by Ben Soton
The Earth Transformed – An Untold Story is the latest work of Peter Frankopan, professor of Byzantine History at Worcester College Oxford. His previous works include The First Crusade: The Call from the East (2012), The Silk Roads: A New History of the World (2015) and The New Silk Roads: The Present and Future of the World (2018). All of Frankopan’s works are published by Bloomsbury.
The book’s underlying theme is how ecological, geological and climatic factors have influenced the history and pre-history of our planet. What is noticeable about the book, other than its length (over seven-hundred pages long), is the degree of scientific research and primary historical research that contributed to its publication. Examples of sources cited include extracts from diaries describing climatic events to tree ring data showing metrological change.
The story begins with our planet’s creation around four and a half billion years ago; covering the Eons that pre-date humanity. However, most of the book covers the human period from the emergence of agriculture and first city states. The author goes on to point out that agriculture may not have been possible were it not for the climatic changes that took place around 13,000 years ago. Namely a period of limited global warming that took place at the end of the last Ice-Age; starting what has been called the Holocene Period.
The Earth Transformed has similarities with Frankopan’s earlier work The Silk Roads: A New History of the World. Both books place considerable emphasis on global trade and it’s impact on ecosystems, culture and even diet. This discovery of the Americas by Europeans saw a major shift in world trade away from the ancient Silk-Route across the Eurasian land-mass towards both the transatlantic crossing and routes around the Cape of Good Hope. Whereas the Silk-Route involved a number of small-scale exchanges the new trade system involved a much smaller number of traders as well as states. The degree of wealth accumulated became concentrated in fewer hands; eventually resulting in the development of capitalism.
Meanwhile the author points out that whilst we associate tomatoes with Italy; they are a South American product. A customer in an Indian restaurant in Britain see icons of chillis to indicate the level of spice in a meal; again, chillis have their origins in South America not India. Whilst we associate chocolate with Belgium or Switzerland; it once again comes from South America. All examples of man-made changes to global ecosystems. In later chapters he correctly points out the damage done to the Global South caused by slavery, colonialism and imperialism. However, the book is unfortunately marred by Frankopan’s attacks on aocialist countries; the USSR and China in particular. Again, a major flaw of liberalism; willing to attack the excesses of capitalism but God forbid anyone who offers an alternative. However, in mitigation he points out measures by the present Chinese government that are helping to mitigate and even reverse climate change.
Human induced climate change is the subject of the last chapter of the book. He correctly cites irrefutable evidence in favour of this phenomenon and the book should be a warning to climate change sceptics and deniers. Although an incredibly long book, a reason why this column has not appeared for some time it is worth reading as a source of some useful information and interesting facts.
The story begins with our planet’s creation around four and a half billion years ago; covering the Eons that pre-date humanity. However, most of the book covers the human period from the emergence of agriculture and first city states. The author goes on to point out that agriculture may not have been possible were it not for the climatic changes that took place around 13,000 years ago. Namely a period of limited global warming that took place at the end of the last Ice-Age; starting what has been called the Holocene Period.
The Earth Transformed has similarities with Frankopan’s earlier work The Silk Roads: A New History of the World. Both books place considerable emphasis on global trade and it’s impact on ecosystems, culture and even diet. This discovery of the Americas by Europeans saw a major shift in world trade away from the ancient Silk-Route across the Eurasian land-mass towards both the transatlantic crossing and routes around the Cape of Good Hope. Whereas the Silk-Route involved a number of small-scale exchanges the new trade system involved a much smaller number of traders as well as states. The degree of wealth accumulated became concentrated in fewer hands; eventually resulting in the development of capitalism.
Meanwhile the author points out that whilst we associate tomatoes with Italy; they are a South American product. A customer in an Indian restaurant in Britain see icons of chillis to indicate the level of spice in a meal; again, chillis have their origins in South America not India. Whilst we associate chocolate with Belgium or Switzerland; it once again comes from South America. All examples of man-made changes to global ecosystems. In later chapters he correctly points out the damage done to the Global South caused by slavery, colonialism and imperialism. However, the book is unfortunately marred by Frankopan’s attacks on aocialist countries; the USSR and China in particular. Again, a major flaw of liberalism; willing to attack the excesses of capitalism but God forbid anyone who offers an alternative. However, in mitigation he points out measures by the present Chinese government that are helping to mitigate and even reverse climate change.
Human induced climate change is the subject of the last chapter of the book. He correctly cites irrefutable evidence in favour of this phenomenon and the book should be a warning to climate change sceptics and deniers. Although an incredibly long book, a reason why this column has not appeared for some time it is worth reading as a source of some useful information and interesting facts.
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