Playing With Fire: The Art of Chopping and Burning Wood

How to get sparks back in your life and keep them burning.The blaze of a log fire on a cold night speaks to the heart in a way no other flame can. It has character and ever-changing form; it has vibrant colour and a balletic movement. Indeed, it was the flame that transformed the way life was lived on earth, but now that primary driver of evolution finds itself being extinguished in a modern world of microwaves, induction hobs and central heating. Gradually the flames are going out, as houses are now built without fireplaces, bonfires are banned, and schoolchildren are forbidden to use the Bunsen burner. But the sight of a flame remains as evocative as ever. Playing with Fire wants to inspire, and teach, looking at the history of fire and showing the wonders that the burning flame can conjure.

Paul Heiney is a writer, broadcaster, and journalist. Best known as the presenter for Countrywise, he has also appeared on Watchdog and has been a contributor on all of Britain’s national radio networks, including BBC Radio 4’s Home Truths. He has been a columnist for the Times, and is also the author of One Wild Song and Do Cats Have Belly Buttons?