What were the discoveries that enabled mankind to leave the Stone Age and enter the Age of Metals? How did early man divine the existence of metals, locked up in the rocks? What was the first metal that he learned to use? Where and when did these momentous advances take place and how did metals change the way we live? Such questions embody one of the most extraordinary aspects of the rise of civilization. The human race has existed as a species for perhaps two or three million years, but we have known about metals for only the last ten thousand years. In that short span, however, we have become an utterly metal-dependent society. Our cities, transport, communications, entertainment - every aspect of our daily lives depends upon the copious use of gold, silver, iron and steel, copper, aluminum, lead, and a score of other metals. In these pages Robert Raymond follows the fascinating route from the earliest known metal smelting site, in the arid Sinai Desert of Israel; to the flood-plain of the Yellow River in China, to discover the secrets of the exquisite Shang bronzes, and to reveal newly-discovered iron-casting techniques which were 1500 years ahead of the West; to the stronghold of the Hittites in Anatolia, where the Iron Age may be said to have begun; to villages in India where metal-working techniques have hardly changed in 5000 years; to the misty peaks of the Andes in Peru, in the steps of the conquistadors' savage treasure-hunt for gold; to the gaunt ruins of the Industrial Revolution in England; to the world of mechanical robots in Japan; and to the desert sands of Alamagordo in the United States, where the unstable metal uranium was made to produce the world's first atomic explosion.Metals played a vital role in the rise and fall of empires, and the broad historical shifts of power and influence from one part of the world to another. Metals were a critical factor in all of mankind's most significant advances: the introduction of coinage, the invention of printing, the harnessing of steam, the discovery of electricity, the achievement of flight. And a small but critical group of radio-active metals, which are both consumed and created in that last and most fiery furnace, now present us with a deadly dilemma and an awesome choice.This is the story of man the metalsmith, through all his amazing creations, from the most sublime works of art to the most devastating of weapons, and of his raw materials, the metals which run like shining threads through the whole tapestry of human history. This book sets down the sweeping history of man's use of metals, as captured for the first time on television in the seven-part series narrated by Michael Chariton. It is written by Robert Raymond, the producer and principal author of that series.
| ||||||||||||||||||
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Robert Raymond was educated in Australia and in England where he first worked as a journalist on Fleet Street, later covering the European theatre as a war correspondent. He started making films in Africa in the 1950s and documentaries for Australian television in the 1960s, later becoming an independent film producer. He has written several bestselling Australian books as well as the long-running newspaper strip feature Frontiers of Science which is syndicated internationally. Raymond lives in Sydney, Australia.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Surprisingly fun and interesting!,
By Kurt A. Johnson (North-Central Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER) (VINE VOICE) (TOP 100 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Out of the Fiery Furnace: The Impact of Metals on the History of Mankind (Paperback)
This is a truly excellent book, and a wonderful companion to the made-for-television documentary of the same name. The book traces the history of metal, from discovery of metals in the Neolithic era, through to modern times. Now, this is not a staid and boring history book. The author does an excellent job of presenting the development of metal-working through history, focusing on such monumental discoveries as smelting (an accidental discovery of ancient potters!) and the existence of aluminum. Plus, as an added bonus, numerous interesting facts are laid out, including such things as the secret of Damascus swords, and the development of cast iron in China.
Overall, I found this to be a fascinating book. If you have read history books, but want to understand how the tools of history were made, then this is the book for you. It is a surprisingly fun and interesting read, and I give it my highest recommendations!
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Big Is Good,
By Theseus "theseus" (US of A) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Out of the Fiery Furnace: The Impact of Metals on the History of Mankind (Paperback)
Clearly, this is a well-researched, dynamic, and detailed history.
What I appreciated was simple -- the size of the book. A book on the crafting, the artistry, and the impact of metals needs to be big. We need nice, big illustrations of gleaming objects, of foundries spurting sparks, of locomotives, of sculptures, of various hulking objects. This book provides those things, without becoming a coffee table book.
0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Big is Good,
By Theseus "theseus" (US of A) - See all my reviews What I appreciated was simple -- the size of the book. A book on the crafting, the artistry, and the impact of metals needs to be big. We need nice, big illustrations of gleaming objects, of foundries spurting sparks, of locomotives, of sculptures, of various hulking objects. This book provides those things, without becoming a coffee table book.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
