Description
History and Climate Change is a balanced and comprehensive overview of the links between climate and man’s advance from pre-history to modern times. It spans all periods of history, drawing upon demographic, economic, urban, religious and military perspectives. It is a synthesis of the many historical and scientific theories, which have arisen regarding mans progress through the ages. Central to the book is the question of whether climate variation is a fundamental trigger mechanism from which other historical sequences develop, or is climate variation one amongst a number of other factors, decisive only when a regime/society is poised for change. Evidence for prolonged climate change is either partial or lacking entirely, but it is clear that climatic variation has played a part in the historical development of the world. Cold weather and warm weather can create apparently contradictory reactions within societies, which can be interpreted in very different ways by scholars from different disciplines. Does climate change exacerbate famine and epidemics? Did climate fluctuation play a part in pivotal historical events such as the mass exodus of Hsuing-nu from China, the pressure of the Huns on the Romans and the genesis of the Crusades. These events and many others are discussed throughout the book in the authors distinctive style, with maps and photographs to illustrate the examples given.
