Storm Warning: The Origins of the Weather Forecast [Hardcover]

Pauline Halford (Author), Michael Fish MBE (Foreword)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0750932155 | ISBN-13: 978-0750932158 | Publication Date: January 25, 2005

Imagine a world without the weather forecast. Is it likely to be warm and sunny for the fete at the weekend? Will Thursday be a good day to make that ferry crossing, or would Friday be better? We might scorn it and deride it, but we still consult the men - and women - from the Met Office, rather than a piece of soggy seaweed, before deciding whether to set out with a brolly in the morning. More than one hundred and fifty years the best forecast available was the weather glass with its imprecise predictions of 'Fair' or 'Changeable'. Before that, man consulted the animals in the fields, the birds in the sky, clouds, insects, the moon - even astrologers, oracles and the ancient gods. The tale of the emergence of forecasting from mythology, through the weather glass and into meteorology is a story fraught with conflict between scientists and seers; it involves the riding of storms; the scouring of the wide oceans in small sailing ships and soaring to the sky in balloons. This book traces the story of man's attempts to foretell the coming weather, and shows how weather prediction emerged from the realms of the seer and charlatan into credible acceptability.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Pauline Halford is a regular columnist and feature writer for 'Caravan' magazine, and is a part-time computer systems administrator for the NHS. She has had a number of articles published in 'Family Tree', 'Record Buyer' and other magazines, and has co-authored the autobiography of the singer Frank Ifield.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: The History Press (January 25, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0750932155
• ISBN-13: 978-0750932158
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,977,820 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, Reads like a novel, October 25, 2011

By 

A. D. hodgson - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Storm Warning: The Origins of the Weather Forecast (Paperback)

The details and stars of this book have not lingered with me, but I remember some general impressions of it. Felt somewhat too detailed for my interests into meteorology; you get some in-office politics, some specifics on out-dated apparatus, and head-butting between departments. It tries at times perhaps to be a soap opera when what I wanted was Reader's Digest. But I made it all the way through and most of the book is fascinating. The pace of the book is usually quick. I think if you like creative non-fiction or science and are looking for something pleasurable and intelligent to read, you will appreciate this book. But I'm not convinced there is anything here that a person just slightly curious about the history of meteorology could not get off Wikipedia in much less time.