Nature's Mutiny

A groundbreaking and internationally acclaimed work of environmental history tracing the great climate change of the seventeenth century: the 'Little Ice Age'. By the end of the sixteenth century the temperature had plummeted so drastically that Mediterranean harbours were covered with ice, birds literally dropped out of the sky, and 'frost fairs' were erected on a frozen Thames - with kiosks, taverns, and even brothels that become a semi-permanent part of the city. Recounting the enduring legacy and sweeping consequences of this 'Little Ice Age', acclaimed historian Philipp Blom reveals that while apocalyptic weather patterns destroyed entire harvests and incited mass migrations, they also gave rise to the growth of European cities, the appearance of early capitalism, and the vigorous stirrings of the Enlightenment. Nature's Mutiny will transform the way we think about climate change in the twenty-first century and beyond. 'Lively . . . an eye-catchingly grand thesis' Sunday Times 'Provocative . . . lively and intelligent' Literary Review von Blom, Philipp