The End is Nigh
A History of Natural Disasters
Distributed for Reaktion Books
- Contents
- Review Quotes

Preface: When Climate Becomes Disaster
Introduction: On the Edge of the Sahara
1. Mythologies
2. The Day of the Dead
3. California: Earthquake and Culture
4. Natural Disasters in Metropolis
5. Among the High Mountains and Deep Fjords
6. Problem Children
7. The Politics of Disasters
8. Climatic Disasters
9. The Tsunami
10. Perilous Nature
Epilogue: Where the Devil Lives in the Ground
Major Natural Disasters
References
Bibliography
Acknowledgments
Photo Acknowledgments
Index
“The book is a multi-faceted and scientifically vivid history of a phenomenon that is shaping our civilization more than we realize. Next time the earth cracks, the reader now has a tool to analyze the reactions and consequences.”
“Svensen is foremost a dazzling storyteller, and in the book we are confronted with many destinies and places. We wander the streets when the earthquake hit Lisbon in 1755, and we are cunningly led through the political struggles following the disaster.”
History: General History
You may purchase this title at these fine bookstores. Outside the USA, see our international sales information.