Chemistry and Metallurgy in the Great Empires

Fathi Habashi, Laval University, Quebec City, Canada

Abstract

It is remarkable that certain countries expand to become great empires then as time goes by they gradually decline while others rise. This book attempts to briefly trace the history of chemistry and metallurgy through the different empires that became at one time great and then faded away. In 272 pages 21.5 x 28 cm, the author outlines the inter-relation of chemistry, metallurgy, mining, and medicine, the idea of the divinity of kings and the formation of nations, and finally the rise and fall of the empires. He then covers the ancient and medieval empires, followed by the empires from Central Asia, then the trading empires that started with the great explorations and the discovery of new continents, and finally the modern empires. The book is fully illustrated with many Figures in color.