Rating: 
Summary: It's Not Just About the Weather
Review: Reading Durchmied's "The Weather Factor" (the sequel to last year's "The Hinge Factor") is one of life's guilty pleasures. Although I sometimes wondered whether the author might be one of those who is "often in error, but never in doubt," I didn't see any obvious mistakes. More to the point, I thoroughly enjoyed the author's style and selection of events.The book is not about the weather as such, so it doesn't discuss the nuances of isobars or storm fronts; rather, it focuses on how the weather has changed the outcome of selected historical events. Durschmied's new book is thus a continuation of his narrative in "The Hinge Factor." Among the events the author describes: the destruction of three Roman legions in Teutoberger Wald in AD 9 in the face of a wild thunderstorm; the "divine wind" that destroyed the Mongol invasion fleet in 1281; the destruction of Napoleon's Grand Army in 1812; the Irish potato famine of the 1840s; war in the Alps, 1916-18; the defeat of Hitler's Russian offensive in 1941; and a somewhat surprising reason why the Soviet Union was not willing to use nuclear weapons during the Cuban missile crisis. Durchmied writes with a dramatic skill that brings these events to life. One of the best measures of how much I enjoyed a book is how much I look forward to the next one by the same author. I noticed that Durchmied's books are published in Europe about a year before they arrive in the United States, so I visited Amazon's UK site to see whether Durschmied had written anything new. In fact, he has: he just published a new book called "The Whisper of the Blade," which appears to be a history of revolutions. I've already ordered it, and I'm looking forward to its arrival here on the other side of the pond.
Rating:
Summary: It's Not Just About the Weather
Review: Reading Durchmied's "The Weather Factor" (the sequel to last year's "The Hinge Factor") is one of life's guilty pleasures. Although I sometimes wondered whether the author might be one of those who is "often in error, but never in doubt," I didn't see any obvious mistakes. More to the point, I thoroughly enjoyed the author's style and selection of events. The book is not about the weather as such, so it doesn't discuss the nuances of isobars or storm fronts; rather, it focuses on how the weather has changed the outcome of selected historical events. Durschmied's new book is thus a continuation of his narrative in "The Hinge Factor." Among the events the author describes: the destruction of three Roman legions in Teutoberger Wald in AD 9 in the face of a wild thunderstorm; the "divine wind" that destroyed the Mongol invasion fleet in 1281; the destruction of Napoleon's Grand Army in 1812; the Irish potato famine of the 1840s; war in the Alps, 1916-18; the defeat of Hitler's Russian offensive in 1941; and a somewhat surprising reason why the Soviet Union was not willing to use nuclear weapons during the Cuban missile crisis. Durchmied writes with a dramatic skill that brings these events to life. One of the best measures of how much I enjoyed a book is how much I look forward to the next one by the same author. I noticed that Durchmied's books are published in Europe about a year before they arrive in the United States, so I visited Amazon's UK site to see whether Durschmied had written anything new. In fact, he has: he just published a new book called "The Whisper of the Blade," which appears to be a history of revolutions. I've already ordered it, and I'm looking forward to its arrival here on the other side of the pond.
Rating: 
Summary: Really good, except one problem.
Review: The stories were really good except at the end he goes into controlling the weather. It seems nasty, and awful, and the weather should remain nature's force, not ours(nor "god's"). He also states all the ways it will effect humans, he never seems anything about the environment, such ignorance and species selfishness is disgusting and made me give it one less star.
Rating:
Summary: Really good, except one problem.
Review: The stories were really good except at the end he goes into controlling the weather. It seems nasty, and awful, and the weather should remain nature's force, not ours(nor "god's"). He also states all the ways it will effect humans, he never seems anything about the environment, such ignorance and species selfishness is disgusting and made me give it one less star.
Rating:
Summary: Everybody talks about it ,but......
Review: This book has received mixed reviews;therefore my expectations were not high when I started it.The first couple of events didn't excite me too much,but then they happened so long ago and I am not too familiar with those times. The more I got into the book ,the better I found it.The author gives very good summaries of events that in most cases were very complicated.This is not simple,but coming from a background of a journalist he does an excellent job.I find most history writing is too detailed even to the point of being an exercise in drudgery.The author is crisp and only drags out the story enough to set the scene.Then he goes into a good description of the weather condition and how it impacted the event.He shows in these events that the weather conditions had much more impact on the outcome of the event than the skills or the weapons of the forces involved.
I have read extensively about The Great Potato Famine and was impressed how well he covered this massive event which was very complicated,extended over several years,and did it in only 18 pages.In addition ,he really brought out the effect the weather had;a factor that is not usually as well emphasized.
A book of these shortened historys also reminded me of somewhat "corresponding"(in want of a better word) events.For instance I had never given it much thought that The Red Army launched it's defense of Moscow on Dec 6,1941 the day before Japan attacked Pearl Harbor.Another thing was that at the same time that Napoleon was trying to take Moscow the British and the Americans were fighting the War of 1812 in North America.
The book has many other little gems:
The Potato Famine in Ireland may have had it's roots in the American Potato Blight of 1844.However;this may be of some question as I believe the blight also occurred in several other european countries.The effect elsewhere was nowhere as disasterous as the other food supplies were not shipped out of those countries by the landowners as happened in Ireland.
Two other cities ,Kokura and Niigata were ahead of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as targets;but were by-passed because of weather conditions.
The author also tries to make one think of how future events,particularly wars will be influenced by weather.
Finally he reminds us that...
"Man has managed to harnass almost everything.
But God still controls the elements."
By the way there is an excellent Bibliography and Index at the end of the book.
Durschmied also mentions that he's working on a new book "The Snow Owl"--I'm looking forward to it.
Rating:
Summary: How human destiny is often determined by the elements
Review: This survey of weather doesn't take the usual science approach, but draws some important connections between weather and history. Chapters revel how political and social decisions have often been decided by the elements, from rain and hurricanes to hard winters. An intriguing survey of how human destiny is often determined by the elements.
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