Customer Reviews

Out of the Fiery Furnace: The Impact of Metals on the History of Mankind

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

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!

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.

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.