An epic new work from the author of )The Invention Of Clouds(, blending history, science and eye-witness accounts to examine four natural disasters and the human responses to them, which changed the world. The case histories explored are the Lisbon earthquake of 1755; the weather-panics of the summer of 1783; the eruption of Krakatau in 1883 and the Hilo tsunami of 1946. Hamblyn's study serves as a reminder of our vulnerability when the earth 'goes wrong' and explores why we don't seem to be able to fully learn from the catastrophes of the past.