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Encyclopedia of Disasters [Two Volumes] Environmental Catastrophes and Human Tragedies
Angus M. Gunn
Book Code: GR4002
ISBN: 0-313-34002-1
ISBN-13: 978-0-313-34002-4
824 pages, illus., maps, photos
Greenwood Press
Publication: 12/30/2007
List Price: $175.00 (UK Sterling Price: £100.00)
Availability: In Stock
Media Type: Hardcover
Trim Size: 7 x 10
Subjects: Reviews:
  • Disasters--among them earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, floods, pandemic illnesses, landslides, and terrorist attacks--have had a significant impact on the world's people and environment throughout the last 2,000 years. Gunn, an author and professor emeritus in geography and geology, explores both natural and human-induced disasters in this set....In the extensive introduction, Gunn notes that "understanding of disasters anywhere in the world is vital to the preservation of our global environment." The focus on understanding causes and consequences makes this a recommended title for academic and public libraries.
    —Booklist     May 1, 2008
Description: Disasters can strike at any time. From the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius to Hurricane Katrina, floods, tornadoes, earthquakes, hurricanes and other natural disasters have caused tremendous loss of life, human suffering, and environmental catastrophe. The complex technological and social changes of the last few centuries have not only intensified the impact of such natural disasters, but have added new introduced new reasons to be concerned - plane crashes, bombings, industrial accidents, genocides. Calling some disasters "natural" and others "man-made" downplays the important interrelationship between the event and human actions. Human actions - or inactions - can catapult a natural phenomenon into a deadly catastrophe. Likewise, nature can be terribly disrupted by events that are created by humans. The Encyclopedia of Disasters covers over 180 of the most important disasters in history. Arranged chronologically, the encyclopedia includes entries on those disasters that have had the greatest historical, environmental, and cultural impact:
  • The eruption of Mt. Vesuvius, which destroyed the towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum
  • The London Fire of 1666, which flattened much of London and allowed the rebuilding of the city
  • The influenza epidemic of 1918, which killed millions
  • The 1964 Prince William Sound earthquake in Alaska, which caused death and destruction as far away as Hawaii
  • The worst nuclear power plant accident in Chernobyl, Ukraine, in 1964, that has rendered the surrounding landscape uninhabitable
  • The 2004 earthquake that created a tsunami that killed thousands in Sumatra Each entry includes a list of readings for additional research, and the encyclopedia is illustrated with numerous photos and line illustrations that show the destruction and despair caused by these disasters.
    • LC Card Number: 2007031001
    LCC Class: GB5014
    Dewey Class: 904
    PDF Catalogs:
    Greenwood Spring Reference 2008.pdf
    Greenwood History Spring 2008.pdf
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