The Retreat of the Elephants: An Environmental History of China

This landmark book—the first environmental history of China—is based on a wealth of literary, political aesthetic, scientific, and religious sources that reveal the views of the Chinese people toward their environment and landscape.

"Masterly and engaging. . . . Essential for those who want to understand the long sweep of Chinese history, and it will enhance the perspective of those who think they already understand it. A scholarly tour de force."—J. R. McNeill, Wilson Quarterly (Note to DMB: check print review—also in Science?)

"Elvin combines an illuminating account of the 4,000 year-long collision of humans and nature with delightful tidbits about everything under the Chinese sun. . . . A magisterial work."—Nicholas D. Kristof, Scientific American