Savannas are a mosaic of trees and grasses, covering a third of the world's land surface area and supporting a fifth of the world's population. There has been a wide range of literature on the subject, but the majority of books have focused on the ecology or development of savanna areas, ignoring the wider interdisciplinary issues affecting historical and contemporary savannas. World Savannas aims to address this trend, providing students with an up-to-date and comprehensive introduction to the global importance of savannas.