A Cultural History of the Environment
Volumes 1-6
A Cultural History of the Environment
Volumes 1-6
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Description
How have different cultures and societies over millennia re-shaped the planet to suit their needs and desires? Why and how have our relationships with the natural world become so much less sustainable over time?
In a work spanning 5,500 years, 60 experts explore the complexities of human-environment relationships since the emergence of the first civilizations. Individual volume editors ensure the cohesion of the whole and, to make it as easy as possible to use, chapter titles are identical across each of the volumes. This gives the choice of reading about a specific period in one of the volumes, or following a theme across history by reading the relevant chapter in each of the six.
The six volumes cover: 1. The Classical Age; 2. The Age of Emperors; 3. The Oceanic Age; 4. The Little Ice Age; 5. The Age of Commodities; 6. The Age of Acceleration.
Themes and chapter titles are: earth; skies, climate and the atmosphere; work, energy, and power; water; forests; animals; cities and settlements; war; and disasters and resilience.
The page extent is 1,776 with 319 illustrations. Each volume opens with a series preface and a volume editor's introduction and closes with bibliography, notes on contributors and index.
The Cultural Histories Series
A Cultural History of the Environment is part of the Cultural Histories Series. Titles are available both as printed hardcover sets for libraries needing just one subject or preferring a one-off purchase and tangible reference for their shelves, or as part of a fully searchable digital library, updated twice a year and available to institutions by annual subscription or on perpetual access. See www.bloomsburyculturalhistory.com for further information or to access content.
Table of Contents
Edited by Mischa Meier and Peter Zeller, both University of Tübingen, Germany
Introduction: Culture and Environment in the Classical Age
1. Earth, Winfried Schmitz, University of Bonn, Germany and Hans van Ess, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany
2. Skies, Climate, and the Atmosphere, Uwe Walter, University of Bielefeld, Germany and Zhen Quin, Washington University in St. Louis, USA
3. Work, Energy, and Power, Winfried Schmitz, University of Bonn, Germany and Ulrich Theobald, University of Tübingen, Germany
4. Water, Filippo Carlà-Uhink, University of Potsdam, Germany, Fei Huang, University of Tübingen, Germany, and Michael Storozum, Newcastle University, UK
5. Forests, Clifford Ando, University of Chicago, USA and Ulrich Theobald, University of Tübingen, Germany
6. Animals, Peter Zeller, Fei Huang, and Achim Mittag, all University of Tübingen, Germany
7. Cities and Settlements, Sebastian Schmidt-Hofner, University of Tübingen, Germany and Maria Khayutina, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany
8. War, Peter Zeller, University of Tübingen, Germany and Jian Xu, University of Shanghai, China
9. Disasters and Resilience, Jonas Borsch, University of Bern, Switzerland and Hans van Ess, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany
Bibliography
Notes on Contributors
Index
Volume 2: A Cultural History of the Environment in the Age of Emperors
Edited by Ellen Arnold, Ohio State University, USA
Introduction
1. Earth, Dolly Jørgensen, University of Stavanger, Norway
2. Skies, Climate, and the Atmosphere, Henry Misa, Ohio State University, USA
3. Work, Energy, and Power, Ian Douglas, University of Manchester, UK
4. Water, Ellen Arnold, Ohio State University, USA
5. Forests, Ben Graham, University of Memphis, USA
6. Animals, Dolly Jørgensen, University of Stavanger, Norway
7. Cities and Settlements: Interdependence with the Environment, 400-1200, Ian Douglas, University of Manchester, UK
8. War: The Global Environments of Warfare, 400-1200, Leif Inge Ree Petersen, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway
9. Disasters and Resilience, Christian Rohr, University of Bern, Switzerland
Bibliography
Notes on Contributors
Index
Volume 3: A Cultural History of the Environment in the Oceanic Age
