Earth-Shattering Events: Earthquakes, Nations, and Civilization

by Andrew Robinson

"A truly welcome and refreshing study that puts earthquake impact on history into a proper perspective." --Amos Nur, Emeritus Professor of Geophysics, Stanford University, California, and author of Earthquakes, Archaeology, and the Wrath of God Since antiquity, on every continent, human beings in search of attractive landscapes and economic prosperity have made a Faustian bargain with the risk of devastation by an earthquake. Today, around half of the world’s largest cities – as many as sixty – lie in areas of major seismic activity. Many, such as Lisbon, Naples, San Francisco, Teheran, and Tokyo, have been severely damaged or destroyed by earthquakes in the past. But throughout history, starting with ancient Jericho, Rome, and Sparta, cities have proved to be extraordinarily only one, Port Royal in the Caribbean, was abandoned after an earthquake.  Earth-Shattering Events  seeks to understand exactly how humans and earthquakes have interacted, not only in the short term but also in the long perspective of history. In some cases, physical devastation has been followed by decline. But in others, the political and economic reverberations of earthquake disasters have presented opportunities for renewal. After its wholesale destruction in 1906, San Francisco went on to flourish, eventually giving birth to the high-tech industrial area on the San Andreas fault known as Silicon Valley. An earthquake in Caracas in 1812 triggered the creation of new nations in the liberation of South America from Spanish rule. Another in Tangshan in 1976 catalysed the transformation of China into the world’s second largest economy. The growth of the scientific study of earthquakes is woven into this far-reaching history. It began with a series of earthquakes in England in 1750.  Today, seismologists can monitor the vibration of the planet second by second and the movement of tectonic plates millimeter by millimeter. Yet, even in the 21st century, great earthquakes are still essentially "acts of God," striking with much less warning than volcanoes, floods, hurricanes, and even tornadoes and tsunamis. 13 black-and-white illustrations

Genres: History, Science, Nonfiction

256 pages, Hardcover

First published June 13, 2016

About the author

(William) Andrew Coulthard Robinson is a British author and former newspaper editor.

Andrew Robinson was educated at the Dragon School, Eton College where he was a King's Scholar, University College, Oxford where he read Chemistry and finally the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. He is the son of Neville Robinson, an Oxford physicist.

Robinson first visited India in 1975 and has been a devotee of the country's culture ever since, in particular the Bengali poet and philosopher Rabindranath Tagore and the Bengali film director Satyajit Ray. He has authored many books and articles. Until 2006, he was the Literary Editor of the Times Higher Education Supplement<?em>. He has also been a Visiting Fellow at Wolfson College, Cambridge.

He is based in London and is now a full-time writer.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads data base.

Reviews

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book for free from a Goodreads giveaway.
First off, I am not an expert in this field. This took some of the major earthquakes in modern history and explained the economic and political impacts they had on the region. It was an enjoyable and informative read for anyone interested in the subject.
The one thing that bothered me was the map in the back of the book. Charleston, South Carolina is not in the correct location. The map actually shows Charleston, West Virginia. I am surprised that was not caught before this went to print. For that, I deducted a star from my rating.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about larger earthquakes and how those quakes changed history. Thus, the author goes through earthquakes like: London, England 1750, Lisbon, Portugal 1755, Caracas, Venezuela 1812, Naples, Italy 1857, San Francisco, CA, USA, 1903 (with some mention made of the 1989 quake), Tokyo and Yokohama, Japan 1923, Tangshan, China 1976, Gujarat, India 2001, Indian Ocean quake and tsunami in 2004 and lastly, Fukushima, Japan, quake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown of 2011.

Author goes though how each of these changed history in one way or another. I think this is a bit more of a history book, though it does give you a basic grounding in seismology.

