Dictionary of Explosives

Historical Terminology, Chemical Classification, and Industrial Reference for Explosives in Science, Mining, and Military PracticeBy Arthur Marshall

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Length4h 15m

About this audiobook

Arthur Marshall's *Dictionary of Explosives* is a compact but wide-ranging reference work devoted to the terminology, composition, properties, and historical use of explosive substances. Arranged alphabetically, it clarifies the names of commercial, military, industrial, and laboratory explosives, while also attending to associated materials, manufacturing processes, detonating systems, and technical distinctions. Its concise entries and practical emphasis place it within the tradition of the scientific and engineering dictionary: it is designed less for continuous reading than for precise consultation, yet its accumulated detail reveals the development of explosives technology and the specialized language surrounding it. The book's value lies in its combination of definitional clarity, practical orientation, and historical breadth. Marshall writes as a specialist attentive to the needs of readers who must move confidently between chemistry, engineering, mining, ordnance, and industrial practice. The work reflects an era in which expanding technological systems demanded reliable vocabularies capable of translating highly technical knowledge across professional fields. His method suggests both substantial familiarity with explosive materials and an awareness that terminological precision is essential wherever safety, regulation, and controlled force are concerned. The dictionary therefore functions not merely as a catalogue, but as an organized record of expert knowledge. This book is recommended to historians of technology, chemists, engineers, students of military and industrial history, and collectors of technical literature. Readers seeking a focused account of how explosives are named, classified, and situated within broader technological practice will find it especially useful. Consulted alongside modern safety and scientific resources, it remains an illuminating guide to the language and legacy of explosive technology.