An edition of Locust (2004)

Locust

The Devastating Rise and Mysterious Disappearance of the Insect That Shaped the American Frontier

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Last edited by MARC Bot
July 15, 2019 | History
An edition of Locust (2004)

Locust

The Devastating Rise and Mysterious Disappearance of the Insect That Shaped the American Frontier

  • 0 Ratings
  • 1 Want to read
  • 0 Currently reading
  • 0 Have read

This book tells the story of America's most extraordinary insect, brilliantly recounted by the scientist who solved the mystery of its extinction. Throughout the nineteenth century, swarms of locusts regularly swept across the continent, turning noon into dusk, devastating farms, and bringing trains to a halt as the crushed bodies of insects greased the rails. In 1876, the U.S. Congress declared the locust "the single greatest impediment to the settlement of the country." In this surprising and original book, Pushcart Prize winner Jeffrey Lockwood sets out to tell the story of an insect, and in so doing, tells the story of a nation. From the Dakotas to Texas, from California to Iowa, locust swarms destroyed billions of dollars in crops, pushing thousands of settlers to the brink of starvation. Long seen as a form of divine punishment, the locust outbreaks forced the federal government to confront impossible questions: Were the farmers unfortunate victims or were they morally weak? What would the role of charity and welfare be in the new nation? Could science alone solve such an enormous problem? The plague of locusts finally prompted the government to establish a commission that brought together some of the greatest scientific minds of the day -- the first time science was called upon to address a national crisis. With its powerful egos and fiery conflicts, the commission jumpstarted the fledgling field of entomology, launching a golden era of discovery. Over the next few decades, the Rocky Mountain locust suddenly and mysteriously vanished. A century later, Jeffrey Lockwood set out to discover why. Unconvinced by the reigning theories, he searched for new evidence in musty books, crumbling maps, and crevassed glaciers, eventually piecing together the elusive answer. Drawing on historical accounts and modern science, Lockwood brings to life the economic, religious, and political forces at work in America in the late-nineteenth century, even as he solves one of the greatest ecological mysteries of our time. In the process, he offers a startling new prism through which to view American history and the settlement of the West. - Jacket flap.

Publish Date
Language
English
Pages
288

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Previews available in: English

Edition Availability
Cover of: Locust
Cover of: Locust
Locust: The Devastating Rise and Mysterious Disappearance of the Insect That Shaped the American Frontier
May 11, 2004, Basic Books, a member of the Perseus Books Group
Hardcover in English

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Book Details


First Sentence

"FOR MOST OF US, INSECTS ARE MERELY A SOURCE OF annoyance."

Table of Contents

Introduction
The third horseman of the Apocalypse
Albert's swarm
The sixth plague
Humans strike back
Politicians and pests
Lord of the locusts
The triumvirate
The locust disappears
A wolf in sheep's clothing?
Beautiful theories and ugly facts
Secrets in the ice
The mother lode
Pioneers on trial
What have we learned?

Edition Notes

Published in
New York

Classifications

Library of Congress
SB945.R7 L63 2004

The Physical Object

Format
Hardcover
Pagination
xxiii, 294 p.
Number of pages
288
Dimensions
9.6 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
Weight
1.3 pounds

ID Numbers

Open Library
OL7899698M
Internet Archive
locustdevastatin0000lock
ISBN 10
0738208949
ISBN 13
9780738208947
LCCN
2003025538
Library Thing
452695
Goodreads
1280828

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History

Download catalog record: RDF / JSON
July 15, 2019 Edited by MARC Bot import existing book
October 15, 2014 Edited by Bryan Tyson Edited without comment.
April 28, 2010 Edited by Open Library Bot Linked existing covers to the work.
December 10, 2009 Created by WorkBot add works page