Something New Under the Sun: An Environmental History of the Twentieth-Century World (The Global Century Series)

Front Cover
W. W. Norton & Company, Apr 17, 2001 - Science - 448 pages

"One of those rare books that’s both sweeping and specific, scholarly and readable…What makes the book stand out is its wealth of historical detail." —Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker

The history of the twentieth century is most often told through its world wars, the rise and fall of communism, or its economic upheavals. In his startling book, J. R. McNeill gives us our first general account of what may prove to be the most significant dimension of the twentieth century: its environmental history. To a degree unprecedented in human history, we have refashioned the earth's air, water, and soil, and the biosphere of which we are a part. Based on exhaustive research, McNeill's story—a compelling blend of anecdotes, data, and shrewd analysis—never preaches: it is our definitive account.

This is a volume in The Global Century Series (general editor, Paul Kennedy).

 

Contents

Peculiarities of a Prodigal Century
3
The Crust of the Earth
21
Urban History
50
Regional and Global History
84
The History of Water Use
118
RIVER WATER
129
LAKES AND EUTROPHICATION
136
CONCLUSION
147
Eat and Be Eaten
192
YIELD HISTORY IN 93 DEVELOPING COUNTRIES 19611992
223
Forests Fish and Invasions
228
More People Bigger Cities
269
Fuels Tools and Economics
296
Ideas and Politics
325
So What?
357
Copyright

6
149

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About the author (2001)

J. R. McNeill is a professor of history at Georgetown University. He is the author of award-winning works in world and environmental history. These include The Human Web: A Bird’s-Eye View of World History (co-authored with his father and world history pioneer, William H. McNeill), and Something New Under the Sun: An Environmental History of the Twentieth-Century World, both published by Norton. McNeill is a recent past president of the American Historical Association.

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