The book revolves around the author's experience in creating fireworks, especially in England. Also included in this publication is information on how to make certain types of fireworks, such as ones he calls skyrockets and spurfire. He has this to say regarding his reasons on why he wanted to write this book: "I cannot help reflecting with some kind of chagrin, that, whenever we have had occasion for any of these sorts of diversions to be exhibited in England, we have almost always had recourse to foreigners to execute them; if this has been owing to the ignorance of our own people on this subject, I shall be very happy if it is in my power to correct it."