[Lloyd Downey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've lived in a couple of countries (Mexico, New Zealand) where earthquakes were a regular, if frightening feature of life. And also spent a lot of time in Japan. I recall, once in Japan, the house was shaken by a sizable earthquake which lasted maybe 5 seconds (though one's sense of time in an event like this gets distorted). Immediately, sirens were going off and loudspeakers warning about earthquake and giving out information. (not sure exactly what because I don't speak much Japanese). But what really impressed me was that within a few minutes...maybe 10? there were experts on TV explaining what had happened and that this was not "the big one". Well that was reassuring but what was not reassuring was the diagram of what we could expect when the "big one" released itself like a giant rat-trap with a under-plate springing to the surface. It did not look good to me. And, worse still, the fault was not that far away and I estimated that there would be a massive tsunami that could reach 5km inland where our house stood. And I'm still very nervous when we go to the famous Senbon (thousand pine trees) beach to watch the sunset.....because that's where the tsunami will hit first. And yes there are high walls ....maybe 15 m high to prevent the tsunami sweeping inland but I don't think they will be big enough to protect against the "big one".
So Andrew Robinson's book is not at all re-assuring about earthquakes. In fact, it's pretty much a collection of stories about historical big earthquakes.
A couple of things stood out for me from Robinson's account and that is that the science of predicting earthquakes is getting better but is totally unreliable still; Earthquakes are usually accompanied by collateral damage such as from fire or from Tsunami or from both; And people have tended to rebuild in the same spot and go on living. There is a collective amnesia.
In fact, in San Francisco there were massive and deliberate measures taken to downplay the significance of the 1906 earthquake. Interestingly, buildings were insured against fire but earthquake damage was excluded so there was an incentive to claim fire damage rather than quake damage...and people even set fire to their quake damaged buildings. The city fathers and railroad companies were keen to downplay the significance of the earthquake because of the impact on property prices and so the real impact of the earthquake was massively understated.
I recall my father-in-law taking me to see some of the impact from a 1930 earthquake along the Tanna fault near Mishima, in Japan. A footpath had been ripped sideways by about 1.5 m.so that the actual rip in the earth at this site was very visible. And in 1972, I was sent as the Australian envoy from the Embassy in Mexico, into the ruined city of Managua in Nicaragua after a massive earthquake there on 23rd December 1972. I recall looking across the levelled city and seeing just a few reinforced concrete buildings still standing. Most of the family dwellings made from "wattle and daub" walls but with tile roofs had collapsed with the heavy roof beams and tiles causing many deaths. Some 75% of the population were made homeless. Also, indelibly in my mind, is a three story school that had just collapsed floor upon floor like a house of cards. (Fortunately, the kids were home ...though that did not spare many of them). One has to question the building codes which led to this result whilst other better constructed buildings were damaged but still standing.
In fact, recurring theme throughout the book is the failure of building codes to be enforced and corruption allowing construction on re-claimed ground (which liquified when shaken).
I remember reading about the famous American Architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, being ecstatic that his Grand Hotel in Tokyo had survived the September 1923 earthquake in Tokyo /Yokohama. (In fact, it was apparently so badly damaged that it had to be demolished...though the flat topped pillars had apparently done their job). It seemed that fire across Tokyo and Yokohama was the major cause of damage following the earthquake.
A recurring theme throughout the book (I guess the author's main point) is that earthquakes have lasting political impact. In Japan, he suggests that it led to increasing militarism in the country and the eventual impact on WWII. In San Francisco after 1906, the city re-bounded but with all its earlier faults. In India, in Gujarat 2001, the earthquake led to the rise of Modi as the chief minister. Post earthquake there was a flurry of infrastructure and industrial building for which Modi took credit....though there seems to be evidence that rates of growth were similar elsewhere in India. Nevertheless Modi got the reputation as a "fixer" leading to his election as PM of India. Often, it seems, minority groups have been blamed for earthquakes and murdered (Koreans in Tokyo in 1923). One leader seems to emerge from the pack as a significant "fixer" and this is Pombal...de facto Prime Minister in Portugal. After the Lisbon great earthquake in 1755, Pombal is reported to have given the blunt instructions: "Feed the living and bury the dead" and then got on with redesigning and re-building the city and surrounds. It is interesting that the clergy....immensely powerful in Portugal were greatly weakened politically.
Quite an interesting book. He makes his case reasonably well though the format (one earthquake after another) is a bit predictable and I would have appreciated some more informative diagrams, maps, photographs etc. I've given it 4 stars.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book looks at the major earthquakes through history. The descriptions of the earthquakes are the most interesting part of the book. The analysis of the longer term effects of the earthquakes were a bit uneven and not as successful.

[Kadri · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting book about earthquakes and their various possible after effects.

[Book Grocer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Purchase Earth-Shattering Events here for just $15!

Humans are always subjected to the whims and unpredictable nature of the Earth on which we were planted. In our lives, there is so much, and so little that we are in control over. Andrew Robin’s historical work Earth Shattering Events: Earthquakes, Nations, and Civilisation explores the ways in which humans interact with one of this unavoidable realities: earthquakes. Robinson explores the trajectory of human existence, and examines the ways in which various civilisations have dealt with natural disasters economically, politically and emotionally. An incredibly interesting read that bridges the gap that is sometimes present between human beings and the space we occupy.

Elisa - The Book Grocer

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating account of the impact of major earthquakes in history on politics and history. Easily readable and not to technical so accessible for the layman. Interesting analysis into how different cultures and peoples react to natural disasters and the consequences. Includes Lison in 1755, San Francisco in 1906 right up to Fukoshima in 2011.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an informative read. :)

[julianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely fascinating history of some of the "big ones"