A History of Fireworks from Their Origins to the Present Day By John Withington
A History of Fireworks from Their Origins to the Present dayvon Fireworks make for a good topic for a history because of their reach The book is a lesson in small g globalization as they spread in a mixture of diffusion colonization and political influence and have diverse uses practical and social It is also a lesson in capital G Globalization in regards of the manufacture shrinking to fewer countries while growing in companies using that product and their success running up against the regulatory state or lack thereof COVID 19 and environmental and other social concerns The book focuses somewhat on England and thus on Bonfire Night but neither unreasonably nor exclusively so As is usual with history the linear conventional wisdom version is much complex not the least of which being that the original versions of firecrackers not using any gunpowder but also the differing traditions of fireworks in parts of Europe that affected their development as a craft and other lateral contributions to the art from Japan and Russia The varying understanding of how fireworks intersects with class is also interesting in the sense that it has been seen as the entertainment of the wealthy the poor and as a sort of leveling force But all the different local festivals are the real show stealers here including how many are extravagantly dangerous. A History of Fireworks from Their Origins to the Present Day bookkeeping The history starts off chronological but then breaks into a few conceptual chapters notable displays safety and accidents appearances in culture and practical uses Of these the cultural appearances is both the best and worst chapter While at points it feels like a TVtropes article the section on visual art is worth it in the strange history of people trying to capture ephemeral creations in paint and other media and supported with a good selection of color panels There is a lot of focus on the companies that produce fireworks or used to produce them but still put on shows including families who have a rich tradition of involvement with the requisite members who were killed or maimed by fireworks As with the history in general there is a focus on England and English companies but not exclusively This can get in the weeds of corporate organization but it adds personality to the story The text is weaker on its references and will rely on the sources claim sort of phrasing at times Part of this is not the author but the sort of boasting and bombast associated with firework displays and centuries of productions before film where loose description may be the only thing to go on And even with the great art visuals that were included this is something that I think could have used diagrams and other descriptive art Rephrased the thing that I think would have made this a better book was science and engineering It is present and gets description in terms of modern trends but at points I found myself wanting to understand some of the chemistry and physics better or reading descriptions where I think that I understand the author s classifications but that having a sort of immediate drawing to look at would have been clarifying Outside of the occasional excessive flair the writing is clear The semi linear structure makes it a harder casual read but clearly makes the book useful as a resource for research And in general it sets out what it intends to do My thanks to the author John Withington for writing the book and to the publisher Reaktion Books for making the ARC available to me 1789149355
This book illuminates the glittering history of fireworks from their mysterious beginnings to the dazzling big budget displays of today It describes how they enthralled the world s royal courts and became a sensation across the British Empire There are stories of innovations like living fireworks fiercely fought international competitions and the technology behind modern showpieces viewed by millions Practitioners say fireworks are an art and they have inspired artists from Shakespeare Handel Dickens and Whistler to Katy Perry But Withington also covers fireworks practical uses rescues at sea attempts to control the weather while not ignoring their dangers accidents or efforts to make them safer A History of Fireworks from Their Origins to the Present DayJohn Wihtington is a television producer and writer Among his television credits are Royal London LWT From Marx to the Market BBC2 and Global Gamble Channel 4 He writes regularly for newspapers and magazines and the author of Shutdown a book about the effects of shipyard closures on Teesside John Wihtington is a television producer and writer Among his television credits are Royal London LWT From Marx to the Market BBC2 and Global Gamble Channel 4 He writes regularly for newspapers and magazines and the author of Shutdown a book about the effects of shipyard closures on Teesside site_link.:
| A History of Fireworks from Their Origins to the Present Day By John Withington |
| 1789149355 |
| 9781789149357 |
| English |
| 336 |
| Hardcover |
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This book illuminates the glittering history of fireworks from their mysterious beginnings to the dazzling big budget displays of today It describes how they enthralled the world s royal courts and became a sensation across the British Empire There are stories of innovations like living fireworks fiercely fought international competitions and the technology behind modern showpieces viewed by millions Practitioners say fireworks are an art and they have inspired artists from Shakespeare Handel Dickens and Whistler to Katy Perry But Withington also covers fireworks practical uses rescues at sea attempts to control the weather while not ignoring their dangers accidents or efforts to make them safer A History of Fireworks from Their Origins to the Present DayJohn Wihtington is a television producer and writer Among his television credits are Royal London LWT From Marx to the Market BBC2 and Global Gamble Channel 4 He writes regularly for newspapers and magazines and the author of Shutdown a book about the effects of shipyard closures on Teesside John Wihtington is a television producer and writer Among his television credits are Royal London LWT From Marx to the Market BBC2 and Global Gamble Channel 4 He writes regularly for newspapers and magazines and the author of Shutdown a book about the effects of shipyard closures on Teesside site_link.:A History of Fireworks from Their Origins to the Present daystar
It s like a non fiction equivalent of a rage room