SOCIAL SCIENCES

Nature's Mutiny: How the Little Ice Age of the Long Seventeenth Century Transformed the West andShaped the Present

by Philipp Blom
Liveright: Norton. Feb. 2019. 256p. illus. notes. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781631494048. $27.95; ebk. ISBN 9781631494055. HIST
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Historian Blom (Fracture: Life and Culture in the West 1918–1938) examines not the science of climate change, but rather its effect on European culture. Having also worked as a journalist and translator, Blom uses his knowledge to document the hysteria surrounding climactic "acts of God" from the late 16th century through 1816, known as the "year without a summer," as well as the end of the Little Ice Age. The author successfully summarizes many of the societal upheavals of his chosen period, with attention paid to trade, agriculture, and especially religion. However, researchers may seek works that offer more scientific information. Similar books detailing this time period and climactic phenomenon include Brian Fagan's The Little Ice Age and Dagomar Degroot's The Frigid Golden Age.
VERDICT Appropriate for readers already fascinated with the history of Europe between 1570 and 1816 as well as enthusiasts of general historical survey works.
Reviewed by Esther Jackson, New York Botanical Garden , Jan 02, 2019
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