"William Beinart and Peter Coates are, respectively, specialists in South African and American history, both at the University of Bristol in England. They have followed in the tradition of George Frederickson, John Cell, and James Campbell by writing a comparative study of an aspect of U.S. and South African history. Environment and History: The Taming of Nature in the USA and South Africa is an environmental history published in a series designed chiefly for student use. By and large it should succeed as a school text. In any case, it makes a rewarding read for anyone interested in environmental or compartive history. . .The book is clearly and concisely written."

--Journal of World History, Fall 1997 Environment and History constitutes a modest contribution to a small, but apparently growing, body of comparative work on the histories of Africa and the United States. Christopher A. Conte, Utah State University (/i)

"Environment and History gives a valuable historical perspective on many of the 'green' issues at the forefront of public interest."

--Bulletin of Science, Technology and Society

"... impressive ... [T]his book['s] ... quality of analysis make[s] it an excellent choice for a course in environmental history."

--Africa Today

Routledge Web Site, April, 2000

The influence of human economies and cultures on ecosystems is particularly striking in the new worlds into which Europeans have expanded over the past 500 years. Using a comparative and multidisciplinary approach, Environment and History examines the neglected historical subject of settler incursion and dominance in two frontier nations, the US and South Africa.

The powerful historical insights already achieved in comparing the racial systems and frontier societies of the US and South Africa are extended in this challenging text. Environment and History is covers a broad sweep of environmental history in a particularly revealing context. The intrusive capitalist systems that came to dictate human relations with nature in the US and South Africa created frontier societies geared to the gobbling of natural resources.

Environment and History gives a valuable historical perspective on many of the ``green'' issues at the forefront of public interest. It should be read by anyone interested in the historical setting for these vital contemporary issues.