"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 ""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.