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ForewordandAcknowledgments
ModernPyrotechnics
(1961)wasthefirstpyrotechnicprimerand
collectionofup-to-dateinformationintheEnglishlanguage—written
mainlyinordertohelpthenewcomertothefieldofmilitarypyrotech¬
nics.JudgingfromthemanycommentsIhavereceived,itservedthis
purposewell.
Thisbookretainsthebasicapproachandframeworkofmyfirst
book.Thesubjectmatterhasbeengreatlyenlargedasindicatedbythe
increaseinthenumberofformulasfrom91to201,theadditionof
numeroustables,andanear-doublingofthereferences—from354to
about700.Thesubjectstreatedinthefirstbookarepresentedingreater
detailand,ofcourse,withadditionofnewinformationfromtheyears
1961to1966.Someofthesubjectsthatformerlywereundersecurity
restrictions—nowliftedorrelaxed—couldbeadded,thoughnotallin
fulldetail.Aspecialeffortwasmadetoenlargeonthe
commercial,
orasIwouldrathercallit,
civilian,
aspectsofmodernpyrotechnics.
Theseconcernthesubjectofmatches,fireworks,thethermiteprocess,
andcertainminordevices.Anadditionalfeatureisaspecialchapteron
spontaneousignitionofcommonmaterialsandoneonthedispersion
ofchemicalagents,suchasteargasandinsecticides.Ithasalsobeen
possibletoadd,withdiscretion,someofthematteronclandestine
activitiesfromandsinceWorldWarII—asubjectthathasbeenpartof
myandmycompany'seffort.
EversinceIbecameengagedinthematchindustry(1937)andcon¬
cernedwiththechemistryofmatches—specificallythesafetybook
match—Ihaveconsideredthisseeminglycommonplaceprimeignition
sourceasthemostfascinatingphenomenonofpyrotechnics.And
sincethissubjectisnotfoundinthegenerallyaccessibleliterature,
exceptunderthehistoricalaspect,andthechemistryofmatchesisra¬
therobscureeventochemists,thechapteronmatcheshasbeengreatly
enlarged.Astofireworksforpleasure,Ibecameconvincedthatabook
onpyrotechnics,withoutsomedetailsonthissubject,mightdisappoint
manyreaders.Sinceheremyspecificknowledgeisextremelylimited,
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