EBOOK Rivers: A Very Short Introduction

Rivers have played an extraordinarily important role in creating the world in        which we live. They create landscapes and provide water to people, plants and        animals, nourishing both town and country. The flow of rivers has enthused poets and        painters, explorers and pilgrims. Rivers have acted as cradles for civilization and        agents of disaster; a river may be a barrier or a highway, it can bear trade and        sediment, culture and conflict. A river may inspire or it may terrify.This Very        Short Introduction is a celebration of rivers in all their diversity. Nick Middleton        covers a wide and eclectic range of river-based themes, from physical geography to        mythology, to industrial history and literary criticism. Worshipped and revered,        respected and feared, rivers reflect both the natural and social history of our        planet.