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 A“the best stone in BritainA” 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 coalA's world-changing power has come at a tremendous price, including centuries of blackening our skies and lungsA?and now the dangerous warming of our global climate. Ranging from the A“great stinking fogsA” 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.

1 * A Portable Climate 2 * The Best Stone in Britain 3 * Launching a Revolution 4 * Full Steam Ahead 5 * A Precious Seed 6 * The Rise and Fall of King Coal 7 * Invisible Power 8 * A Sort of Black Stone 9 * A Burning Legacy Notes Bibliography Acknowledgments Illustration Credits Index