Inventing disaster : the culture of calamity from the Jamestown colony to the Johnstown flood /

When hurricanes, earthquakes, wildfires and other disasters strike, we count our losses, search for causes, commiserate with victims and initiate relief efforts. Amply illustrated and expansively researched, 'Inventing Disaster' explains the origins and development of this predictable, eve...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author:	Kierner, Cynthia A., 1958- (Author)
Format:	Book
Language:	English
Published:	Chapel Hill : University of North Carolina Press, [2019]
Subjects:	Disasters > North Atlantic Region > History > 18th century. Disasters > North Atlantic Region > History > 19th century. Disasters > North Atlantic Region > History > 17th century. Disasters > Social aspects > History. Disasters > Political aspects > History.

Description
Summary:	When hurricanes, earthquakes, wildfires and other disasters strike, we count our losses, search for causes, commiserate with victims and initiate relief efforts. Amply illustrated and expansively researched, 'Inventing Disaster' explains the origins and development of this predictable, even ritualized, culture of calamity over three centuries, exploring its roots in the revolutions in science, information and emotion that were part of the Age of Enlightenment in Europe and America.
Physical Description:	xiii, 285 pages : illustrations, maps ; 25 cm.
Bibliography:	Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN:	9781469652511 146965251X