Extreme weather events, such as droughts, strong winds and storms, flash floods and extreme heat and cold, are among the most destructive yet fascinating aspects of climate variability. Historical records and memories charting the impacts and responses to such events are a crucial component of any research that seeks to understand the nature of events that might take place in the future. Yet all such events need to be situated for their implications to be understood. This book is the first to explore the cultural contingency of extreme and unusual weather events and the ways in which they are recalled, recorded or forgotten. It illustrates how geographical context, particular physical conditions, an area's social and economic activities and embedded cultural knowledges and infrastructures all affect community experiences of and responses to unusual weather. Contributions refer to varied methods of remembering and recording weather and how these act to curate, recycle and transmit extreme events across generations and into the future. With international case studies, from both land and sea, the book explores how and why particular weather events become inscribed into the fabric of communities and contribute to community change in different historical and cultural contexts. This is valuable reading for students and researchers interested in historical and cultural geography, environmental anthropology and environmental studies.

Extreme weather events, such as droughts, strong winds and storms, flash floods and extreme heat and cold, are among the most destructive yet fascinating aspects of climate variability. Historical records and memories charting the impacts and responses to such events are a crucial component of any research that seeks to understand the nature of events that might take place in the future. Yet all such events need to be situated for their implications to be understood. This book is the first to explore the cultural contingency of extreme and unusual weather events and the ways in which they are recalled, recorded or forgotten. It illustrates how geographical context, particular physical conditions, an area's social and economic activities and embedded cultural knowledges and infrastructures all affect community experiences of and responses to unusual weather. Contributions refer to varied methods of remembering and recording weather and how these act to curate, recycle and transmit extreme events across generations and into the future. With international case studies, from both land and sea, the book explores how and why particular weather events become inscribed into the fabric of communities and contribute to community change in different historical and cultural contexts. This is valuable reading for students and researchers interested in historical and cultural geography, environmental anthropology and environmental studies.

A hymn to the British landscape. From the dramatic hills of the Lake District to the beaches and covers of Cornwall, this richly illustrated book brings together new perspectives on the places that have inspired artists, writers and film-makers and shaped the nation's identity. The third in the bestselling series of Houses of the National Trust and Gardens of the National Trust, this is a richly illustrated book providing new perspectives on the British landscape. From the dramatic hills of the Lake District to the mysterious fens of eastern England and the beaches and coves of Cornwall, landscapes provide the settings for our daily lives, as well as an important part of our identity. The inspiration for artists, writers and film-makers, our landscapes are cultural, man-made creations far more than we may be aware. But how much do we know about how these landscapes came into being? How were different sorts of landscapes valued in the past? And how can landscapes today and in the future best adapt to the ever-changing world in which we live? Chapters include The Art of Landscape, Ancient Places, Homes and Gardens, Lost in the Woods, Open Country and Shifting Shores. Landscapes of the National Trust will appeal to all those who care about the past, present and future of the British landscape and is superbly illustrated throughout with stunning photographs.