From the majestic waters of the Nile to the mighty Yellow and Yangtze rivers to the grand Mississippi to the immense Amazon river, the great rivers of the world have captured the human imagination and shaped our history. In this fascinating guide, Geordie Torr explores the natural forces that have created these rivers, their impacts on the environment, and the myriad ways they have affected societies and cultures.

In this volume, you will:

• Explore the natural features of a river from their source in the mountains down to the estuaries where they reach the sea.

• See how rivers like the Tigris and Euphrates rivers gave birth to the first civilizations.

• Learn how rivers like the Rhine and the Mississippi have facilitated trade along their lengths.

• Discover the importance of rivers to our well-being, through their impacts on agriculture, drought, migration and much, much more.