**spoiler alert** Cum as putea sa rezum in doar cateva randuri povestea multigenerationala a familiei Krupp , cea care a inarmat Prusia , Al Doilea Re**spoiler alert** Cum as putea sa rezum in doar cateva randuri povestea multigenerationala a familiei Krupp , cea care a inarmat Prusia , Al Doilea Reich , al Treilea Reich si RFG-ul ?
O opera pe cat de imensa cuprinzand istoria Krupp (1570-1970) pe atat de usor de citit.
1000 de pagini de istorie politica, istorie tehnica, geopolitica, razboi , si masinatiuni antreprenoriale la nivel global.
Personal am apreciat cel mai mult perioada 1850-1914 , perioada renasterii germane pe plan politic , teritorial si militar.
Am apreciat enorm nivelul de documentare si detaliu acordat istoriei procesuluiui de producere al otelului inca din pruncia sa la final de secol XVIII cand se experiementa cu diverse valturi, pana la presele mamut de zeci de tone de dupa al doilea razboi mondial.
Krupp a reprezentat timp de 200 de ani Germania , relatiile conducatorilor firmei cu conducatorii tarii (Bismarck, Wilhelm , Hitler, Adenauer) fiind de natura simbiotica.
Intre 1850-1970 dinastia a produs armament atat pentru Germania cat si pentru intregul mapamond, tunurile sale ajungand in Istanbul, Pekin, Rio de Janeiro, Cairo sau Tokyo. Pe langa tunuri "die Firma" a produs tancuri, tunuri, mortiere, submarine, crucisatoare, blindaje, aliaje, mitraliere dar si furnale pentru crematorii , turnuri de supraveghere pentru lagarele de concentrare si multe altele.
De-a lungul existentei sale Kruppianerii au incercat intotdeauna sa produca initial pentru industria grea civila dar din nefericire castigurile reduse i-au readus intotdeauna in industria de razboi.
In secolul XIX Krupp a livrat locomotive si cai ferate pentru Sua, Sudan si Orientul mijlociu , iar mai tarziu dupa WW2 firma sub obladuirea lui Alfried Krupp s-a diversificat increidibil in lumea a 3-a livrand la cheie laminoare, cocserii, fabrici intregi, camioane pentru cariere, masini-unelte pentru preluxrarea diverselor aliaje.
Am apreicat detaliile Razboiului Franco-Prusac din 1870 cand francezii au fost obliterati de primele tunuri din otel turnat acesta marcand definitiv eliminarea tunurilor din bronz.
Capitolele cel mai plicticoase (pentru mine) au fost paradoxal cele curpinzand WW2. S-a pus mult prea mult accent pe holocaust , pe sclavii rusi, evrei si polonezi care munceau pe branci in turnatoriile si laminoarele Krupp si modul in care erau batuti, bruscati , infometati , lasati sa moara si trimisi in crematoriile groazei. Stiam aceste lucruri iar ce nu stiam (gradul de implicare al corporatiilor germane) intuiam.
Poate cel mai fabulos este faptul ca mai toti barbatii Krupp au fost oameni deosebit de incercati de soarta , traind vieti aspre, fara rea multe placeri , dedicandu-se intru total firmei, a renumelui pe care l-au mostenit si incercand sa mareasca avutia si prestigiul acesteia de la generatie la generatie. Ultimul mostenitor al firmei, Arnold Krupp, a decis ca el va face lucrurile diferit , el va TRAI pentru EL si nu pentru FIRMA, si a facut ceea ce intemeitorul Alfred Krupp s-ar fi rasucit in mormand - a vandut-o , aceasta devenind o societate pe actiuni, actuala Thyssen Krupp de astazi.
First 40% of this book is literally the history of the microchip, starting with the first transistor in late 50's designed by Shockley, tOutstanding !
First 40% of this book is literally the history of the microchip, starting with the first transistor in late 50's designed by Shockley, then mass produced in emerging companies like Texas Instruments and Fairchild initially for the Pentagon's guided missles used in Vietnam war then for general use.
We then hit the 60-70's when America outsources its production to Japan and loses its grip on memory chip DRAM technology. 3 engineers leave Fairchild and create Intel. In the 80's Intel loses market share to Japan which learned to integrate chips in consumer electronics (radios , walkman) via companies like Sony and Sharp.
Late 80's Intel gambles and leaves DRAM market and together with IBM and Bill Gates MSFT devise an alliance around IBM computers , running Windows OS , powered by Intel's x86 microchip architecture. This will dominate the next 30 years.
We also get to see how the smartphone arena changed the balance of pwoer from USA to Taiwan and how Intel refused to produce custom chips for the emerging Apple , thus throwing away a huge opportunity for divestment.
We get to understand the different types of chips (memory , logic and analog) and who specializes in what as well as the complex procedures required to.build a chip (design, production and assembly) and learn why everything now is centered around Taiwan's TSMC behemoth.
The transistor lessons are above par , as well as the complex machinery needed to build it nowadays via the process of litography , and why only Netherlands's ASML can do it (using no less then 460k parts ) including high precision lasers from Germany's Trumpf which in turn uses Carl Zeiss optics.
There are so many things explained regarding transistors , cpu's , memory , supply chains , the companies that design ,produce and consume (Intel, AMD, Nvidia, ARM, Micron , Huawei , Samsung , Apple) , world gonverments, USA trade war with China and the banning of Huawei....
This book is literally a compact enciclopedia involving topics such as history , electronics , science , politics , warfare and everything that has to do with microchips which is the new world's gold standard. Besides developers , and electronic nerds, people into tech and not only will find this book mind blowing !...more