Coal: A Human History by Barbara Freese - Reviews, Discussion, Bookclubs, Lists

Apr 11, 2008 Johnsergeant rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, audiblecom

Narrator: Shelly Frasier
Publisher: Tantor Media, 2003
Length: 7 hours and 18 min.

Publisher's Summary
The fascinating, often surprising story of how a simple black rock altered the course of history. Prized as "the best stone in Britain" by Roman invaders who carved jewelry out of it, coal has transformed societies, powered navies, fueled economies, and expanded frontiers. It made China a twelfth-century superpower, inspired the writing of the Communist Manifesto, and helped the northern states win...more

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Jun 06, 2012 Nicholas rated it 4 of 5 stars

Very interesting history of coal, primarily covering the British and American industrial revolutions. In spite of the subtitle, "A Human History" it reads as a basically factual overview, to the extent that the (relatively small) portions that get into discussing the human and environmental costs of coal use feel a bit forced and out of place. There is one chapter in particular that builds up to a discussion of the Kyoto Accords, which must have seemed relevant and destined to succeed when the b...more Very interesting history of coal, primarily covering the British and American industrial revolutions. In spite of the subtitle, "A Human History" it reads as a basically factual overview, to the extent that the (relatively small) portions that get into discussing the human and environmental costs of coal use feel a bit forced and out of place. There is one chapter in particular that builds up to a discussion of the Kyoto Accords, which must have seemed relevant and destined to succeed when the book was published in 2003, but reading it in 2012 I ended skimming that chapter thinking "yeah, ok, whatever, old news, don't care." There were also a few, thankfully short, forays into speculation about hypothetical consequences of global warming and environmental impacts that just didn't seem particularly productive because they were admittedly speculative and therefore seemed out of place in a book that was otherwise historical/factual content. I don't have a problem with a book discussing actual documented consequences and tradeoffs (and this one does, and it's interesting) but the hypothetical stuff was a waste of time.

Something I particularly enjoyed is how this book, after laying out the history of coal in America and Britain, demonstrates in a 30 page overview of Chinese coal use just how awful centralized economies are. Even though the book has a bit of a progressive tilt, the history of coal in the West is basically presented as being driven by market forces, individuals mining, buying, selling and innovating based on demand. Then we get to the China and their Communist Revolution and learn how Mao decides to tell Chinese people where and how to mine coal and smelt iron (without any regard for reality, and in spite of having absolutely no qualifications to do this) and it is an utter disaster that wastes 20 years of his country's history and millions and millions of lives. I really enjoyed this contrast even though it was not specifically discussed in the text, it was painfully obvious to anyone paying attention.(less)

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Jan 23, 2010 William rated it 4 of 5 stars

Definitely recommended to folks interested in energy, environment, and climate change. Freese does a great job recounting the history of coal use in the UK, the US, and China, and weaves the growth of industrial power in each with the social histories of life in mining regions and in areas where coal use was most prevalent before any controls were put on its use (black fogs lasting days, etc). She is an environmental lawyer, so her politics are known from the start, but she is fair in highlighti...more

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Jan 24, 2010 Kate rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Surprisingly, the author of this book was an assistant attorney general for Minnesota who first became acutely aware of coal's role in global warming during a lawsuit brought by the state.

That lead her to learn more about coal - what it is, how it was formed, and its history.

Freese details how coal was critical to Britain and its role in the industrial revolution, enabling that tiny nation to defeat larger European powers with fewer coal resources, and colonize nations around the globe.

She expla...more

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Mar 24, 2013 Leo Walsh rated it 4 of 5 stars

Overall, Coal: A Human History is a fascinating and balanced look at the enormous and often unsung impact that this little black rock has had on our lives. Without it, there would have been no British empire. Nor would there have been an Industrial Revolution. Nor would the United States, whose huge coal deposits power our electric plants to this day, have ever become the economic juggernaut it became in the 20th century.

