What is going on with our atmosphere? The headlines are filled with news of devastating hurricanes, murderous tornadoes, and cataclysmic fires. Gale force advisories are issued on a regular basis by weather services around the world.

Atmospheric scientists are warning that winds – the force at the centre of all these dangerous natural events – are expected to steadily increase in the years ahead, strengthening in power, speed, and frequency. While this prediction worried the insurance industry, governmental leaders, scientists, and conscientious citizens, one particular segment of society received it with unbridled enthusiasm. To the energy industry, rising wind strength and speeds as an unalloyed boon for humankind – a vital source of clean and ‘safe’ power.

Between these two poles – wind as a malevolent force, and wind as saviour of our planet – lies a world of fascination, history, literature, science, poetry, and engineering which Simon Winchester explores with the curiosity and Vigor that are the hallmarks of his bestselling works. In The Breath of the Gods, he explains how wind plays a part in our everyday lives, from airplane or car travel to the ‘natural disasters’ that are becoming more frequent and regular.

The Breath of the Gods is an urgently-needed portrait across time of that unseen force – unseen but not unfelt – that respects no national borders and no vessel or structure in its path. Wind, the movement of the air, is seen by so many as a heavenly creation and generally a thing of essential goodness. But when it flexes its invisible muscles, all should take care and be very afraid.

‘In Helen Czerski’s hands, the mechanical becomes magical. An instant classic.’
Tristan Gooley, author of How to Read Water

‘Blue Machine is quite simply one of the best books I have ever read.’
Dr George McGavin, zoologist, entomologist and broadcaster

‘A fascinating dive into the essential engine that drives our world. Czerski brings the oceans alive with compelling stories that masterfully navigate this most complex system.’
Gaia Vince, science journalist, broadcaster and author of Nomad Century

All of the Earth’s ocean, from the equator to the poles, is a single engine powered by sunlight – a blue machine.

Earth is home to a huge story that is rarely told – that of our ocean. Not the fish or the dolphins, but the massive ocean engine itself: what it does, why it works, and the many ways it has influenced animals, weather and human history & culture.

In a book that will recalibrate our view of this defining feature of our planet, physicist Helen Czerski dives deep to illuminate the murky depths of the ocean engine, examining the messengers, passengers and voyagers that live in it, travel over it, and survive because of it. From the ancient Polynesians who navigated the Pacific by reading the waves to permanent residents of the deep such as the Greenland shark that can live for hundreds of years, she explains the vast currents, invisible ocean walls and underwater waterfalls that all have their place in the ocean’s complex, interlinked system.

Timely, elegant and passionately argued, Blue Machine presents a fresh perspective on what it means to be a citizen of an ocean planet. The understanding it offers is crucial to our future. Drawing on years of experience at the forefront of marine science, Helen Czerski captures the magnitude and subtlety of Earth’s defining feature, showing us the thrilling extent to which we are at the mercy of this great engine.

A fascinating month-by-month collection of facts, figures and explanations related to UK weather with details of famous meteorologists and their influence. Discover historical facts, notable weather events, amazing statistics and stories that will keep you informed all year round.

You can delve as deeply as you like, or follow your own favourite topic throughout the year.

• discover little-known secrets about the weather
• learn fascinating facts and notable meteorological anniversaries
• track weather patterns over the previous 12 months
• examine weather extremes, temperature and atmospheric pressure highs and lows
• check wind, rainfall and snowfall extremes
• discover the times for sunrise, sunset, moonrise and moonset across the UK capital cities
• find the Moon’s Phases and Ages for the year

Written by weather expert, Storm Dunlop.

Earth is home to a huge story that is rarely told – that of our ocean. Not the fish or the dolphins, but the massive ocean engine itself: what it does, why it works, and the many ways it has influenced animals, weather and human history & culture.

In a book that will recalibrate our view of this defining feature of our planet, physicist Helen Czerski dives deep to illuminate the murky depths of the ocean engine, examining the messengers, passengers and voyagers that live in it, travel over it, and survive because of it. From the ancient Polynesians who navigated the Pacific by reading the waves to permanent residents of the deep such as the Greenland shark that can live for hundreds of years, she explains the vast currents, invisible ocean walls and underwater waterfalls that all have their place in the ocean’s complex, interlinked system.

Timely, elegant and passionately argued, Blue Machine presents a fresh perspective on what it means to be a citizen of an ocean planet. The understanding it offers is crucial to our future. Drawing on years of experience at the forefront of marine science, Helen Czerski captures the magnitude and subtlety of Earth’s defining feature, showing us the thrilling extent to which we are at the mercy of this great engine.

‘An engaging and lively history’ Financial Times
__________

A thin, invisible layer of air surrounds the Earth, sustaining all known life on the planet and creating the unique climates and weather patterns that make each part of the world different.

In Firmament, atmospheric scientist and science communicator Simon Clark offers a rare and accessible tour of the ins and outs of the atmosphere and how we know what we know about it. From the workings of its different layers to why carbon dioxide is special, from pioneers like Pascal to the unsung heroes working in the field to help us understand climate change, Firmament introduces us to an oft-overlooked area of science and not only lays the ground work for us to better understand the debates surrounding the climate today, but also provides a glimpse of the future that is possible with this knowledge in hand.
__________

Discover the incomparable beauty of the Northern Lights with this accessible guide for aspiring astronomers and seasoned night sky observers. Covers the essential equipment needed for observation and photography and full of stunning photographs.

Tom Kerss covers the cultural and scientific context for auroras, and offers a comprehensive guide to forecasting and photography, so that readers can fuse their own technical mastery with the infinite creativity of nature.

• Read about the formation, properties and types of auroras
• Discover the mythology and history of The Northern Lights
• Find out about Aurora science from Antiquity to the modern day
• Learn how to take stunning photographs of the Northern Lights
• Includes a comprehensive travel and forecasting guide and a glossary of key terms.

The Northern Lights will give you a complete understanding of one of the true wonders of the natural world and leave you prepared for the adventure of a lifetime.

With meticulous research corroborated by over 100 scientists, Small Gases, Big Effect summarizes all the latest findings on the causes and effects of climate change. Combining clear, thoughtful writing with illuminating graphics, it is a little book that presents complex scientific evidence in a way that everyone will find easy to understand.