My 'History of Fireworks'. the secret is out!

The Niagara Pen Centre has broken the story! My new book A History of Fireworks (Reaktion) is out soon

https://niagarapencentre.com/shop/product/a-history-of-fireworks-from-their-origins-to-the-present-day-by-john-withington-hardcover-indigo-chapters-coles-d0178e

Here's the entry from the Reaktion Books Catalogue:

'An illumination of the glittering history of fireworks.

This book illuminates the glittering history of fireworks, from their mysterious beginnings to the dazzling big-budget displays of today. It describes how they enthralled the world’s royal courts and became a sensation across the British Empire. There are stories of innovations like ‘living fireworks’, fiercely fought international competitions and the technology behind modern showpieces viewed by millions. Practitioners say fireworks are an art, and they have inspired artists from Shakespeare, Handel, Dickens and Whistler to Katy Perry. But Withington also covers fireworks’ practical uses – rescues at sea, attempts to control the weather – while not ignoring their dangers, accidents or efforts to make them safer.'

https://reaktionbooks.co.uk/work/a-history-of-fireworks-from-their-origins-to-the-present-day

It's available to pre-order from Reaktion or Amazon

https://www.amazon.co.uk/History-Fireworks-Their-Origins-Present/dp/1789149355/ref=sr_1_1?crid=UIQ11WLZQF26&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.UEgHBJlm_91fK-mAriMpMOlSoYy9UW-eulUOn8hPWjk.xi0IPx71A6KxHRAcW6lmq4D8EhiPLwiTXIWq0sgdTyo&dib_tag=se&keywords=withington+fireworks&qid=1718801514&s=books&sprefix=withington+fireworks%2Cstripbooks%2C68&sr=1-1

What's it like to live to 100 and which of us will survive to find out? FREE talk

I'm giving a free talk based on my book 'Secrets of the Centenarians' at Shoe Lane Library, London EC4 at 1300 on April 3.

I'll be examining:

Why are there 90 times as many centenarians as there were 100 years ago?

Why do women centenarians outnumber men by about 5 to 1?

What determines who will make it to 100 and who will fall by the wayside?

Can we go on expanding human lifespan or have we reached our limit?

I'll also be telling the stories of the oldest people who have ever lived and the famous people who lived to 100 – the celebrity centenarians.

Disaster! audiobook out now

The audiobook of my book Disaster! A History of Earthquakes, Floods, Plagues, and Other Catastrophes (A Disastrous History of the World in the UK edition) is now out, read by Roger Clark.

It tells the story of the worst disasters to hit mankind from the volcanic eruption that nearly wiped out the human race 74,000 years ago to the catastrophes of the 21st century, like the Boxing Day tsunami. 

The first part of the book chronicles all the major natural calamities – floods, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, storms, disease, famine, etc. The second half describes the greatest man-made disasters – like invasions, air raids, massacres, riots, terrorism, mass poisonings, stampedes, fires, explosions, shipwrecks, and air and train crashes.

This is what the Independent said about the book: 'The publisher seems to be pushing its luck by describing this haul of the "nastiest things to have afflicted humanity" as "compulsively readable and entertaining". Weirdly enough, this is spot on.'

https://www.scribd.com/audiobook/382306276/Disaster-A-History-of-Earthquakes-Floods-Plagues-and-Other-Catastrophes?host=www.scribd.com&protocol=https

'Secrets of the Centenarians': interview on Talk Radio Europe and New Zealand newspaper excerpt

Interviewed this week by Dave Hodgson of Talk Radio Europe on my new book: Secrets of the Centenarians: What is it like to live for a century, and which of us will survive to find out?'

You can hear the interview here:

https://youtu.be/hAOuBDiXh2Y

And the New Zealand Herald ran this long excerpt from the book:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=11922904

'Secrets of the Centenarians' book signing and free talk. October 6.

I'll be signing copies of my new book: 'Secrets of the Centenarians: what is it like to live for a century and which of us will survive to find out?' at Waterstones, Camden High St, at 1800-2000 on October 6. I'll also be giving a brief talk. All welcome.
https://www.waterstones.com/events/an-evening-with-john-withington-author-of-secrets-of-the-centenarians/london-camden

I'm also in the Books Etc September book Club:-

http://www.booksetc.co.uk/blog/2017/09/07/announcing-our-september-book-club/

Why do women live longer? Part 2 of Daily Mail serialisation of my 'Centenarians' book

Across the world, women have a four or five times better chance of reaching the age of 100 than men. Why?

Part 2 of the Daily Mail's serialisation of Secrets of the Centenarians (Reaktion)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-4885826/Women-live-longer-men-s-why.html

Want to live to 100? Big piece from 'Daily Mail' on my 'Centenarians' book

How do you live to 100? A big piece from today's 'Daily Mail' based on my new book 'Secrets of the Centenarians' (Reaktion). Part two tomorrow!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-4882082/New-book-reveals-live-100.html

My new book: 'Secrets of the Centenarians'

This is how the publisher (Reaktion) describes my new book:-  http://www.reaktionbooks.co.uk/display.asp?k=e2017032711315219

Free talk on storms - a week today, North London

What were the deadliest storms ever? Which storms changed the course of history? What impact have storms had on religions? How have they been portrayed in literature, art and films? And are they going to get even stronger?

These are some of the topics I will be tackling in my free talk at Highgate Library Civic and Cultural Centre, Croftdown Road, London NW5 1HB at 1930 on Thursday 11 May.

The talk is based on my book, Storm: Nature and Culture (Reaktion).

'Storm: Nature and Culture': new reviews

Here's another review of Storm. This time from the Church Times.

