The more we learn about the catastrophic consequences of climate change, the more fossil fuels we burn. How did we get into this mess? In this masterful history, Andreas Malm argues that it all began in Britain with the rise of steam power. But why did manufacturers switch from traditional energy sources, particularly watermills, to a coal-fired engine? Contrary to established views, steam offered neither cheaper nor more abundant energy, but rather superior control over subordinate labor. Fueled by fossil fuels, capital could finally concentrate production in the most profitable locations and at the most convenient times, as it continues to do today. From 19th-century Manchester to the current explosion of emissions in China, from the original triumph of coal to the stalled shift to renewables, this compelling study goes to the heart of capitalism and demonstrates, with unprecedented depth, that bringing down the temperature requires a radical overthrow of the current economic order.