This entertaining and informative study of coal's place in history ranges from its use in medieval domestic hearths through its underpinning of the British Empire to its role in the politics of climate change. Highlighting too coal's representation in art and literature, Ralph Crane's account is highly recommended for anyone seeking to understand and challenge the legacies of the Anthropocene.

Alan Lester, Professor of Historical Geography, University of Sussex

Ralph Crane’s fascinating history of the material that drove the engines of the Industrial Revolution has done both the coal industry and the climate movement a huge favour . . . Lucidly written, minutely detailed, <i>Coal</i> is a highly readable and deeply knowledgeable history of the stuff that made the world we live in.

Mark Williams, Emeritus Professor of English, Victoria University of Wellington