The discovery of minerals beneath our feet has transformed our species. Ochre first prompted humans to express themselves in art; tin and copper helped initiate the Bronze Age and later the Industrial Revolution; silver kick-started the engines of global trade. Each of these substances led to a technological leap, expanded our imagination, and brought with it unforeseen dangers.

Under A Metal Sky begins and ends in Philip Marsden's homeland of Cornwall, one of the world's major geological hotspots. Traveling eastward into Europe, he examines how peat extraction propelled the Netherlands to international prominence but also threatened its very existence. Continuing along the Rhine by barge into the heart of the continent, he uncovers more stories of powerful and tempting resources, from iron-rich meteorites to radium and mercury, and the gold-rich mountains of Georgia.

At the same time, he explores precious streams of ideas, from science to alchemy, mysticism to ecology — and the explorers who pursued them, like Paracelsus, Emperor Rudolf II of Habsburg, Goethe, William Blake, and Marie Curie.

Full of revelations, Under A Metal Sky traces the brilliant achievements and dark consequences of our ability to extract what we need from the earth, offering a fascinating new perspective on European history and our complex relationship with the natural world.

Dimensions: 12.9x12.9cm