Freese, though, is not simply a coal cheerleader. She also gives us the bad...more Overall, Coal: A Human History is a fascinating and balanced look at the enormous and often unsung impact that this little black rock has had on our lives. Without it, there would have been no British empire. Nor would there have been an Industrial Revolution. Nor would the United States, whose huge coal deposits power our electric plants to this day, have ever become the economic juggernaut it became in the 20th century.

Freese, though, is not simply a coal cheerleader. She also gives us the bad side of coal. It is a very dirty hydrocarbon. It is responsible for the majority of our CO2 output, as well as most of our other pollution problems -- from acid rain to particulate matter.

What I enjoyed about the book was its balance. It was not a hand-wringy Al Gore praching about the evils of coal. Nor is it a coal company encomium to the glory of the little black rock. Instead, she looks at both sides, and gives a fair account of the social impact of this amazing fuel.

I also liked some of her points at the end about alternative energy sources, like solar photovoltaics. Like those technologies, coal was once an exciting and "iffy" place to be. But as time went on, it became sexier -- especially as it gave rise to king steel and the railroad systems.

Now, coal may have run its course. Especially when we take into account Global Warming. It is no longer the sexy and exciting technology it was. And yet, the coal industry, instead of taking an active role in helping America use its product wisely, while they use their profits to fund research into future technologies, they spend time and money fighting regulation. Often, unfortunately, at the expense of the truth. In fact, most of the funding that still drives the "Global Warming Deniers" comes from coal companies.

But Freese ends on a positive note. She notes that, in the end, there will be a need for coal for a long time into the future. But, as the price of alternative energy sources plummet, they will be forced into ever more creative research. There are myriad ways of using coal, and nearly all hydrocarbons.

Could there be the next generation of plastics hidden in the molecular structure of coal, for instance?

Overall good read. Fast, enjoyable and thought provoking. Plus, it mentions my mom's birthplace --Pittsburgh. And how coal was vital to that city's rise. And gave us Carnegie and steel. (less)

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Mar 30, 2011 Robert rated it 4 of 5 stars

A small book, written in an accessible, entertaining style, this is not only a comprehensive, scholarly history of coal, but also a serious assessment of the cost/benefits of its current use. Freeze has a deep, wide-ranging knowledge of her subject, seems to know everything there is to know about coal - from its early use by the Romans, both for fuel and ornament, through it indispensable modern role in the generation of electricity. And she presents the full story in a succinct, interesting man...more A small book, written in an accessible, entertaining style, this is not only a comprehensive, scholarly history of coal, but also a serious assessment of the cost/benefits of its current use. Freeze has a deep, wide-ranging knowledge of her subject, seems to know everything there is to know about coal - from its early use by the Romans, both for fuel and ornament, through it indispensable modern role in the generation of electricity. And she presents the full story in a succinct, interesting manner, never losing the reader's interest in boring details, holding that interest by including a host of illustrative facts and anecdotes that keep the reader turning the pages. This is a real gift - especially for one writing economic and social history. And the history she writes is lucid and thorough. Seems to contain everything of importance but is particularly valuable in recounting the lesser known events: the story of the initial English use of coal as a fuel during the High Middle Ages, of the excessive pollution that burning it created in Elizabethan London, of the part it played during the Cultural Revolution of Maoist China when everyone was encouraged to produce steel in their backyards.

Because Freeze once served as an assistant Attorney General for Minnesota enforcing anti-pollution laws, a major emphasis of this work is on the deleterious effects of burning coal, particularly on air quality and on its contribution to acid rain and global warming. But even in discussing these topics, she is objective, scientific, fact-based. She recognizes the continuing need for coal as a fuel, recognizes the essential contribution it makes to our way of life - but seeks practical solutions to the real problems associated with its use. She is about as far from being an environmental activist as she is from being a coal industry propagandist. Her objectivity is astounding - her ability to be truthful to the facts, to reality.

