Gunpowder - Alchemy, Bombards, And Pyrotechnics: The History Of The Explosive That Changed The World by Jack Kelly

When Chinese alchemists fashioned the first manmade explosion sometime during the tenth century, no one could have foreseen its full revolutionary potential. Invented to frighten evil spirits rather than fuel guns or bombs-neither of which had been thought of yet-their simple mixture of saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal went on to make the modern world possible. As word of its explosive properties spread from Asia to Europe, from pyrotechnics to battleships, it paved the way for Western exploration, hastened the end of feudalism and the rise of the nation state, and greased the wheels of the Industrial Revolution.

Publisher:	Basic Books
Year:	2004
Binding:	Hardback
ISBN:	9780465037186
Condition:	Very Good
Description:	DJ. Remainder mark on bottom.

Note: This image is from a stock photo and may differ from the actual cover.

SKU: 1600058
Location: Non Fiction