Peter Frankopan looks at the past differently in “The Earth Transformed”
How the environment shapes history—and vice versa
People are exercised by three things above all else, wrote Voltaire in the mid-18th century: climate, government and religion. He was ahead of his time in putting climate first. Peter Frankopan opens his new book with Voltaire’s comment and proceeds to show how all manner of natural disasters have shaped human history: not just floods and storms, but earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and crashing meteorites, too.
This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “Nature and nurture”
Culture
March 11th 2023- Two brave books tell the story of lockdown in Wuhan
- Peter Frankopan looks at the past differently in “The Earth Transformed”
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From the March 11th 2023 edition
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Meghan Markle’s new Netflix show is out of touch with the times
In it she positions herself as an elite Martha Stewart
This year’s Oscars were notably apolitical
Hollywood has ditched resistance in favour of toeing the line
AI unleashes a weird new genre of political communication
Donald Trump’s Gaza video offers a taste of what is to come
Why are live albums back in fashion?
Hitmakers including Niall Horan, Dua Lipa and Ed Sheeran have released them
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Russian tsars loved it. Now TikTok does, too
Finding meaning in people’s first words—and their last
Why there is less significance than society would have you believe