Initiation of explosives & pyrotechnic materials Chemicals components processes

This small paperback book is packed with information on the chemistry and mechanics of initiation and has extensive chapters on:

- General outline
- Explosives and Production Processes
- Initaitors and Related Devices
- Metrology and Safety

There is extensive detail of the physical characteristics of initiating substances, together with formulations and a good section on sensitivity of various initiating explosives. However the book is somewhat frustrating in so much that the scale and clarity of diagrams and images varies widely, and chemical formulae are inconsistently portrayed. It is also expensive for a 221 page paperback (50 Euros) and I felt that I could have certainly lived with a smaller and more consistent typeface throughout if it left more room for bigger diagrams or had reduced the size and price of the book as a result.

Nevertheless I would recommend this book for the bookshelves of practitioners in almost any area of pyrotechnics and explosives - initiation is often poorly understood, and this book does much to inform the reader in this most important subject.