Edited by Tim Soens, University of Antwerp, Belgium
Introduction: Nature and Society in the Oceanic Age
1. Earth: Soils and Societies in Europe and the Americas, Rainer Schreg, Bamberg University, Germany
2. Skies, Climate, and the Atmosphere, Martin Bauch, Leibniz Institute for the History and Culture of Eastern Europe, Germany
3. Work, Energy, and Power, Pamela O. Long, Independent Scholar
4. Water, Ellen Arnold, Ohio State University, USA, Tim Soens, University of Antwerp, Belgium and Christian Rohr, University of Bern, Switzerland
5. Forests, Paolo Nanni, University of Florence, Italy
6. Animals: Domesticated Mammals in the Oceanic Age, Philip Slavin, University of Stirling, UK
7. Cities and Settlements, Yuan Julian Chen, Duke University, USA
8. War, Martin Clauss, Chemnitz University of Technology, Germany
9. Disasters and Resilience, Daniel R. Curtis, Erasmus University, The Netherlands
Notes
Bibliography
Notes on Contributors
Index
Volume 4: A Cultural History of the Environment in the Little Ice Age
Edited by Franz Mauelshagen, University of Bielefeld, Germany
Introduction
1. Earth, Franz Mauelshagen, University of Bielefeld, Germany
2. Skies, Climate, and the Atmosphere, Franz Mauelshagen, University of Bielefeld, Germany
3. Work, Energy, and Power, Franz Mauelshagen, University of Bielefeld, Germany
4. Water, John Emrys Morgan, University of Bristol, UK
5. Forests, John T. Wing, College of Staten Island, CUNY, USA
6. Animals, Stephen Vrla, Detroit Zoological Society, USA
7. Cities and Settlements, Georg Stöger, Paris Lodron University of Salzburg, Austria
8. War, Dagomar Degroot and J.R. McNeill, both Georgetown University, USA
9. Disasters and Resilience, Franz Mauelshagen, University of Bielefeld, Germany
Bibliography
Notes on Contributors
Index
Volume 5: A Cultural History of the Environment in the Age of Commodities
Edited by Stephen Mosley, Lancaster University, UK
Introduction
1. Earth: The Lithosphere in the Age of Commodities, Corey Ross, University of Basel, Switzerland
2. Skies, Climate, and the Atmosphere: Smoke and the Industrial City, Stephen Mosley, Lancaster University, UK
3. Work, Energy, and Power: Fueling the Rise of the Modern World, Victor Seow, Harvard University, USA
4. Water: “Controlling the Natural Forces” in the Age of Commodities, Heather J. Hoag, University of San Francisco, USA
5. Forests, Ivan R. Scales, University of Cambridge, UK
6. Animals: Critters in the Age of Commodities, Karen R. Jones, University of Kent, UK
7. Cities and Settlements: Urbanization in the Age of Commodities, Shane Ewen, Leeds Beckett University, UK
8. War, Stephen Mosley, Lancaster University, UK
9. Disasters and Resilience, Bill Luckin, University of Bolton, UK
Bibliography
Notes on Contributors
Index
Volume 6: A Cultural History of the Environment in the Age of Acceleration
Edited by Stephen Mosley, Lancaster University, UK and Jessica van Horssen, McMaster University, Canada
Introduction
1. Earth: Soils in the Age of Acceleration, Germain Meulemans, CNRS, France and Celine Pessis, AgroParisTech, France
2. Skies, Climate, and the Atmosphere: Changing Patterns and Perceptions of Air Pollution after 1945, Stephen Mosley, Lancaster University, UK
3. Work, Energy, and Power: Fuel in the Age of Acceleration, Jennifer N. Eaglin, Ohio State University, USA
4. Water, Christopher L. Pastore, University at Albany-SUNY, USA
5. Forests, Gregory Barton and Brett Bennett, both Western Sydney University, Australia
6. Animals, Catherine Oliver, Lancaster University, UK
7. Cities and Settlements, Martin V. Melosi, University of Houston, USA
8. War, Richard P. Tucker, University of Michigan, USA
9. Disasters and Resilience, Giacomo Parrinello, Centre d'Histoire de Sciences Po, France
Bibliography
Notes on Contributors
Index
Product details
| Published | 03 Sep 2026 |
|---|---|
| Format | Hardback - Pack |
| Edition | 1st |
| ISBN | 9781472575937 |
| Imprint | Bloomsbury Academic |
| Illustrations | 319 bw illus |
| Dimensions | 0 x 0 mm |
| Series | The Cultural Histories Series |
| Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing |



















