Coal

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. Barbara Freese takes us on an enthralling journey across time and across continents, using the 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, bestselling author of A People's History of the United States