The Earth Transformed

The Earth Transformed by Professor Peter Frankopan is a masterful exploration of the intricate relationship between our planet’s climate and the course of human history. From the internationally acclaimed author of The Silk Roads comes a monumental narrative that spans from the dawn of time to our precarious present, illustrating how climatic changes have not only influenced but actively shaped the rise and fall of civilisations.

The Times Best History Book of 2023

A Book of the Year Pick for The Times, Sunday Times, BBC History Magazine, Guardian, Independent, and Financial Times

A BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week | An Instant Sunday Times Bestseller

'Humanity has transformed the Earth: Frankopan transforms our understanding of history' – Financial Times

'Vast, learned and timely work' – Sunday Times

In this compelling and expansive narrative, Frankopan delves into the significant, yet often overlooked, impact of natural phenomena on pivotal moments in history. He examines how catastrophic floods, severe winters, protracted droughts, and the evolution of ecosystems have played crucial roles in shaping humanity's trajectory. Frankopan argues persuasively that we cannot fully grasp our past without considering these environmental factors.

The Earth Transformed takes readers on a journey through time, illustrating how solar activities, volcanic eruptions, atmospheric and oceanic shifts, and human activities have interplayed to create the world we inhabit today. The book discusses humanity's origins, how climatic conditions influenced the development of language and religion, and the role of environmental changes in the formation of bureaucratic states and the transportation of enslaved peoples. Efforts to control and predict the weather are shown to have deep historical roots, providing critical context as we face contemporary challenges of global warming.

From the Big Bang to the present day and beyond, Frankopan's work is a sweeping, thought-provoking examination of our planet's past and its implications for our future. As we confront accelerating climate change, The Earth Transformed offers invaluable lessons, forcing us to reconsider humanity’s persistent attempts to understand and influence the natural environment.

'This is epic, gripping, original history that leaps off the page' – Sathnam Sanghera, author of Empireland

'All historians attempting to craft a narrative face the challenge of determining a starting point. Only Peter Frankopan would ambitiously trace it back 2.5 billion years to the Great Oxidation Event' – Tom Holland

A 2023 highlight for: BBC News, Sunday Times Culture, Financial Times, New European, Guardian, New Statesman, The Times, The Week, Waterstones, and Blackwell's