I've also had this review from an Indian environmental website:- http://www.downtoearth.org.in/reviews/storm-front-57277?platform=hootsuite

'Storm: Nature and Culture' review

Here's a review of Storm from the Methodist Recorder

Storms - naming, are they getting worse + storms in history and literature

Links here to my interview with Nick Piercey of BBC Radio Oxford (in two parts)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Dx9Ii87-pM&t=24s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5QRHcxe1n4&t=115s

Cornwall's stormy history - BBC interview

Here's an interview I did for BBC Radio Cornwall with Debbie McCrory on Monday about my new book: 'Storm: Nature and Culture' (Reaktion Books)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOornZKVbIM

Or you can listen to it on this BBC link (it starts about 01 33 00)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04czmwh#play

'Storm: Nature and Culture': out in September!

This is how the publisher, Reaktion Books, describes my new book:-

Storms affect our lives in many remarkable and dangerous ways. Gales, hurricanes, cyclones, blizzards, tornados, hail and sand and dust storms regularly demonstrate the awesome power of nature that all of us experience in some form. But what causes them? What role have they played in our history, religion and the arts? And will climate change make them even more destructive? 

This strikingly illustrated book takes an in-depth and unique look at the nature of storms and their impact on our lives. It shows how storms have changed the course of history, playing a decisive role in major battles and momentous revolutions from Roman times to the modern day. It describes the deadliest storms in history, such as the Bangladesh cyclone of 1970 that killed perhaps a million people, and explains how humans have tried to control storms through religion, superstition and science. Despite their potent ability to cause destruction, storms also benefit humanity. Stormdescribes the major role they have played in the arts, from Shakespeare’s plays to novels such as Robinson Crusoe and famous works of art by Rembrandt, Constable, Monet, Munch and Turner. It describes how storms even out global temperatures, providing rain and clearing out old trees to make way for new, and considers what will happen to storms in the future. Fully illustrated and brilliantly written, Storm is the first book to cover all aspects of these natural phenomena.

http://www.reaktionbooks.co.uk/display.asp?ISB=9781780236612

Tales from the European Referendum - of 1975. No.3. EC Commissioner Sir Christopher Soames

Today Europe gets the blame for most things - immigration, our inability to export successfully, preventing too many wars, etc etc. 1975 was the same. On this particular day, the issue was food prices. 

You can understand why British politicians would want to blame Europe. After all, what is more likely to advance your career, saying: 'Sorry, it's my fault' or saying 'It's all Europe's fault'?

Here I tackle one of the UK's European Commissioners, Sir Christopher Soames, on whether Europe was to blame for rising food prices:-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AB5iUEOeWxU&feature=youtu.be

Tales from the European Referendum - of 1975. No 2. The voters speak.

Here I am ‘vox popping’ people in Birmingham in the run-up to the 1975 vote on Europe asking them how they think it will go. Interesting how many people did not seem to know we were already in Europe, and to hear the same complaints you get today that they do not know enough to make their minds up. Perhaps that just confirms that this is a very complex issue, and more suited to being decided by a general election than a referendum.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBsycaKZGMU&feature=youtu.be

Here is my interview with former Prime Minister Ted Heath featured in my post of May 20.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjWLZpCKK6o&feature=youtu.be

Storm: sightings of my new book!

The first hints about my new book Storm: Nature and Culture are beginning to appear on the internet. Published by Reaktion Books, it is due to be published in September.

Storms are one of the most awesome expressions of the power of nature that all of us will experience in some form - hurricanes, gales, thunderstorms, hail, monsoon rain, sand and dust storms, tornadoes. Storm will be the first book to examine all aspects of tempests - 

the stories of the fiercest we have experienced
how they have changed the course of history
how important storms and storm gods have been in religion
how they have influenced art, cinema, and literature
how humanity has tried to control them through religion, superstition and science
whether they are going to get fiercer in the future
etc, etc

Storm, like my last book Flood: Nature and Culture appears in Reaktion's Earth series.

Here is a selection of internet pieces about Storm:

https://www.waterstones.com/book/storm/john-withington/9781780236612
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Storm-Nature-Culture-John-Withington/dp/1780236611?ie=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0
http://www.bibliovault.org/BV.book.epl?ISBN=9781780236612

Floods in deserts

At the start of Flood: Nature and Culture (Reaktion Books), I wrote about how floods could happen almost anywhere – even in deserts, and included the picture above to prove it. It was taken in a desert in Arizona.

The latest proof has come in one of the driest places in the world, the Atacama Desert in Chile (a fascinating place to visit). Last week, torrential rains brought flash floods there that left two people dead and 24 missing. One was said to have been killed in a mudslide and the other electrocuted.

As the river Copiapo burst its banks, the government declared a state of emergency. 38,000 have been without electricity, nearly 50,000 without drinking water, and the government has been rescuing people by helicopter because roads have been blocked.

For the story of another deadly desert flood, in Antelope Canyon, Arizona, see my blog of 6 October 2012.

Picture by Anne Clements.  http://www.anneclements.com/

'Flood: Nature and Culture" - new reviews

Two new reviews of my latest book: Flood: Nature and Culture (Reaktion Books)

http://www.geographical.co.uk/reviews/books/item/310-flood-nature-and-culture-by-john-withington

http://sites.psu.edu/emslibrary/

Reminder - Flood talk TONIGHT

A reminder that I'm giving a talk entitled 'Are floods getting worse?' at Swiss Cottage Library, 88 Avenue Rd, London NW3 3HA tonight, October 9, at 1830, based on my book Flood: Nature and Culture. (Reaktion Books) Admission free.  All welcome.   

For full details, see my post of Sept 20.