The gripping story of an extraordinary life spent inside major disasters - from Hillsborough and 9/11 to Grenfell and Covid - from the UK's leading expert on disaster recovery.
When a plane crashes, a bomb explodes, a city floods or a pandemic begins, Lucy Easthope's phone starts to ring.
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THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER AND RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK
PROFILED IN THE NEW YORKER, A TELEGRAPH AND NEW STATESMAN BOOK OF THE YEAR
'Riveting' - Telegraph
'Enthralling' - Observer
'Gripping' - Sunday Times
'An antidote to despair' - Daily Mirror
Lucy is a world-leading authority on recovering from disaster. She holds governments to account, supports survivors and helps communities to rebuild. She has been at the centre of the most seismic events of the last few decades, advising on everything from the 2004 tsunami and the 7/7 bombings to the Grenfell fire and the war in Ukraine. Lucy's job is to pick up the pieces and get us ready for what comes next.
When the Dust Settles takes us behind the police tape to government briefing rooms and scenes of chaos, looking back at the many losses and loves of a remarkable life and career. It tells us how we can all build back after disaster.
AS FEATURED ON THE HIGH PERFORMANCE PODCAST AND FULL DISCLOSURE WITH JAMES O'BRIEN
'A marvellous book' - Rev Richard Coles
"Amazing book by an amazing woman" - James O'Brien
An extraordinary memoir about raw humanity in the face of disaster. Easthope writes beautifully about the importance of the small things in these huge, defining moments and proves that, when the dust settles, with care and compassion we can rebuild from the ashes. This is an essential, uplifting read, brimming with humanity, humility and humour.
A book of horror and hope, written with rare humanity.
A riveting no-nonsense memoir that pulls back the curtains on your worst fears and shows you that someone, somewhere, will always truly care.
Outstanding... a graphic but deeply humane account of what drew her to take on such work, and how she steels herself to tackle the worst of human scenarios. - The Bookseller
In her fascinating memoir, which also covers the work she's done throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, she shares her experiences of the frontline - Evening Standard
In this inspiring and unflinching memoir [Lucy Easthope] recounts a life spent confronting other people's trauma and helping them to move forward. - Waterstones
Easthope shows us how perfection and imperfection are woven together. Everything is flawed. Yet there is also hope despite the flaws. It is through the cracks, and through the dogged dedication of disaster experts like Easthope, who has been an adviser on nearly every major disaster for the last twenty years, that the light comes in. - Rachel Kelly
'Easthope, whether she knows it or not, is that rare thing, a genuine philosopher thinking through what she is actually doing in the mitigation of human suffering, grief and isolation. This book is more searching as an analysis of human needs and nature than a good many technical volumes on the subject.' - New Statesman
Lucy Easthope is the UK's leading authority on recovering from disaster. She has been an advisor for nearly every major disaster of the past two decades, including the 2004 tsunami, 9/11, the Salisbury poisonings, Grenfell, the Covid-19 pandemic and most recently the war in Ukraine. She challenges others to think differently about what comes next after tragic events, and how to plan for future ones. Lucy grew up in Liverpool and has a degree in law, a PhD in medicine and a Masters in risk, crisis and disaster management. She is a Professor in Practice of Risk and Hazard at the University of Durham, a Fellow in Mass Fatalities and Pandemics at the University of Bath and a Research Associate at the Joint Centre for Disaster Research, Massey University, New Zealand.