Out Of The Fiery Furnace; The Impact of Metals on the History of Mankind

University Park, PA: The Pennsylvania University Press, 1986. First U.S. Edition. Presumed first printing. Hardcover. Very good/Very good. xiv, 274 pages. Illustrations (many in color). Maps. Notes. Index. DJ has slight wear and soiling. This book was based on the television series of the same name. Robert Alwyn Raymond OAM (7 July 1922 - 26 September 2003) was an Australian Logie Award winning producer, director, writer, filmmaker and journalist. A pioneer of Australian television, he with Michael Charlton in 1961, co-founded the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's flagship public affairs television program Four Corners, which is still running to this day. On 26 January 1998, he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for "service to the media and television industry, particularly as a director and producer of television documentaries and public affairs programs". On 9 May 2003, he received an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from the University of Sydney. In these pages Robert Raymond follows the fascinating route from the earliest known metal smelting site to the world of mechanical robots in Japan; and to the desert sands of Alamagordo in the United States, where the metal uranium was made to produce the world's first atomic explosion. Metals were a critical factor in all of mankind's most significant advances: the introduction of coinage, the invention of printing, the harnessing of steam, the discovery of electricity, the achievement of flight. This is the story of man the metalsmith, through all his amazing creations, from the most sublime works of art to the most devastating of weapons, and of his raw materials, the metals which run like shining threads through the whole tapestry of human history. This book sets down the sweeping history of man's use of metals, as captured on television in the seven-part series narrated by Michael Chariton. It is written by Robert Raymond, the producer and principal author of that series.