Coal : a human history
Publisher's description: The fascinating history of a simple black rock that has shaped our world--and now threatens it. In this remarkable book, Barbara Freese takes us on a rich historical journey that begins hundreds of millions of years ago and spans the globe. Prized as "the best stone in Britain" by Roman invaders who carved jewelry out of it, coal has transformed societies, expanded frontiers, and sparked social movements, and still powers our electric grid. Yet coal's world-changing power has come at a tremendous price, including centuries of blackening our skies and lungs--and now the dangerous warming of our global climate. Ranging from the "great stinking fogs" of London to the rat-infested coal mines of Pennsylvania, from the impoverished slums of Manchester to the toxic streets of Beijing, Coal is a captivating narrative about an ordinary substance with an extraordinary impact on human civilization
History
v, 308 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations ; 20 cm
9780738204000, 9780142000984, 0738204005, 0142000981
51449422
A portable climate
The best stone in Britain
Launching a revolution
Full steam ahead
A precious seed
The rise and fall of King Coal
Invisible power
A sort of black stone
A burning legacy