The Earth Transformed
Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.
Check link for latest rating. ( 1,679 ratings, 268 reviews)The Earth Transformed
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
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781526622556
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 28 March 2024
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Width: 129.0mm
Height: 198.0mm
Weight: 0g
Pages: 736
About the Author
Peter Frankopan is Professor of Global History at Oxford University and Senior Research Fellow at Worcester College, Oxford. The Silk Roads: A New History of the World, published by Bloomsbury in 2015, was a No. 1 Sunday Times bestseller and remained in the top 10 for nine months after publication. It was named one of the ‘Books of the Decade’ 2010–2020 by the Sunday Times. The New Silk Roads: The Present and Future of the World was published by Bloomsbury in 2018 and won the Human Sciences prize of the Carical Foundation in 2019.
Also by Professor Peter Frankopan
View allMore from History & Military
View allWhy buy from us?
Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent specialist on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!
Service & Delivery
Our cozy 200m2 warehouse in Auckland holds over 10,000 books in-stock so you're not waiting for books to arrive from overseas.
Auckland Pick Ups
We're an online-only store but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our warehouse in Hobsonville.
Our Gifting Service
Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.