Listen free for 30 days

Try for $0.00
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo + applicable taxes after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Coal cover art

Coal

Written by: Barbara Freese
Narrated by: Shelly Frasier
Try for $0.00

$14.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $36.12

Buy Now for $36.12

Pay using card ending in
Switch payment method
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Tax where applicable.

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 the American Civil War.

Yet the mundane mineral that built our global economy, and even today powers our electrical plants, has also caused death, disease, and environmental destruction. As early as 1306, King Edward I tried to ban coal (unsuccessfully) because its smoke became so obnoxious. Its recent identification as a primary cause of global warming has made it a cause celebre of a new kind.

In this remarkable book, Barbara Freese takes us on a rich historical journey that begins three hundred million years ago and spans the globe. From the "Great Stinking Fogs" of London to the rat-infested coal mines of Pennsylvania, from the impoverished slums of Manchester to the toxic city streets of Beijing, Coal is a captivating narrative about an ordinary substance that has done extraordinary things a simple black rock that could well determine our fate as a species.
©2003 Barbara Freese (P)2003 Tantor Media, Inc.
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History
World Nature & Ecology Earth Sciences Environment Power Resources
Show more Show less

What the critics say

"Engrossing and sometimes stunning...[a] strongly argued and thoroughly researched book... Coal, to borrow a phrase, is king." (New York Times Book Review)
"Freese's writing is a bit like coal: smooth and glinting, burning with a steady warmth...An intriguing, cautionary tale." (Kirkus Reviews)

More from the same

Narrator:

Love Books? You'll Love Audible.

 Placeholder Image Alt Text

Transform your day

Replace endless scrolling with endless listening. Chores can be fun.

 Placeholder Image Alt Text

Listen everywhere

Download titles to listen offline, wherever you are in the world.

 Placeholder Image Alt Text

Carry your entire Library

Your stories go where you go. Audiobooks don’t weigh a thing.

 Placeholder Image Alt Text

Listen and learn

Discover stories that can change your mind, your well-being, and your life.

 Placeholder Image Alt Text

Reach your reading goals

You can’t turn pages while you drive—but you can press play.

 Placeholder Image Alt Text

Find your niche

WIth thousands of titles to explore, there’s something for everyone.

 Try for $0.00 $14.95 per month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

What listeners say about Coal

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    0
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 2 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    0
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Audible.ca reviews

Amazon Reviews
No reviews are available