Sunil Amrith: the author who almost lost his nerve – then won big

If scale of ambition is a measure of significance, the author Sunil Amrith cannot be beaten.

- Vanessa Thorpe Arts and Media Correspondent

The Burning Earth, his history of the relationship between humans and nature, covers almost every aspect of global existence for 500 years and more ~ from the advent of the Black Death to the invention of the air conditioning unit.

Last week, Amrith, a Yale University history professor, was awarded the £25,000 British Academy book prize for The Burning Earth at a ceremony in London. He triumphed over an international shortlist of six, which included a study of the part played by Orthodox religion in Russia's war in Ukraine by British journalist Lucy Ash, and William Dalrymple’s exploration of India’s historical influence.