicycle
Football on Ice
Stool Samples in Jam Pots
Parrot Smuggle
Drive by Taxi to the "Consulate" 
The good old Goldfranc
A Canary Saved from Distress 
About the "Schlackertaste (Vibroplex-Morse-key) 
and many dramatic and funny stories of life at sea and at the coastal stations.

There is something for everybody - perhaps self-experienced - and for EUR 13.00 (+ postage and packing) really affordable. The publishing of this book is on a non-profit basis, and the authors willingly declined the author's fee. However, we will make a gift: This gift may be done to preserve the memory of sea-wireless radio, i.e. to a museum or another means of preservation concerning radio communication at sea, or radio officer's lives.
The book was issued on the 50'th anniversary of the
"Seefunkkameradschaft BREMEN" (R/O comradeship), 
on August 30th, 2003.

Information:
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curious ?

The cheapest way to mail the item would be by " German Book Rate" -- it takes quite a while to arrive, (approx. 4-6 weeks overseas and 10 days Europe ) but it is the most inexpensive method to send books. It costs € 4.50 EURO for Europe/World
The mail will be shipped  by snail-mail. 
We ship the book with the special scale of charges for books The cost with airmail is in Europe 7,00 Euro and overseas 11,00 Euro.  I think this would be too much. So my suggestion: 

We ship the book with the special book-rate
  4,50 Euro shipping
+13,00 Euro book
+ 0,50 Euro packing
--------------------------------
18,00 Euro  approx 23 US$ (today's exchange rate)

After receipt of the Book you send the money to a Bank number in the USA, (for Europe in Germany)
or via PayPal or we find an other way.
- please no money-order or other cheques - the fee is too high to cash it.
Sorry no credit-cards possible
If you have any questions concerning the payment, please. don't hesitate to contact me.
In the meantime we shipped  more than 660 copies worldwide