Flood: Nature and Culture

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Description

From the ancient story of Noah's deluge tothe China floods of 1931 that killed more than3million people, from the broken levees inNew Orleans to submerged streets and homesall over Britain, floods have many causes: rain,melting ice, storms, tsunamis and the failuresof dams and dikes. They have been used asdeliberate acts of war causing thousands ofcasualties and have often been seen as punishmentsvisited by vengeful gods. Flooding killsmore people than any other type of naturaldisaster. This cultural and natural history offloods tells of the deadliest floods the worldhas seen while also exploring the role of thedeluge in religion, mythology, literatureand art.

Reviews

As Withington demonstates, floods have always been with us: they killed more than 3 million in China in 1931. If inundation has been feared since the time of Noah, it is scarcely going to be reduced by the greenhouse effect or building on flood plains. * i (The Independent) *
Written by a leading disaster historian and journalist, the books narrative is authoritative, succinct and illuminating, neatly weaving the prominent role of floods in religion and myth, with hard evidence of specific deluges that may have inspired them . . . The books intermingling of natural physical processes and our social and cultural responses to them is pure geography, bringing an arguably essential historical perspective at a time when our capacity to hold back the floods is under constant scrutiny in a world beset by climate change. * Geographical Magazine *
the author fills the chapters with historical accounts of floods, both avertable and inescapable, from around the world. He dissects how floods have captured the imagination of humankind, springing to life in representations ranging from horror movies to literature and art. By incorporating both the fear and the fascination of floods, Withington presents a three-dimensional introduction . . . Riddled with illustrations and well researched, this book will be enjoyed by students of natural resources and general readers alike. Recommended. * Choice *
In his attractively illustrated book Withington deals with an enormous subject at a brisk pace. He has a knack of picking out precise examples and saying just enough about them . . . what distinguishes Flood is its scope and its readiness to move on from nature and science to human concerns and the different ways they have been expressed in culture. * Eastern Daily Press *
Disaster historian John Withingtons new book Flood: Nature and Culture reveals that dozens of religions in different parts of the world have their own tales of apocalyptic deluges perhaps a reflection of the fact that floods are the natural disaster most commonly suffered by humanity. * Yareah Magazine *
We receive many interesting new books but some titles seem to merit special mention. Such is the case with Flood: Nature and Culture by John Withington. The book itself has very high production value but what most caught my attention was the inclusion of images of classical artwork. * Earth and Mineral Sciences Library News *

Author Bio

John Withington is an award-winning television journalist, based in London. His books include Assassins Deeds (2020) and Secrets of the Centenarians (2017), both published by Reaktion Books.