Book of the week: Black Gold by Jeremy Paxman
Paxman’s history of coal is told with ‘characteristic panache’
In today’s ecologically conscious age, a popular history centred on coal “might seem a foolhardy undertaking”, said Dominic Sandbrook in The Sunday Times. But coal’s importance in Britain’s modern history “can hardly be exaggerated”, and Jeremy Paxman has produced a book that “could hardly be more colourful”.
Britain, he points out, would never have become the “world’s first industrial superpower” were it not for coal: this “black gold” powered factories, ships and railways; heated homes and offices; and created towns and villages.
And yet, as he rightly emphasises, coal was “dirty and dangerous” from the start – the cause not only of endemic pollution, but also of many appalling accidents. At Seaton Delaval in 1862, 204 men and boys perished underground when a pumping engine collapsed. An explosion at Senghenydd in 1913 killed 440. Today, such tragedies are largely forgotten – and coal has “almost vanished from our national imagination”. Paxman does a “fine job” of trying to restore it.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Approaching his chosen topic with “characteristic panache”, he shows how coal had an influence “on almost every aspect” of British history over the last few hundred years, said Richard Vinen in Literary Review. He describes the vast fortunes amassed by owners of land from which it was extracted – among them the third Marquess of Bute, who was already one of the world’s richest people when he inherited his title as a baby in 1848.
“The son of a Naval officer, Paxman is particularly good on the role that coal-fuelled ships played in establishing the hegemony of the Royal Navy, and thus also of the British empire.” Such ships, he points out, were not only faster than their predecessors, but also better protected – even the coal itself, stored in bunkers on their flanks, sometimes stopped projectiles.
“In the 20th century, coal’s dark history came back to bite it,” said Emma Duncan in The Times. As a fuel for ships, it was supplanted by oil, which “produced four times as much energy, pound for pound”. Its decline was hastened, too, by strained industrial relations” – miners were “readier to strike” than other workers, and the “industry was appallingly run”.
Paxman ends his narrative with the 1984 miners’ strike–an event that had a scarring impact upon the nation, but which was also in a sense unnecessary, since decades of stalling productivity had already “doomed the coal industry”. Nonetheless, it provides a “dramatic finale” to a “vividly told” and enjoyable book that “throws new light on familiar features of our national landscape”.
William Collins 392pp £25; The Week Bookshop £19.99
The Week Bookshop
To order this title or any other book in print, visit theweekbookshop.co.uk, or speak to a bookseller on 020-3176 3835. Opening times: Monday to Saturday 9am-5.30pm and Sunday 10am-4pm.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Today's political cartoons - March 16, 2024
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - pointed commentary, Haiti in trouble, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 hilarious cartoons about the RNC's MAGA takeover
Cartoons Artists take on RNC funding, Lara Trump, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Trump's presidential run: a bad bet for Republicans?
Talking Point The GOP is taking a 'big gamble' on former president's 2024 White House bid
By The Week UK Published
-
Properties of the week: properties with income potential
The Week Recommends Featuring a converted windmill and a country house with medieval origins
By The Week UK Published
-
Angelica Kauffman: 'shrewd and entertaining' exhibition
the week recommends One of two female founders of the Royal Academy, time was 'not kind to her reputation'
By The Week UK Published
-
High & Low: John Galliano – rise and fall of the 'ignominiously sacked' fashion genius
the week recommends Forced out of Dior in 2011, he has since engaged in a 'process of rehabilitation'
By The Week UK Published
-
Starter for Ten: 'very fun' musical adaptation of One Day author's debut
the week recommends 'Top-notch' cast combined with 'energetic and fun' songs makes for a 'feel-good' show
By The Week UK Published
-
6 well-thought-out homes with libraries
Feature Featuring a Tudor Revival in Texas and a condo with illuminated bookshelves in Illinois
By The Week Staff Published
-
Rebecca Serle's 6 favorite books about interpersonal relationships
Feature The best-selling author recommends works by J.D. Salinger, Dolly Alderton, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Príncipe: an island paradise off the west coast of Africa
The Week Recommends The remote island isn't easy to get to, but the journey is 'well worth it'
By The Week UK Published
-
Recipe: pistachio, lemon and coriander seed cake
The Week Recommends The unconventional coriander seeds 'make the flavours sing'
By The Week UK Published