Great Flood: Travels Through a Sodden Landscape

In The Great Flood, Edward Platt explores the physical landscape of Britain and its inhabitants' experiences with flooding, combining travel writing, reportage, history, literature, and myth. He visited flooded villages and towns, marsh and Fen, and the drowned plain that used to connect Britain to continental Europe, meeting people struggling to stop their houses falling into the sea and others whose homes had been engulfed. The book dramatizes the experience of being flooded and considers what will happen as the planet warms and the waters rise.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 192 pages
Publication date: 25 June 2020
Publisher: Pan Macmillan

Flooding has long posed a significant threat to the United Kingdom's picturesque, windswept islands, but its frequency and intensity are on the rise. In his book, Edward Platt delves into the profound impact that floods have had on the physical landscape of Britain and on the lives of its inhabitants.

Over the course of two years, Platt embarked on a journey across the country, visiting regions that had been ravaged by floods and engaging with the communities affected. He witnessed the devastation caused by winter storms, which threatened vast marshlands and fen areas. He also traversed the former land bridge that once connected Britain to continental Europe, now submerged under the waters.

During his travels, Platt encountered individuals who were tirelessly striving to prevent their homes from being washed away by the rising sea. He also met those who had lost their homes to the floodwaters. He conducted investigations into both natural and human-caused disasters, shedding light on the contrasting attitudes towards those responsible for preventing such calamities.

The Great Flood, a powerful work of drama, vividly portrays the harrowing experience of being flooded and raises thought-provoking questions about the future as the planet continues to warm and the waters continue to rise. Through its compelling storytelling, the book offers a deeper understanding of the realities behind the statistics and headlines that often go unnoticed.

Weight: 234g
Dimension: 131 x 196 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780330420280