Great fun to be interviewed on New Books Network by Miranda Melcher about MY new book 'A History of Fireworks from their Origins to the Present Day' (Reaktion Books). We talked about their mysterious origins, and how they might have been a by-product of the search for eternal life, how they came to England, how Bonfire Night became both compulsory to celebrate by law and a focus for political disorder and hooliganism, the dramatic breakthroughs that got us to the sophisticated displays of today, how fireworks have been portrayed in the arts, their practical uses, for example, in rescuing shipwrecked mariners or trying to change the weather, and the challenges they now face because of noise and pollution. You can hear it all here: newbooksnetwork.com/history-of-fireworks-from-their-origins-to-the-present-day
