The fate of humanity; like the fate of the earth; is tied to the fires that have made the world as we know it―the fires whose history is told as well in this book as it has ever been told before. If one wants to understand just how completely the story of the human past is also the story of fire on earth; there is no better place to start than this small book.―William CrononHere; in one concise book; is the essential story of fire. Noted environmental historian Stephen J. Pyne describes the evolution of fire through prehistoric and historic times down to the present; examining contemporary attitudes from a long-range; informed perspective. Fire: A Brief History surveys the principles behind aboriginal and agricultural fire practices; the characteristics of urban fire; and the relationship between controlled combustion and technology. Pyne describes how fire’s role in cities; suburbs; exurbs; and wildlands has been shaped by an industrialized; urban way of thinking.Fire: A Brief History will be of value to readers interested in the environment from the standpoint of anthropology; geography; forestry; science and technology; history; or the humanities.
#2692620 in Books 2003-04-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 10.00 x .75 x 7.00l; 1.94 #File Name: 029270528X360 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. More Than You Ever Wanted to Know about the French in TXBy Steven L. MasonThis book has an incredible amount of information. I was interested to see if there was much remaining of French influence in Texas; as there is German; Czech; etc.; so I did a search in books for French in Texas and this book popped up. I ordered it immediately and could hardly wait to receive it. Wow; this book is highly detailed and specific. The only problem is digging out the info.This is 360 pages of very small print; so much information as to be pretty overwhelming. This would be a great book for a one or two semester college course (and that may be its intended purpose); but not so much for casual reading. Never-the-less everything you ever wanted to know about the French in Texas is there; and can be learned with just an investment of time. So this review is not meant to be critical; I think the author wrote the exact type of book he intended; and it's great for that sort of scholarly purpose. It's not what I expected; but even if I had a chance to examine it in advance; I would still order it. Congratulations to the author on such a complete and detailed work.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy Edward E. SheetsAs Advertised – Good Condition0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. An excellent reference of the subjectBy Francois-Marie PatorniThis book is an excellent reference for historians interested in the role of the French in Texas. As it is a compendium of separate articles; it does not aim at being encyclopedic. The book is worth buying even if it is only for its bibliography and index. Francois-Marie Patorni; scholar of the history of the French in New Mexico (newmexicofrenchhistory.com).
