Coal: A Human History [Paperback]

'Freese has the reader eating out of her hand... A marvellous book.' --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

'enthralling... Her style is engaging, her research impressive, her message an important one.'' --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

'illuminating, often startling... An egaging book, with surprises on virtually every page.' --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

an engaging and interesting book, tightly documented and consistently readable --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

elegant' & 'valuable --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

A brilliant, short gem of a book on the small black stone that fuelled the industrial revolution and Britain's rise to Empire, and still powers the world. For fans of Cod and Salt and readers interested in the business of energy. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

'Once Barbara Freese has the reader eating out of her hand with telling anecdotes -- have you ever considered travelling by rail with a bucket of sand in your lap in case your fellow-travellers catch fire?-- she turns to sterner stuff. You are by then an addict, and you finish the book knowing a great deal more about global warming, kyoto and more than you ever thought you would.... A marvellous book.' Liza Picard, author of Elizabeth's London

'What creature has done so much as man with what nature has provided? Barbara Freese has a nose for the links between things, technology, and culture. I can think of no substance that has played so important a role in shaping industrial techonology and the relative fortunes of competing economies. And while its role has been somewhat reduced by growing recourse to petroleum, we may yet find it desirable or necessary to return to coal, whether as a fuel or as a source of electric power.' -- David Landes, author of The Wealth and Poverty of Nations

'Barbara Freese takes us on an enthralling journey, across time and across continents, using our fascination with coal and the crucial need for it as a way of approaching some of the most fundamental questions of human existence. her style is engaging, her research impressive, her message an important one.'' -- Howard Zinn, author of A People's History of the United States

'With an abundance of illuminating, often startling insights, Barbara Freese shows us how profoundly we are defined by our energy choices. This epic story illustrates the way coal has redefined the role of workers, changed family structures, altered concepts of public health and public wealth, and crystallised a profound and enduring debate over national values. An egaging book, with surprises on virtually every page.' -- Ross Gelbspan, author of The Heat is On --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Barbara Freese was Assistant District Attorney in Michigan, one of America's biggest coal producing states, for 12 years and is an expert on air pollution laws. Coal is her first book. She lives in St. Paul, Michigan with her husband and two children. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.