El Nino in world history / Richard Grove and George Adamson.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Machine generated contents note: 1. Introduction / Richard Grove -- pt. I A Millennial History of El Nino -- 2. El Nino in Prehistory / Richard Grove -- 3. El Nino Chronology and the Little Ice Age / Richard Grove -- 4. The `Great El Nino', 1790 -- 1794 / Richard Grove -- 5. The Influence of El Nino on World Crises in the Nineteenth Century / Richard Grove -- pt. II The Science of El Nino and the Southern Oscillation -- 6. The Discovery of ENSO / George Adamson -- 7. Cataloguing the El Nino / George Adamson -- pt. III El Nino and Epidemic Disease -- 8. El Nino Events and the History of Epidemic Disease Incidence / Richard Grove -- pt. IV El Nino in Contemporary Society -- 9. El Nino in the Twentieth Century / George Adamson -- 10. El Nino in the Public Imagination / George Adamson -- 11. Postscript: El Nino and Human Future / George Adamson.

This book examines the role of the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in society. Throughout human history, large or recurrent El Ninos could cause significant disruption to societies and in some cases even contribute to political change. Yet it is only now that we are coming to appreciate the significance of the phenomenon. In this volume, Richard Grove and George Adamson chart the dual history of El Nino: as a global phenomenon capable of devastating weather extremes and, since the 18th century, as a developing idea in science and society. The chapters trace El Nino's position in world history from its role in the revolution in Australian Aboriginal Culture at 5,000 BP to the 2015-16 'Godzilla' event. It ends with a discussion of El Nino in the current media, which is as much a product of the public imagination as it is a natural process.

ASLI Choice Award