'Secrets of the Centenarians' book signing + Lake Nyos disaster

Thank you to all who came to Waterstones, Camden High St for my talk and book signing. And thanks to Maxine Mawhinney for the photo.

Signed copies of Secrets of the Centenarians: What is it like to live for a century and who will survive to find out? (Reaktion Books) are still available at the store.

Meanwhile, El Espanol has written a piece based on my account of the Lake Nyos disaster from my book Historia mundial de los desastres (Turner Libros) which appeared in the UK as A Disastrous History of the World and in the US as Disaster!

https://www.elespanol.com/ciencia/ecologia/20170901/243476318_0.html

By the way, El Espanol, thanks for the thought, but I'm not an Australian politician, so far as I know.

Brexitwatch: the 8th possibility

On October 9, I tried to work out why Theresa May (or Theresa Mayhem as she is increasingly called) had morphed from (allegedly) anti-Brexit during the referendum campaign to fanatically pro the most extreme form of Brexit just a few weeks later. I offered seven possible explanations - http://disasterhistorian.blogspot.co.uk/2016/10/brexitwatch-what-is-theresa-may-up-to.html

An 8th has now occurred to me. Perhaps she is following the orders that Rupert Murdoch gave her during their secretive meeting in New York in September.

*A mention for my book Historia mundial de los desastres (A Disastrous History of the World) in one of Venezuela's leading periodicals - http://www.el-nacional.com/opinion/piedra-catastrofe_0_930507047.html

Hillsborough - closing in on the truth?

So, 23 years after the Hillsborough disaster, the friends and loved ones of victims are to get a second chance to uncover the truth, and today the British government announced it would provide the money to ensure they get proper legal representation at new inquests.

It was at the FA Cup semi-final on April 15, 1989 that 96 Liverpool supporters died when a severe crush developed at the Leppings Lane end of Sheffield Wednesday’s ground.   Ordering new inquests, the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Judge, said ‘deliberate misinformation’ had been disseminated about the disaster.

He expressed particular concern about the role of the police, and about false accusations that drunkenness among fans had played an important part in the tragedy.    These allegations, he said, were ‘unacceptable and unfair’.  

The judge also praised the victims’ families for their dogged pursuit of the truth.   What a disgrace that it has taken so long for them to be heard.  The story of the disaster can be found in A Disastrous History of Britain.

*A new blog about my Historia mundial de los desastres.   http://historianoacademica.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/entonces-jehova-hizo-llover-sobre.html

Cameroon air crash verdict + Spanish edition articles

The official investigation into the Kenya Airways 737 crash in Cameroon in 2007 (see my blog of January 25) has blamed pilot error. The report says the Boeing took off during a storm without clearance from air traffic control in Douala.

The aircraft crashed upside down into a swamp just 90 seconds after take-off, and all 114 people on board died. As it climbed through the darkness and heavy cloud, the pilot became disorientated and the aircraft started to roll to the right.

His 23 year old first officer, whose inexperience was also identified as a possible cause, at first told the captain to turn right, before correcting himself and shouting “left, left, left.” The report also said that the crew failed to carry out any proper instrument check.

* Much attention for the Spanish edition of A Disastrous History of the World, Historia mundial de los desastres. The following articles have recently been posted.:-
http://impreso.milenio.com/node/8756261
http://unlibroaldia.blogspot.com/search?q=withington
http://www.oceanouruguay.com/noticiaeventoparticular.asp?Noticia=565&Tipo=N
http://www.cookingideas.es/el-pais-que-surgio-de-una-tormenta-20091127.html
http://www.cookingideas.es/la-erupcion-que-estuvo-a-punto-de-aniquilar-a-la-humanidad-20091022.html
Thanks to all!