Flood: Nature and Culture
John Withington
This cultural and natural history of floods tells of the deadliest floods the world has seen while also exploring the role of the deluge in religion, mythology, literature and art.
Flood describes how aspects of floods – the power of nature, human drama, altered landscapes – have fascinated artists, novelists and film-makers. It examines the ancient, catastrophic deluge that appears in many religions and cultures, and considers how the flood has become a key icon in world literatures and a favourite component of disaster movies. John Withington also relates how some of the most ambitious structures ever built by humans have been designed to protect us against these merciless encroaching waters, and discusses the increasing danger floods pose in a future beset by the effects of climate change. Filled with illustrations, Flood offers a fascinating overview of our relationship with one of humanity’s oldest and deadliest foes.
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About John Withington
Reviews for Flood: Nature and Culture
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