Fireworks: The Art, Science, and Technique by Dr. Takeo Shimizu, the 2010 fourth edition. The book runs 389 pages with illustrations, diagrams and color plates, and remains the standard English-language reference on Japanese fireworks engineering.
Coverage runs from the history and aesthetics of Japanese fireworks through combustion science, composition chemistry, shell construction, display planning and safety practice. This edition adds three appendices not present in earlier printings, covering color mechanisms in nitrate compositions, fireworks at the PL Festival, and senko hanabi sparklers. It is written for professionals and for advanced amateurs working from established literature.