(Personal note: I may be prejudiced. Freeze won my respect and trust by her masterful handling of the story of the Molly Macguires. I grew up in the anthracite region of Pennsylvania where hard coal and the Mollies were part of family folklore, were the source of endless arguments pro and con on whether the Mollies were terrorists or nascent union organizers or the innocent victims of a sinister plot to discredit labor. Living within biking distance of the jails were many of the Mollies were hanged, I have been intensely interested in their story since my youth, have read everything I could find about them, but have never found a fairer, more succinct, more judicious, a more consensual assessment of the Mollies than I found in the few pages that Freeze wrote on them. It made me a real fan of her.)

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Sep 01, 2012 Dan Walker rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: economics, history

This isn't a history of coal. OK, it is about coal, but a book written by a environmental lawyer isn't a history, it's a critique.

Which really is too bad, because the history of coal is about the triumph of human ingenuity and will over scarcity and poverty. Is it always a pretty picture? Not even close. And Ms. Freese does an excellent job portraying the miseries of children working in mines, the pollution of London, etc. etc.

But one gets the feeling that the miseries of coal are portrayed, not...more This isn't a history of coal. OK, it is about coal, but a book written by a environmental lawyer isn't a history, it's a critique.

Which really is too bad, because the history of coal is about the triumph of human ingenuity and will over scarcity and poverty. Is it always a pretty picture? Not even close. And Ms. Freese does an excellent job portraying the miseries of children working in mines, the pollution of London, etc. etc.

But one gets the feeling that the miseries of coal are portrayed, not because they are simply fact, but to strengthen our faith in the environmental mythology that the world was a better place before the industrial revolution.

But the world is far too complex for such a simplistic history. In an apparent attempt to balance her views, Ms. Freese does, for example, allude to social and political problems that compounded the dirt and poverty of Manchester, but that is all. Just a brief allusion. After pages and pages cataloguing the miseries of coal, this brief sentence is all the balance this section of the book gets.

In her summary, Ms. Freese does admit to how critical coal was (and is) to our modern world. But she speaks with certainty about how the industrial revolution could have occurred more humanely. Well, so it could have. But it is pure hubris to look back and confidently assert that, "if we would have only been in charge, we could have done it way better." She doesn't say those exact words, but that attitude is clear.

Baloney. Fortunately she supplies us with exhibit A on why this attitude is not just wrong, but evil. She reviews Mao's attempt to industrialize China, and the misery and death inflicted on the longsuffering Chinese by people with the exact same attitude that Ms. Freese has: the certainty of being able to do things better, especially when endowed with virtual omnipotence.

I'm thankful that Ms. Freese isn't in that position. So by all means, read the book. Just avoid the attitude. Remember that the people of history were human. They did the best they could with what they had. If we could have done better, it is above all because we have learned from their situation. Correcting the errors of history has more to do with confronting the overconfident, overzealous elitism displayed by Ms. Freese than it does with "correctly" guiding common people who are just trying to improve their lives.(less)

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Aug 02, 2009 Sean Betouliere rated it 4 of 5 stars

so damn good. full of compelling little historical details--the unimaginable filth and soot of industrial cities, where smoke blocked out the sky; the way that roads looked before pavement (gigantic muddy gullies, so deep that the top of a wagon would disappear within them); a royal attempt to ban coal back in 1306, which failed as the english demand for firewood outpaced the capacity of english forests; and also the crazy descriptions of what it was like to actually live and work in a mining to...more

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Jan 31, 2008 Amber added it · review of another edition

a VERY good read. I never thought I would be interested in the history of coal, but I couldn't put this book down.

