A dramatic photographic chronicle of one of the century’s greatest natural disasters

At 2:30 p.m. on May 12, 2008, China’s Wenchuan County was shaken by a massive earthquake that cost 87,000 lives, destroyed eight million homes, and left 12 million people homeless.

For the first time, English-language readers are presented with a close-up look one of the greatest disasters of the 21st century. Every page a full-color photo, When the Earth Shook chronicles the unspeakable devastation to Wenchuan and its inhabitants.

From steel buildings twisted into knots to the tireless efforts of rescuers working around the clock to the extraordinary reconstruction of an entire region, When the Earth Shook chronicles the frightening power of nature at its worst—and the remarkable strength of the human spirit in the face of adversity.