Flammable Cities: Urban Conflagration and the Making of the Modern World [Paperback]

Greg Bankoff (Editor), Uwe Lubken (Editor), Jordan Sand (Editor), Stephen J. Pyne (Afterword)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 19, 2012

In most cities today, fire has been reduced to a sporadic and isolated threat. But throughout history the constant risk of fire has left a deep and lasting imprint on almost every dimension of urban society. This volume, the first truly global study of urban conflagration, shows how fire has shaped cities throughout the modern world, from Europe to the imperial colonies, major trade entrepôts, and non-European capitals, right up to such present-day megacities as Lagos and Jakarta. Urban fire may hinder commerce or even spur it; it may break down or reinforce barriers of race, class, and ethnicity; it may serve as a pretext for state violence or provide an opportunity for displays of state benevolence. As this volume demonstrates, the many and varied attempts to master, marginalize, or manipulate fire can turn a natural and human hazard into a highly useful social and political tool.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“A remarkably robust survey of cultures, cities, and histories that affirms the universality of fire’s impact within the urban setting.”—Stephen J. Pyne

“How do people in an urban environment deal with the problem of fire? The essays in this book show how the answers vary depending on economic conditions, power structures, climate, and culture. An excellent collection.”—Johan Goudsblom, author of Fire and Civilization

About the Author

Greg Bankoff is professor of history at the University of Hull, UK. Uwe Lübken is “Disaster Migration” project director, Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society, LMU Munich. Jordan Sand is associate professor of Japanese history and culture at Georgetown University.

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: University of Wisconsin Press; 1 edition (January 19, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0299283844
• ISBN-13: 978-0299283841
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 1 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,180,995 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)