Here, in one concise book, is the essential story of fire. Noted environmental historian Stephen J. Pyne describes the evolution of the through prehistoric and historic times down to the present, examining contemporary attitudes from a long-range, informed perspective. Fire:A Brief History surveys the principles behind aboriginal and agricultural fire practices, the characteristics of urban fire, and the relationship between controlled combustion and technology. Pyne describes how fire`s role in cities, suburbs, countryside and the wild has been shaped by an industrialized, urban way of thinking.