Promotional Information

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.

About the Author

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.

Reviews

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 *