Description
Book SynopsisThe River Rhine is Europe's important commercial waterway, channeling the flow of trade among Switzerland, France, Germany, and the Netherlands. This study focuses on the river from the moment when the Congress of Vienna established a multinational commission charged with making the river more efficient for purposes of trade and commerce in 1815.
Trade Review"As demonstrated by historian Cioc, the defilement of the Rhine is a case study in the tragedy of unintended consequences. But it is also a fascinating story because the river today is the product of the complex interplay among all of the major forces that shaped modern European history— industry, technology, economy, politics, and, finally, ecology. As such, its story is similar to those that could be told about many other major rivers. . . . Impressive scholarship."
* Library Journal *
"This enjoyable, scholarly and well-written book is a very welcome addition to the literature in English on the environmental history of Continental Europe, and students as well as professionals will certainly read it with profit and pleasure."
* Environment and History *
"Sometimes ironic and humorous, consistently clear and persuasive, Cioc's 'life story' of the Rhine deftly weaves together politics, economics, and river ecology.. A compelling study."
* Environmental History *
"A concise and remarkably authoritative overview of the Rhine..Compelling reading."
* American Historical Review *
"An impressive book..It is erudite, well-written, and informatively illustrated, and it will unquestionably serve for years to come as an obligatory point of departure for further research into the environmental dimensions of the Rhine's turbulent history."
* Technology and Culture *
"As the first true environmental history of a major European river, Mark Cioc's stimulating new book is a sign that European environmental history is entering a period of maturation; his eco-biography will serve benchmark for future scholarly work in the field. By tackling the Rhine, the classic European river, Cioc offers an environmental history that transcends national histories."
* H-German Reviews *
Table of ContentsForeword
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Europe's "World River"
Water Sorcery
The Carboniferous Rhine
Sacrificing a River
Biodiversity Lost
A River Restored?
Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
Index
