This Gulf of Fire: The Great Lisbon Earthquake and the Forging of the Modern World

FAIN: FT-57145-09

Mark C. Molesky
Seton Hall University (South Orange, NJ 07079-2697)

The Lisbon Earthquake was one of the most dramatic and consequential events in European history. Without warning on November 1, 1755, a series of violent tremors, followed by a devastating tsunami and a raging fire completely destroyed the capital of Portugal. The resultant debate about the meaning and causes of the disaster among scientists, theologians, and philosophers - including the three most celebrated minds of the 18th century: Voltaire, Rousseau, and Kant - forced a stunned and frightened world to reevaluate and, in many cases, abandon its most deeply held beliefs concerning God, Man, and Nature. I propose to write a book-length history of the Lisbon Earthquake and its impact on European thought and culture. An extension of my senior honors thesis, this project will combine my professional expertise in intellectual and cultural history with my interest in narrative.

Associated Products

This Gulf of Fire: The Destruction of Lisbon, or Apocalypse in the Age of Science and Reason (Book)
Title: This Gulf of Fire: The Destruction of Lisbon, or Apocalypse in the Age of Science and Reason
Author: Mark Molesky
Editor: George Andreou
Abstract: This Gulf of Fire is a narrative history of the Great Lisbon Earthquake Disaster of 1755. It discusses and analyzes both the event itself (which consists of an earthquake, a tsunami, and a firestorm) as well as the impact of the disaster on European thought and culture.
Year: 2015
Primary URL: http://www.worldcat.org/title/this-gulf-of-fire-the-destruction-of-lisbon-or-apocalypse-in-the-age-of-science-and-reason/oclc/904715510?referer=tag_list_view
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Type: Single author monograph
ISBN: 0307267628
Copy sent to NEH?: Yes

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