Book excerpt: This book explores the functioning of coal markets and their influence on ports and maritime economics since the second half of the nineteenth century. Each chapter includes case studies from different parts of the world, explaining the role played by coal in the expansion of the shipping industry. This book also explores regions usually neglected by the mainstream scholarly literature in this field. The relationship between steam engine technology and imperial expansion, how the emergence of global security was driven by maritime technological revolutions, and the connection between global seaports and the spread of global economic and political systems are also discussed. This book aims to highlight the important role seaports and fuel markets played in the evolution of international commercial flows and activities. Fuelling the World Economy will be useful for historians, economists, and geographers interested in maritime and energy issues, as well as researchers interested in transport and technology.