The Response by David Shukman

The Response by David Shukman

"A gripping, forensic account of how climate extremes are no longer future threats but present-day shocks to Britain’s infrastructure and daily life." - PETER FRANKOPAN

"While I saw the fragile beauty of our planet from space, David Shukman reveals how incredibly vulnerable we are on the ground. Brilliantly researched and compellingly told, this is a powerful book." - TIM PEAKE

"This fascinating and gripping book has the power to open our eyes and shift our thinking in ways that few others can. Read on and get ready." - KATE RAWORTH


Wildfires burning dozens of houses in London suburbs. Downpours so severe they can drown people trapped in basements. Record heatwaves paralysing our railways and hospitals.

This sounds like fiction but it isn’t. The climate is turning far more hostile than many realise, and tragedies are now happening on our doorstep. Even in Britain, one of the richest nations in the world, we aren’t ready. We’re sliding into an age in which the seemingly inconceivable suddenly becomes reality. Unpicking the threads of climate disasters that have already struck reveals a shocking reality:

We could have been prepared but weren’t.
We could have responded to early warnings but didn’t.
Lives are being lost but they could have easily been saved.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. There are plenty of opportunities to protect ourselves, if we only pay attention to the warning signs. The Response is David Shukman’s gripping account of the new extremes that our bodies, buildings and landscapes now face in Britain and around the world — and what we can do about them.


More praise for David Shukman:

"Masterful storytelling... this is such an important book." - JON SOPEL

"A vital wake-up call for a world already on the frontlines. This is climate change stripped of rhetoric and abstraction, delivered at the painful ground level." - CHRISTIANA FIGUERES

The former Science Editor for the BBC, David Shukman led its coverage of the environment for nearly twenty years. With pioneering live reports from the Amazon to Antarctica, he’s described by Sir David Attenborough as “a leader in raising awareness about the climate emergency”. The author of three books, he’s a regular speaker and contributor to news programmes and podcasts, and a Visiting Professor in Practice at the LSE’s Grantham Research Institute.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781529144284
ISBN 10	1529144280
Title	The Response
Author	Shukman David
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Witness Books
Year published	2026-05-07
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.