The Romans called it 'the best stone in Britain' and used it to make jewellery. Coal has transformed societies and launched empires. It fuelled the industrial revolution, inspired the Communist manifesto, and was a catalyst for some of the greatest inventions of all time - from the steam engine to the railroad. Taking us on a rich historical journey that begins hundreds of years ago on the banks of the River Tyne and spanned the globe, Barbara Freese shows us the profound and often surprising role coal has played in human history. A gifted and lively storyteller, Barbara Freese tells the riveting story of how a shiny black lump changed the modern world.
The Romans called it 'the best stone in Britain' and used it to make jewellery. Coal has transformed societies and launched empires. It fuelled the industrial revolution, inspired the Communist manifesto, and was a catalyst for some of the greatest inventions of all time - from the steam engine to the railroad. Taking us on a rich historical journey that begins hundreds of years ago on the banks of the River Tyne and spanned the globe, Barbara Freese shows us the profound and often surprising role coal has played in human history. A gifted and lively storyteller, Barbara Freese tells the riveting story of how a shiny black lump changed the modern world.
A brilliant gem of a book on the small black stone that fuelled the industrial revolution and still powers the world. For fans of Cod and books like Guns, Germs and Steel.
Barbara Freese was Assistant District Attorney in Minnesota for 12 years and is an expert on air pollution laws. Coal is her first book. She lives in St. Paul, Minnesota with her husband and two children.
Elegant and engaging... No subject is more important for
understanding the recent past and preparing for the future.
*Sunday Times*
Engaging and interesting, tightly documented and consistently
readable. Freese makes a pasionate plea for a more considered way
of treating the earth, its rescources and inhabitants.
*Daily Telegraph*
The incredible story of Britain's black gold.
*Daily Mail*
Fascinating... It lingers hauntingly in the mind.
*New Statesman*
I can think of no substance that has played so important a role in
shaping the relative fortunes of competing economies.
*David Landes, Author of The Wealth and Poverty of Nations*
Coal has been used for decorative, heating, and manufacturing purposes since prehistoric times. This is the story of the role played by this energy source in the human history of English and American life. Coal's importance to medieval manufacturing guilds, as a source of energy for the Industrial Revolution, as a longstanding source of urban blight, and as a politically divisive, potentially life-destroying pollutant are discussed in detail. Less attention is given to technical achievements such as the critical interaction between coal and iron needed for smelting and high-grade steel production. Prehistoric (pre-Roman) and, except for China, non-Western cultures are omitted. Those looking for a more global work about coal itself should look elsewhere. While much more limited in scope than the title suggests, this book is an amusing example of "lite" nonfiction. Shelly Frasier gives a competent reading, and the author's writing style is admirably suited to the audio format. Recommended for larger public and moderate to large academic libraries.-I. Pour-El, Des Moines Area Community Coll., Boone, IA Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Elegant and engaging... No subject is more important for
understanding the recent past and preparing for the future. *
Sunday Times *
Engaging and interesting, tightly documented and consistently
readable. Freese makes a pasionate plea for a more considered way
of treating the earth, its rescources and inhabitants. * Daily
Telegraph *
The incredible story of Britain's black gold. * Daily Mail *
Fascinating... It lingers hauntingly in the mind. * New Statesman
*
I can think of no substance that has played so important a role in
shaping the relative fortunes of competing economies. * David
Landes, Author of The Wealth and Poverty of Nations *
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