Unruly waters : how rains, rivers, coasts and seas have shaped Asia's history / Sunil Amrith.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Amrith, Sunil, 1979- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Water--Social aspects--Asia--History.

Water.

Bodies of water--Social aspects--Asia--History.

Bodies of water.

Water and civilization.

Water--Social aspects.

Civilization.

Social aspects.

History.

Asia--Civilization--Environmental aspects.

Asia.

Local Subjects:

Water and civilization.

Bodies of water--Social aspects--Asia--History.

Genre:

History.

Physical Description:

xvii, 397 pages : illustrations, maps ; 25 cm

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

New York : Basic Books, 2018.

Summary:

"Asia's history has been shaped by her waters. In Unruly Waters, historian Sunil Amrith reimagines Asia's history through the stories of its rains, rivers, coasts, and seas--and of the weather-watchers and engineers, mapmakers and farmers who have sought to control them. Looking out from India, he shows how dreams and fears of water shaped visions of political independence and economic development, provoked efforts to reshape nature through dams and pumps, and unleashed powerful tensions within and between nations. Today, Asian nations are racing to construct hundreds of dams in the Himalayas, with dire environmental impacts; hundreds of millions crowd into coastal cities threatened by cyclones and storm surges. In an age of climate change, Unruly Waters is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand Asia's past and its future." -- Amazon.com.

Contents:

The shape of modern Asia

Water and empire

This parched land

The aqueous atmosphere

The struggle for water

Water and freedom

Rivers divided, rivers dammed

The ocean and the underground

Stormy horizons

Epilogue: history and memory at the water's edge.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Other Format:

Online version: Amrith, Sunil S., 1979- Unruly waters.

ISBN:

9780465097722

0465097723

OCLC:

1030761121