Powering empire: how coal made the Middle East and sparked global carbonization

On Barak's Powering empire: how coal made the Middle East and sparked global carbonization is a fascinating and challenging book about the Middle East energy transition to coal in the mid-nineteenth century. As the global economy enters the current renewable energy transition and begins to reckon with the environmental, political and social impacts of coal and oil extraction, Barak's analysis of the regional move from human and animal power to coal could offer useful insights into energy transitions in general. In Barak's words, Powering empire ‘reentangles energy and empire’ (p. 225). He is most interested in the Ottoman and British empires, but also glances at China, India and France. Covering topics as diverse as Haj patterns, naval architecture, insurance law, political theory, labour practices, diet and potable water, Powering empire zigs and zags, but ultimately fails to deliver a concise account of the rise of coal in the littoral Middle...