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Jul 08, 2009 Nickie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The first 6 or 7 hours of this book are absolutely fascinating. First I'm thinking coal has got to be of the the greatest discoveries and then I'm thinking how terrible the side effects of coal upon people, by people and changes in nature.
Now, the ending was not for me. The author after giving this interesting look as what came because or from the coal revolution, she get on her soapbox about environmental issues. The history is worth 5 stars.
I and Gove were able to use this history information...more

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Jul 08, 2009 Loret Steinberg rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I had thought this would be about how fossil fuels became central to our cultures. It is about this, but about so much more -- a real sense of humanity, an understanding of how expediency clouds foresight, considerable background on the industrial era, ecology and marketing decisions. I couldn't help but think of the oil sands in Canada (that are still being advertised as a good thing today!!) where water used to extract oil from the sand is so toxic that cannons intermittently are fired around...more

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Dec 18, 2012 Nancy rated it 2 of 5 stars

I decided to read this due to how often coal is in the news. It was interesting to learn the history of coal and also to learn more about products that come from coal. However, it was less than gripping and at times hard to pay attention to - this was especially true when the author detailed the concerns of global warming and the impact coal (and its by-products) continue to have on the environment. That said, I found it fascinating to learn how various countries mine for coal, where coal is rea...more

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Jul 20, 2012 Amblingbooks.com marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobooks, science-nature

The fascinating, often surprising story of how a simple black rock has altered the course of history. Prized as 'the best stone in Britain' by Roman invaders who carved jewelry out of it, coal has transformed societies, powered navies, fueled economies, and expanded frontiers. It made China a twelfth-century superpower, inspired the writing of the Communist Manifesto, and helped the northern states win the American Civil War.

Listen to Coal on your smartphone, notebook or desktop computer.

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Dec 04, 2009 Melody rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is both interesting and heartbreaking. It's also a high-flying overview, covering thousands of years in about three hundred pages. I think that's just right for me- I don't know that I could have taken too much more about the Victorians dying from "fog" or the little kids with rickets or... well, any of it. Including the modern coal industry spin doctors who are the same soulless bastards they've always been. Coal dust is GOOD for children to breathe, they said back then. Greenhouse ga...more

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Mar 22, 2012 Cathy rated it 5 of 5 stars

I love the story of how this book even got written. The author is an attorney, I believe a state attorney, who was involved in a huge law suit against a coal company. She started doing research and couldn't stop. it's a history of how coal shaped human history the Aztecs thought it was pretty, the British used it to fuel the industrial revolution, it may bury us all in its effluent. the book has footnotes, bibliography and the whole academic bit and I still couldn't put it down. It's very well w...more

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Feb 14, 2011 Richard rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011

Human beings need fuel, that means something has to burn, and pollution and side effects are a fact of life. The sun's going to be around a lot longer than humans (probably), and as skin cancer goes to show, is not without problems of its own. Wood is inefficient for industrial use, and anyway, nobody really wants to deforest the earth - well, I guess that's debatable. Oil is limited, more and more expensive, and drilling is more and more a disaster waiting to happen. Nuclear power? Oh yeah, we'...more

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Jun 12, 2009 Angela Forfia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: cultural and social history geeks

Shelves: social-history

I'll start by admitting that I am a sucker for these cultural histories of stuff--cod, coffee, cotton, tobacco, the potato, you name it. So, a human history of coal was appealing before I read a single page. Barbara Freese, an environmentalist and former assistant attorney general of Minnesota, provides a sweeping survey of the history of coal from the Romans carving black stones into jewelry to the open coal fires of early modern cities to American King Coal monopolies of the early 20th century...more

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Apr 13, 2008 Kyle rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm not sure whether or not I'm disappointed in this book. I've bee looking for a history of the coal industry for a while, and thought this might be the ticket. It does a great job looking at pre-industrial revolution uses of coal (the books best section), but falls down somewhat as it moves to 19th and 20th century America. There's some interesting discussion of the distinction between bituminous and anthracite coal and how their different placement shaped the coal industry, but I was left fee...more

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Mar 21, 2007 Wyatt rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: history geeks

Freese offers an interesting narrative of coal that weaves through preindustrial England to present. I get the feeling reading that she researched everything from the perspective of coal and then unsurprisingly found that the world's history has been driven by coal (from the industrial revolution to the 2000 US election). That said she makes strong points about the importance of fuel and offers a very interesting minihistory.
Her writing style is easily readable and straightforward, but tries to...more

