Rivers have acted as cradles for civilization and agents of disaster; bountiful yet capricious, a river may be a barrier or a highway, bearing trade and sediment, culture and conflict. This Very Short Introduction celebrates rivers in all their diversity. With examples from all continents, this book covers a wide and eclectic range of river-based themes, from physical geography and mythology, to industrial history and literary criticism.

‘a fascinating foray into the role that rivers have played… a refreshing reminder of the ways in which rivers have fostered, inspired, and frequently overturned, human societies across the ages.’

Nature Geoscience