The Alps : an environmental history

Author(s)

    • Mathieu, Jon
    • Hadshar, Rose

Bibliographic Information

The Alps : an environmental history

Jon Mathieu ; translated by Rose Hadshar

(Polity's environmental history series)

Polity, c2019

  • : hardback

Other Title

Die Alpen : Raum -- Kultur -- Geschichte

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Note

Includes bibliographical references (p. [194]-201) and index

Description and Table of Contents

Description

Stretching 1,200 kilometres across six countries, the colossal mountains of the Alps dominate Europe, geographically and historically. Enlightenment thinkers felt the sublime and magisterial peaks were the very embodiment of nature, Romantic poets looked to them for divine inspiration, and Victorian explorers tested their ingenuity and courage against them. Located at the crossroads between powerful states, the Alps have played a crucial role in the formation of European history, a place of intense cultural fusion as well as fierce conflict between warring nations. A diverse range of flora and fauna have made themselves at home in this harsh environment, which today welcomes over 100 million tourists a year. Leading Alpine scholar Jon Mathieu tells the story of the people who have lived in and been inspired by these mountains and valleys, from the ancient peasants of the Neolithic to the cyclists of the Tour de France. Far from being a remote and backward corner of Europe, the Alps are shown by Mathieu to have been a crucible of new ideas and technologies at the heart of the European story.

Table of Contents

Preface Writing a History of the Alps Personal Note and Acknowledgements List of Maps and Figures Timeline 1. The Alps in European History 2. Modern Scholars on the Alps 3. In the Beginning was Hannibal 4. Coping with Life - High and Low 5. Paths to the Nation State 6. Religious Culture, Early Science 7. The Perception of the Alps 8. Which Modernity? 9. Europeanisation and Environmentalism 10. Conclusion Notes References Index

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