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Mar 06, 2013 Arlian rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

2.5 stars. While this book had some interesting tidbits of information, mostly it was incredibly boring and highly biased by the author. Not only does she state her incredibly boring and simplistic opinions regularly and repeatedly, they also (as the case with all authors and 'historians') constrain, control and define the kinds of questions she asks to get the answers she then presents. Ultimately this book was kind of a waste of time, but since I was listening to it on audiobook while filing a...more

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Jan 10, 2012 Mark rated it 3 of 5 stars

Coal. Is it the evil environmental destroyer or the key to bringing humanity out of the dark ages and into the industrial age? Or is it both? This very readable and interesting history exposes both the downsides and the massive contributions of this historically critical element to the advancements of the human race. Could we have gotten to where we now are without the discovery of this controversial fuel source? Perhaps, but only at the cost of virtually every forest. Even then, most likely not...more

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Jul 14, 2010 Caroline rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, microhistories

I really enjoyed all of the history in here, particularly the stuff about China. A summary of the book in nine words: coal plays a super-important part in human history. Got it.

The main problem with this book was the 30 page tangent roughly two-thirds of the way through about global warming and CO2 emissions from burning coal. Don't get me wrong - I'm all about the dangers of global warming and I appreciate the role that coal plays in it. I just wish I didn't have to have an environmental scienc...more

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May 07, 2010 Bob rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Am listening to the audio version. It tells the history of coal; as a ornamental stone (early Rome), as a fuel (Britian, etc), and how it contributed to the Industrial Revolution. The mining of coal and the use of coal as a fuel to power steam engines that were used in England's textile mills was a major factor in child labor and is blamed for the short life expectantcy in the industrial areas at that time. It's value as a fuel has always been balanced with its polluting effects. As a major cont...more

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Apr 03, 2011 Sesana rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: history, nonfiction, commodity-biography

Another commodity biography, yay! A quick read, pretty well-written. And, contrary to some reviews I saw (most of which were admittedly from mining families) about as fair as one could be without being terribly biased. It isn't biased to spend a significant proportion of the book talking about the health and environmental issues related to heavy coal use. It's reality.

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May 10, 2013 Monica rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: energy

Although I skipped through most of the simple explanations of energy production, I did enjoy the underlying themes presented in the history of Chinas and the UK's energy production. Themes and policies applicable to coals development as a primary energy source can be seen today in our current situation with oil, natural gas, and alternative energy production methods.

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May 12, 2013 Eddy Allen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arts-and-historical

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 “the best stone in Britain” 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 coal’s world-changing power has come at a tremendous price, including centuries of blackening our skies and lungs—and now the dangerous warming of...more

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Jul 12, 2012 Jane Walker rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: other-non-fic, history

It does exactly what it sets out to. The arrangement is interesting - Britain, then the US, then China - but it covers the history in an accessible and entertaining way. The fact that it was written in 2003 means that the modern section is now dated, showing unwarranted optimism. But it's my kind of book.

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May 28, 2007 Beth Barnett rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book looks into the rise of coal as a fuel and heating source, focusing on the British Isles and the United States. The story of coal mining and use, and its relationship to forest timber and to urbanization and industrialization is very interesting indeed. I was really captivated by Freese's research of historical descriptions of coal and coal pollution in British and US cities. The imagery is striking - and it is hard to imagine how anyone kept his/her clothing clean and managed not to ha...more

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May 27, 2012 Stephi K. rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: research, non-fiction, possible-book-club

The research and clearness of Freese's history of coal was superb. Her description of current power plants in the U.S. and China was pretty interesting as well. Why did I rate just 3 stars? Her diatribe on global warming and vilification of non-liberal administrations and current energy industries (only a few chapters, fortunately).

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Dec 21, 2012 Annea rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: environment-economy-energy

Remarkable social history of this fossil fuel villain. It was amazing to learn that the downsides of burning coal was apparent in the very beginning of it's use. Very accessible writing, thorough treatment of the subject. Highly recommended.

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