Undying Fire

Undying Fire is the first volume of the Weyerhaeuser Cycle Of Fire series. This history of Europe examines the continent's complex relationship with combustion, from early hearths to the modern Pyrocene. Stephen J. Pyne analyzes how geography and culture shaped a unique pact with flame, spanning from the Siberian taiga to the Mediterranean rim. The text integrates earth sciences and climatology to explore how European empires utilized fire as a tool for expansion.

This environmental science study tracks the shift toward fossil-fueled modernity and the resulting loss of fire mastery. By examining five distinct fire provinces, the author illustrates how human-made fire evolved into a global threat. Undying Fire serves as a synthesis of history and science, detailing how the binge burning of the past fuels the wildfire resurgence of the present. It provides a critical look at Europe's environmental future.