This book offers a general introduction to the vast and complex subject of glass. The author examines not just the history and technology of glassmaking, but also the social background - the lives of the glassmakers and the traditions of this fascinating and ancient craft. Glass was known to the ancient Egyptians, though the technique of blowing glass was not introduced until the Roman period. The spectacular English contribution was the lofty brick glass cone which acted as a chimney for the furnace. The author takes us inside the cone, describes the basic glassmaking techniques and...