- Hardcover: 320 pages
- Publisher: Sceptre; First Edition / Sixth Impression edition (18 April 2006)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0340895896
- ISBN-13: 978-0340895894
- Product Dimensions: 19.8 x 13.8 x 3.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (50 customer reviews)
-
Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
179,687 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #47 in Books > Science & Nature > Earth Sciences & Geography > Meteorology > Climate
| ||||||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Visit the Amazon.co.uk Trade-In Store for more details. |
Product details |
More About the Author
Product Description
Review
‘A lovely book, the sort that everybody should have in the car or on the kitchen windowsill’
(Daily Telegraph )‘His style is genial, his enthusiasm uplifting and his book nothing less than a subtle but glorious mantra for a way of life.’
(Metro )‘Read this eye-opening and amusingly written book and you will realise that beautiful as they are clouds are not just put there for decoration, they are truly awesome things.’
(Daily Mail )‘Eloquent and engaging…Beautiful illustrations, photos and diagrams throughout, which show how spectacular the sights can be for the ardent cloudspotter.’
(Financial Times )Daily Mail
'Read this eye-opening and amusingly written book'
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
Browse and search another edition of this book.
Browse and search another edition of this book.
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Help others by sharing your experience with this product.
Write a customer review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
159 of 167 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This book was not quite what I expected in that I thought that it would be a largely pictorial guide to clouds. In fact it's quite textual with a relatively small number of illustrations considering that it's over 300 pages long.
There is a small colour section and I would have liked to have seen the other pictures reproduced in colour also rather than in monochrome which has sometimes come out as rather flattish and lacking contrast.
That said, it's an intelligently written guide not only to the types and appearances of clouds but also to the whys and wherefores of how each type forms and what it signifies in climatic terms. Although quite scientific in places it is also filled with lighter comments and observations.
It's entirely possible to appreciate the beauty of clouds without knowing anything about the processes behind their formation but I would recommend the book to any thinking reader who wishes to be informed in better depth about what they see in the sky and why it's there.
There is a small colour section and I would have liked to have seen the other pictures reproduced in colour also rather than in monochrome which has sometimes come out as rather flattish and lacking contrast.
That said, it's an intelligently written guide not only to the types and appearances of clouds but also to the whys and wherefores of how each type forms and what it signifies in climatic terms. Although quite scientific in places it is also filled with lighter comments and observations.
It's entirely possible to appreciate the beauty of clouds without knowing anything about the processes behind their formation but I would recommend the book to any thinking reader who wishes to be informed in better depth about what they see in the sky and why it's there.
89 of 94 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Witty, amusing, informative, and a fascinating read, is how I would describe this book. I loved it. I'm not even sure what attracted me to it in the first place; I think perhaps I couldn't imagine that anyone could write a whole book about clouds.
I used to admire the sky but only usually as a passenger on a train or in a car, or while sitting at the park watching my son on the swings and even then only half-heartedly. Now I am transfixed by the movements up there. The sky is truly spectacular. Why didn't I realise this before? Now I need to stop myself from gazing heavenwards while driving my car.
My only criticism of the book would be that the last chapter about the Morning Glory cloud doesn't seem to flow with the rest of the book probably because it was originally a separate article.
I loved the idea of taking a test after reading the book (placed in the middle pages). I didn't do too well though as my Latin spelling is appalling.
I used to admire the sky but only usually as a passenger on a train or in a car, or while sitting at the park watching my son on the swings and even then only half-heartedly. Now I am transfixed by the movements up there. The sky is truly spectacular. Why didn't I realise this before? Now I need to stop myself from gazing heavenwards while driving my car.
My only criticism of the book would be that the last chapter about the Morning Glory cloud doesn't seem to flow with the rest of the book probably because it was originally a separate article.
I loved the idea of taking a test after reading the book (placed in the middle pages). I didn't do too well though as my Latin spelling is appalling.
25 of 26 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I enjoyed this... and I am still not quite sure why! It is a quirky idea and one that is well executed. I fear it may give rise to a load of copy-cat nooks for similarly obtuse and marginal subjects, flooding Waterstones at Xmas. But this one will remain the first of that tribe. Printed and presented in an exquisite way and written in an informative and jokey manner. This is a great companion to a train journey, looking out the window at passing clouds. Sometimes it gets a bit heavy... (there are simply so many clouds and so much science)... but that shouldnt stop the enjoyment of an innovative book!
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Beautiful and entertaining
I love this book. It's beautifully written, quirky and very entertaining. It would be nice to have a longer colour section in the middle but you can access these pictures from the... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Stuart Paterson
Head in the clouds
An easy going look at meteorology, clouds in particular. They are things that we all see most days. So was quite interesting to find out a bit more about them. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Mr. Gary M. Stocker
Greatest Show on Earth, but not here
"The Greatest Free Show on Earth is Right Above Your Head" is what I always told my children. Thankfully they too have come to enjoy the delight that is above our heads every day,... Read more
Published 4 months ago by The Seeker
A lover of clouds...
This book is one of my all time favourite books! I had it in paperback format, but simply had to get a hardcover for my collection too! Read more
Published 7 months ago by Jopha
Lovely Read
I heard of this from the Cloudspotters Appreciation Society. I found this to be a brilliant book. The ONLY down point is the lack of photos. Read more
Published 7 months ago by JoeUK
Quirky and interesting
This book is about the beauty of clouds. Indeed such a topic I expected to be dull and laden with science jargon (cumulo-nimbus-maxiums-fluffyus in the uppermiddlelower... Read more
Published 8 months ago by James J. Rogers
The Cloudspotter's Guide
A very informative book. I am sure it will be of great help in my cloud spotting and enanble me to title the photographs I take correctly. Very Pleased.
Published 10 months ago by W. G. Monk
Would have been better without the myths and legends
I've loved clouds since I was about 9 or 10. Especially cumulus clouds which open this book. I totally agree with the ideas of the author about how wonderful clouds are. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Ransen Owen
Well written and entertaining
You will see from the small number of one and two star reviews of this book that there are people who wanted a really boring technical manual about clouds, but were disappointed. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Gary B
Clouds
This is a book about the appreciation of clouds as things of beauty, not a technical book about clouds, although it will help with the full list of proper names for all cloud... Read more
Published 13 months ago by M. Henton
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
