Storm Watchers: The Turbulent History of Weather Prediction from Franklin's Kite to El Nino - Hardcover

"A fascinating volume in which John D. Cox looks at both the science and the personalities of the men who made modern meteorology." (The Associated Press) "...a fascinating volume in which John D. Cox looks both at the science and personality of the men who made modern meteorology..." (The Associated Press, 14 October 2002) "...This lively, inspiring account reveals the courage and bravery of the early weather pioneers..."(Firstscience.com, 15 May 2003)

A lively, inspiring account of the pioneers who sought to accurately predict the weather Benjamin Franklin ...James P. Espy ...Cleveland Abbe ...Carl-Gustaf Rossby ...Jule G. Charney ...just a few of the remarkable individuals who struggled against formidable odds to understand the atmosphere and predict the weather. Where they saw patterns and processes, others saw randomness and tumult-and yet they strove to make their voices heard, often saving lives in the process. Storm Watchers takes you on a fascinating journey through time that captures the evolution of weather forecasting. From the age when meteorology was considered one step removed from sorcery to the modern-day wizardry of supercomputers, John Cox introduces you to the pioneering scientists whose work fulfilled an ancient dream and made it possible to foretell the future. He tells the little-known stories of these weathermen, such as Ptolemy's weather predictions based on astrology, John Finley's breakthrough research in identifying tornadoes, and Tor Bergeron's new techniques of weather forecasting, which contributed to its final worldwide acceptance. Filled with extraordinary tales of bravery and sacrifice, Storm Watchers will make you think twice the next time you turn on the local news to catch the weather report.