Gunpowder: Alchemy, Bombards, And Pyrotechnics: The History Of The Explosive That Changed The World: Amazon.ca: Jack Kelly: Books

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From Publishers Weekly

A novelist and popular history writer, Kelly traces the history of gunpowder from 10th-century China to the late 19th century, when it was supplanted by Alfred Nobel’s nitroglycerin. Kelly takes advantage of gunpowder’s role in the histories of armaments and war to titillate with gruesome but fascinating accounts of the atrocities the destructive power of gunpowder visited on Europe: in the 30 Years War, the German states lost an estimated eight million people—one-third of their population. As opposed to the shocking immediacy with which the atomic bomb entered collective consciousness, gunpowder and its accompanying technology developed as effective instruments of war over hundreds of years. But of the two, Kelly says, gunpowder has had a greater impact on the course of civilization. For example, he argues plausibly that, by the 16th century, the cost of gunpowder needed by an effective fighting force "favored strong centralized states" with the authority and ability to tax and in turn created "the foundations of modern nations." This miscellany jumps between the technical developments that continually improved gunpowder (readers will know more than they ever felt necessary about the creation of saltpeter), and gunpowder’s cultural impact. Kelly’s erudition ranges from the development of the science of ballistics to the infamous 1605 Guy Fawkes gunpowder plot to blow up the English parliament. Kelly (Line of Sight, etc.) writes well and has a terrific eye for the instructive detail or odd historical fact that brings the narrative to life. It is an entertaining and readable effort. 36 b&w illus.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

This story-filled chronicle of gunpowder extends from its invention in China about a millennium ago to its last use in battle during the American Civil War. Kelly covers the main points about the explosive--what it's made of, how it's made, who made it, and the evolution of gunpowder-powered weapons. They spelled the end of the walled city and the mounted knight, which Kelly illustrates through the 1453 Ottoman conquest of Constantinople and the 1346 Battle of Crecy. From such exemplary applications of gunpowder's noisy, smoking appearance on the battlefield, Kelly repairs to the laboratory to relate what early chemists such as Robert Boyle or Antoine Lavoisier discovered about how gunpowder exploded and what others figured out about the ballistics of shot. With similarly lively portraits of figures who chaperoned gunpowder to its technical peak in the 1800s, the Du Ponts on the manufacturing side, or the inventors of revolvers and rifled arms on the weaponry side, Kelly accesses history through technology. A skillfully done treatment with solid popular potential. Gilbert Taylor
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating History, Jun 13 2004

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John D. Cofield - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Gunpowder: Alchemy, Bombards, And Pyrotechnics: The History Of The Explosive That Changed The World (Hardcover)

Gunpowder is the sort of history book that should be written more often: it shows the larger history of the world through the story of one small, but highly important, component. In this case that component is, of course, gunpowder. Jack Kelly traces the history of this material from China through the Middle East into Europe and the rest of the world. Kelly explains the different ways in which gunpowder changed the course of events. He gives vignettes of battles like Crecy and the Siege of Petersburg to illustrate the important role gunpowder weapons played. Along the way he drops fascinating little nuggets of material, like the real reason Joan of Arc was a success, that are intriguing enough to encourage further study.

Kelly is not a professional historian but a novelist, and his writing flows smoothly. He does not bother with footnotes, but he does provide a good summary of his sources (which are excellent) at the end. This is a book which will be well worth the reading and many subsequent rereadings.

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5.0 out of 5 stars KaBoom!, Jun 5 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Gunpowder: Alchemy, Bombards, And Pyrotechnics: The History Of The Explosive That Changed The World (Hardcover)

The story of gunpowder is odd enough - initally made from dove droppings by the Chinese, it is the only explosive ever concocted by mixing entirely natural materials. And when it's described by such compelling writing, an irresistible book results. Kelly charts the migration of the stuff across the globe over centuries. His explanation of its chemistry is fascinating and clear, his description of its devastating effects in war horrifyingly real. The wealth of peculiar details the author weaves into his narrative will entice even those who may think initially that they have little interest in the subject. This book shows what a talented writer can do when he is deeply interested in his subject.A really great book!

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5.0 out of 5 stars Gunpowder and It's Huge Impact On History, Jun 4 2004

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William L Waterman (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gunpowder: Alchemy, Bombards, And Pyrotechnics: The History Of The Explosive That Changed The World (Hardcover)

I've been a great fan of Jack Kelly's for some time, having read all of his riveting "noir" novels. He now changes hats and delves into historical narrative with the astounding new book, "Gunpowder".
I'm not a huge consumer of historical non-fiction, but this book is a real page turner. Kelly obviously has a knack for bringing out the drama inherent in history.
I was astounded by the immense role gunpowder has played in the outcome of history, from the rise of the European nation-state, to the very map of the world as we know it today.
"Gunpowder" offers a fasinating take on the past thousand years of human history and the monumental influence one particular technology has had upon it.

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars An Explosive History
"Better living through chemistry" was the motto of the Du Pont Corporation. Actually, it would have been more accurate to have said "Better killing through... Read more

Published on Jun 4 2004 by R. Hardy

5.0 out of 5 stars The history of gun powder
Kelly starts with the invention of gun powder in China and goes through 1900. I found the book very enlightening, as well as a fun read. Read more

Published on May 9 2004 by B. Barrett