ABSTRACT
In the ‡rst decade of the twenty-‡rst century, the danger posed by improvised explosives (IEs) has gained a heightened visibility due to both their use in the Iraqi and Afghanistan theaters of war and in high-pro‡le terrorist attacks throughout the world. However, these materials are far from a new threat. Many IE formulations have existed for decades, and some for well over a century. To understand the evolution of IEs, a brief foray into their history is necessary.
