Coal: A Human History

Barbara Freese

$21.99

Publication Date: February 9th, 2016

Publisher:

Basic Books

ISBN:

9780465057931

Pages:

384

Description

"Engrossing . . . Coal, to borrow a phrase, is king." -- New York Times Book Review

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, launched empires, and expanded frontiers. It made China an eleventh-century superpower, inspired the Communist Manifesto, and helped the North win the American Civil War. Yet coal's transformative power has come at tremendous cost, from the blackening of our lungs and skies, to the perils of mining, to global warming. Now updated with a new chapter describing the high-stakes conflict between coal's defenders and those working to preserve a livable climate, Coal offers a captivating history of the mineral that helped build the modern world but now endangers our future.

About the Author

Barbara Freese is an environmental attorney and energy policy analyst, who for more than twelve years helped enforce her state's environmental laws as an Assistant Attorney General in Minnesota. Freese lives in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Praise for Coal: A Human History

A New York Times Notable Book

"An absorbing book

that never loses its grip. Barbara Freese is a splendid writer and takes the

coal of the whole world into her compass."—New Scientist

"A magnificent and

plaintive ballad to the black stone that radically altered the path our lives

have taken."—Providence Journal

"Freese makes her

points convincingly and eloquently.... Freese paints a fascinatingly wide swath."—Philadelphia Inquirer

A thoroughly absorbing

history."—Boston Herald

"An engrossing account of

the comparatively cheap, usually dirty fuel that supported the Industrial

Revolution, inspired the building of canals and railroads to move it, and once

made London and Pittsburgh famous for their air."—New York Times

"Freese's passion for coal

is born out of her work.... Freese's book is as much about the growing scientific

evidence of the damage coal causes to the environment as it is about the social

history of the Industrial Revolution."—Financial Times

"Freese has a deft style and

a knack for explanatory metaphors. And she enlivens her meticulously researched

history with anecdotes and surprising facts.... Above all, Freese is a strong

storyteller who captivates with detail."—Minneapolis Star-Tribune

"A rich social,

environmental and political history that ends on a note of warning about the

continued use of coal despite detrimental effects on the environment."—The Oregonian