About the Author

James Riddick Partington was a distinguished historian of science and a professor of chemistry at the University of London. Bert S. Hall is an associate professor at the University of Toronto's Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology and the author of Weapons and Warfare in Renaissance Europe: Gunpowder, Technology, and Tactics, also available from Johns Hopkins.

Reviews

The story of the evolution of chemical explosives for 600 years... a must volume for any historian, military or civilian, interested in gunpowder. -- Larry S. Strett Gun Week Partington's classic study reappears in this welcome reprint edition enhanced by an informed and useful introduction by Bert Hall. Hall's appreciation of Partington's work explains why we are in his debt and what we should beware of when consulting him. -- Alex Roland Technology and Culture