The Invention of Clouds: How an Amateur Meteorologist Forged the Language of the Skies

A captivating, intriguing account of the shy Quaker who gave clouds their names.

Biographies & Memoirs

Hamblyn, Richard

Historical

Picador

A tantalizing mixture of biography, history, and science. The Invention of Clouds takes as its focus a specific scientific advance of the early nineteenth century, but it also addresses other issues of the day, such as culture, religion, aesthetics, literature etc. At the time such things weren't divided into separate disciplines, a mentality that is reflected by the book itself.It tells the story of a shy young Quaker, Luke Howard, and his pioneering work to define what had hitherto been random and unknowable structures - clouds. Howard was catapulted to fame in December 1802 when he named the clouds, a defining point in natural history and meteorology. His poetic names and groundbreaking work made him internationally famous. He became a cult figure for Romantics like Shelley and Goethe. His work is still the basis of modern meteorology, but he himself has been overlooked. In this book Hamblyn means to restore both him, his cultural context and the science he loved, to life.

The Invention of Clouds

Professionals & Academics

A book about art, literature, science -- and meteorology

Science. Does the word fill you with excitement, or dread, or something in between? Science -- and the art of science writing -- can, and should, be something to get excited about. The extracts featured in this anthology span centuries and continents, but are connected by their authors' desire to understand, explain and enrich the world. The Art of Science is not a book about great scientific theories, complicated equations or grand old men and women in their laboratories; instead, it's about the places we draw our inspiration from; about daily routines and sudden flashes of insight; about dedication, and -- sometimes -- desperation; and the small moments, questions, quests, clashes, doubts and delights that ultimately make us human. From Galileo to Lewis Carroll, from Humphry Davy to Charles Darwin, from Marie Curie to Stephen Jay Gould, from rust to snowflakes, from the first use of the word 'scientist' to the first computer, from why the sea is salty to Newtonian physics 'for the ladies', The Art of Science is a book about people, which is to say it's a book about passion, politics, and poetry. Above all, though, it's a book about the good that science, and scientific thinking, can -- and does -- do.

Picador Bk of Science (Pb) [Paperback] [Oct 25, 2012] Richard Hamblyn

Science & Math

History & Philosophy

Details the true story of a timid young Quaker and amateur meteorologist named Luke Howard who was hurled into the spotlight when he assigned poetic names to the clouds in December 1802, which became a landmark in natural history and meteorology and caused him to become immortalized in the works of the Romantics. 12,500 first printing.

History

Europe

Farrar. Straus & Giroux

This attractive and entertaining guide to the clouds, helps readers to identify every cloud type and related phenomena, and understand its implications for the weather. Unlike other books about clouds and weather, which can be very scientific and hard to understand, The Cloud Book follows a logical progression from low clouds to the high stratus clouds, and on to special clouds. The book also features a detailed introduction on the history of cloud classification--how it came about, the challenge involved with naming transitional forms in nature and how it was overcome. Packed with stunning images from the Met Office's archive combined with a lively and informative text, this is the definitive guide to the clouds and the skies.

The Pocket Cloud Book Updated Edition

Arts & Photography

Photography & Video

David&Charles

You? ll find a selection of some of the most startling and unusual cloud formations, from uniform streaks of ? cloud streets? to the odd bulbous ? lenticularis? that are commonly mistaken for UFOs. Each amazing photograph will be accompanied by Hamblyn? s entertaining and informative explanation of how the cloud was formed and the conditions in which a similar one might occur. The images chosen use satellite photography as well as ground-based pictures and the collection demonstrates the most unexpected and seemingly impossible patterns that can be created by the natural cycles of weather.

Extraordinary Clouds

Sports & Outdoors

If you enjoy watching clouds and want to know more about cloud types and what they mean then this practical reference guide is for you. Beautifully illustrated with lovely images from the Met Office, this handy pocket-sized book provides you with all the information you need to identify different kinds of clouds and the kind of weather that may be on its way. Full of useful information, this book provides: * quick reference pages for rapid identification; * a cloud classification chart and a guide to the unique cloud identification system; * clear informative explanations from weather experts; * a simple, easy-to-understand progression from low clouds to high stratus clouds, as well as covering unusual cloud phenomena; * a detailed introduction on the history of cloud classification and an introduction to the three principle cloud forms, with clear explanations of the atmospheric processes that create them. This is an invaluable companion for the casual cloud-spotter and for all those fascinated by the variety and beauty of clouds and cloud names. Take it with you on walks and have it handy in the garden so that you can enjoy sky-gazing every day. This book is the ideal daytime partner for our book on the night sky - The Star Book by Peter Grego.

Earth Sciences

Abraham Lincoln, sixteenth president of the United States, led the nation through its darkest hour-the Civil War. Find out about Lincoln's childhood on a frontier farm, how a struggling small town lawyer became president, and why he became one of America's most revered leaders. 
In this groundbreaking new series, DK brings together fresh voices and DK design values to give readers the most information-packed, visually exciting biographies on the market today. Full-color photographs of people, places, and artifacts, and sidebars on related subjects add dimension and relevance to stories of famous lives that students will love to read. Modern scholarship and a variety of narrative approaches give today's reader a chance to explore the extraordinary world of Abraham Lincoln. This new way of looking at classic subjects creates a unique reading experience that breathes life into the book-report and summer-reading repertoire. Supports the Common Core State Standards.

DK Biography: Abraham Lincoln

Children's Books

Biographies

DK Children

An incredible collection of truly breathtaking weather phenomena. Produced in association with the Met Office, the world's premier weather forecasting bureau, Extraordinary Weather unearths astonishing photographs and compelling satellite imagery that reveals the otherworldly, wayward and often ambiguous nature of the weather. From the beautiful snow rollers that can form on icy rooftops to the dramatic lightshow of volcanic lightning, these powerful images—accompanied by commentary from the award winning Richard Hamblyn—inform and explain the science behind the most extraordinary weather phenomena ever seen.
Extraordinary Weather presents a beautiful and dramatic visual exhibition of the perpetually changing sky, bringing us closer to the natural world. Discover the world's altering climate and its affects all around us, explore weather events on a larger scale through powerful satellite imagery, and learn of unusual and out of the ordinary weather phenomena considered unbelievable until you have seen them with your own eyes.
Acclaimed author Richard Hamblyn celebrates both impressive natural and man-made weather wonders from frost feathers created by rime ice to wingtip vortices formed by accelerating aircraft. The six themed chapters of the book explore storms and tempests, ice and snow, heat and drought, atmospherics, strange phenomena and man-made weather revealed through some of the most visually stunning and intriguing photographs and satellite images seen yet.

Extraordinary Weather: Wonders of the Atmosphere from Dust Storms to Lightning Strikes

Environment

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Hamblyn, Richard. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Hamblyn, Richard

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Hamblyn, Richard. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The Invention of Clouds: How an Amateur Meteorologist Forged the Language of the Skies

The Invention of Clouds

The Invention of Clouds: How an Amateur Meteorologist Forged the Language of the Skies

Picador Bk of Science (Pb) [Paperback] [Oct 25, 2012] Richard Hamblyn

The Invention of Clouds: How an Amateur Meteorologist Forged the Language of the Skies

The Pocket Cloud Book Updated Edition

Extraordinary Clouds

The Pocket Cloud Book Updated Edition

DK Biography: Abraham Lincoln

Extraordinary Weather: Wonders of the Atmosphere from Dust Storms to Lightning Strikes