Books

Books : reviews

Jeremy Purseglove.
Taming the Flood: rivers, wetland and the centuries-old battle against flooding: 2nd edn.
William Collins. 2015

In recent years the Somerset Levels have suffered from the worst flooding in over twenty years, and flooding in Cumbria and other parts of Britain have reached new levels of severity. Exploring the old arguments and new solutions raised over the last 400 years, Taming the Flood reveals how harnessing nature, rather than attempting to repress it, is the only answer.

Beautifully written and magnificently illustrated with photographs, line drawings and maps, this book serves both as a celebration of the richness of the British countryside, and as a warning of the legacy of loss and destruction we could so easily leave to future generations.