David Shukman - The Response: A Story of Fire and Flood in Britain’s New World of Extremes | Hardcover

David Shukman's The Response delivers a gripping, forensic account detailing how climate extremes are transitioning from future threats into present-day shocks impacting Britain’s infrastructure and daily life. This essential read unpicks the reality of recent climate disasters—from wildfires in London suburbs to paralyzing heatwaves—revealing how tragedies could have been averted through better preparation and response to early warnings.

This book moves beyond abstraction to present the painful, ground-level reality of climate change affecting bodies, buildings, and landscapes, offering opportunities for protection if warning signs are heeded.

• Forensic examination of recent climate disasters in Britain, including severe downpours and record heatwaves.
• Analysis of the vulnerability of modern infrastructure (railways, hospitals) to escalating climate extremes.
• Exploration of missed opportunities for preparedness and life-saving responses to early warnings.
• A compelling narrative detailing what citizens and systems now face in an increasingly hostile climate age.

• Praised by Peter Frankopan as a gripping account of present-day shocks to Britain’s infrastructure.
• Tim Peake notes its brilliant research and compelling narrative on planetary vulnerability.
• Christiana Figueres calls it a vital wake-up call, delivering climate change stripped of rhetoric.

• Author: David Shukman
• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Publication Date: 7 May 2026
• Publisher: Witness Books
• Print Length: 336 pages
• ISBN-10: 1529144280
• ISBN-13: 978-1529144284
• Dimensions: 16.4 x 3.2 x 24.2 cm
• Weight: 530 g

The Response is a crucial read for anyone interested in Earth Sciences, Meteorology, and the immediate challenges posed by ecological pollution and global warming.