100 Catastrophic Disasters

by Nigel Cawthorne

100 Catastrophic Disasters is an astounding compendium of natural and man-made disasters. The range of entries is extraordinary, from the bizarre to the horrific, and from the heartbreaking to the ridiculous. The book includes some of history's most incredible disasters and tells in vivid detail the story of events of people involved, the impact of particular disasters and the destruction and sorrow they left in their wake. From the eruption of Vesuvius and destruction of Pompeii, to the San Francisco earthquake of 1906, from the raging flames of the Great Fire of London to the horror of Chernobyl, every event is chronicled in fascinating detail.

100 Catastrophic Disasters is a gripping and compelling account of some of the worst tragedies ever to happen in history, but also reveals some incredible stories of human courage and fortitude in the face of adversity.

Genres: Nonfiction, Reference, Historical, Collections

207 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Nigel Cawthorne is an Anglo-American writer of fiction and non-fiction, and an editor. He has written more than 80 books on a wide range of subjects and has contributed to The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph Daily Mail and The New York Times. He has appeared on television and BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

Many of Nigel Cawthorne's books are compilations of popular history, without footnotes, references or bibliographies. His own web site refers to a description of his home as a "book-writing factory" and says, "More than half my books were commissioned by publishers and packagers for a flat fee or for a for a reduced royalty".

One of his most notable works was Taking Back My Name, an autobiography of Ike Turner, with whom he spent a number of weeks working with him on, taking up residence in Turner's house. The book caused much controversy, resulting in court cases for three years following its release.

Cawthorne currently lives in Bloomsbury, London with his girlfriend and son, Colin (born 1982).

Reviews

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book covers a range of natural and man-made disasters ranging from volcanoes and earthquakes, to fogs, floods, and nuclear meltdowns. Each chapter covers a different type and includes short but fairly detailed summaries of individual events that show how catastrophic they can be. Having read quite a bit on such disasters over the years, there weren't many that I didn't already know about or much information I didn't know but this does make for quite a good starting point or a quick reference guide.

[Dani McCarthy · Rating 2 out of 5]

While interesting events were documented, I was taken out of this book multiple times due to the MANY grammar and convention errors.

[Anne Marshall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting. Included any that I did not know of.

[Ken Reyes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice

[Selkie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book, but the stories are too condensed.