The Sunday Times bestseller. An astonishing narrative of the sailors, scientists, and inventors who attempted to understand the weather.

Book of the Week on Radio 4

'Gripping' - The Times

'Excellent' - Sunday Times

In an era when a storm was proof of God's wrath, pioneering meteorologists had to fight against convention and religious dogmatism to achieve their ambitions. However, bolstered by the achievements of the Enlightenment, a generation of uncompromising individuals decided to unveil the secrets of the atmosphere.

Meet Luke Howard, the first to categorize clouds; Francis Beaufort, quantifier of winds; James Glaisher, explorer of the upper atmosphere via a balloon; Samuel Morse, whose electric telegraph gave scientists the means to transmit weather warnings; and at the center of it all, Admiral Robert FitzRoy: a great mariner, scientific pioneer, and founder of the Meteorological Office.

Peter Moore's thrilling narrative navigates through perilous seas, fierce winds, and reveals the obsession that drove these men to great inventions and greater understanding.

Pages: 432, Dimensions: 13x13cm