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Weather history book recommendations

  • 11-02-2018 12:15am
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 13,477 ✭✭✭✭


    I was previously given the recommendation a few months ago by beefburrito to get the book Ireland's Arctic Siege of 1947: The Big Freeze of 1947. I do not regret listening to his recommendation because man, what a treat receiving this book was. It has really pulled me in and made me to want to picture myself of how the experience would be for me baring the brunt of bitter and snowy easterlies of February 1947.

    Due to how good I found this recommendation and book, I'm asking here for more recommendations on weather history or natural disaster books for the UK and or Ireland.

    I've thought of getting these books.

    This book I have not gotten to see a preview on so I don't know the content the book has. Opinions on this book if you have it or read it would be much appreciated.

    rznQ0qR.jpg

    This one by Ian McCaskill I think is a definite for me to get as it looks great for weather history enthusiasts like myself going by the preview on Amazon and hey, it's by the classic that is Ian McCaskill himself (rip Ian :().

    4uHq3H9.jpg

    Are there any other books out there I should get that suits my field of interest?


Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 43,017 ✭✭✭✭SEPT 23 1989


    Nothing to do with books but there was an excellent documentary about artists and weather shown on BBC 4 a few weeks ago


  • Registered Users Posts: 27 Ckit1


    https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53913.The_Little_Ice_Age

    This is worth a read.
    Long ago... but v interesting.


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,219 ✭✭✭Gaoth Laidir


    I have this one (German edition) and would recommend it to someone like you, Sryan. Goes right back through history and outlines many different events that were affected by El Niño.

    https://www.amazon.com/El-Ni%C3%B1o-History-Storming-Through/dp/0813020999


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,504 ✭✭✭SpitfireIV


    Not sure if its of interest, but a few years ago I picked up an excellent book in the local library on the 1798 rebellion, but the book was written from the perspective of the weather during that period by analysing records, diarys, sea reports etc etc and how the weather helped/hindered the rebellion. Can't think of the name of it now.


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,235 ✭✭✭Oneiric 3


    A couple of recommendations Syran that you might enjoy:

    'Historic Storms of the North Sea, British Isles and Northwest Europe" by Hubert Lamb

    https://books.google.ie/books/about/Historic_Storms_of_the_North_Sea_British.html?id=P4n1z9rOh5MC&redir_esc=y

    Beautiful, detailed book charting historic European storms with some great charts and weather maps.


    And this one: 'The Weather of the 1780s Over Europe' by John Kington

    https://www.amazon.de/Weather-1780s-Over-Europe/dp/0521260795

    Day by day accounts of the exceptional period of weather during the last part of the 18th Century up to and after the 'Laki' volcanic explosion. Some incredible accounts of extreme weather, with day by day reconstructed frontal weather maps that I think you will enjoy.

    New Moon



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  • Registered Users Posts: 13,477 ✭✭✭✭sryanbruen


    Ok, these recommendations are amazing!! I certainly wouldn't have come across them, that's for sure. I have just ordered the Frozen Britain book I said I'd buy above. Next time, I will order the Little Ice Age book Ckit1 recommended to me there as at this moment, I'm extremely interested in solar activity and want to grow my knowledge on it especially in terms of the Maunder and Dalton Minimums.

    I have put the El Nino and storm related books on my shopping list too Gaoth Laidir and Oneiric 3. Thank you for the recommendations all. Certainly what I was looking for.


  • Registered Users Posts: 13,477 ✭✭✭✭sryanbruen


    Nothing to do with books but there was an excellent documentary about artists and weather shown on BBC 4 a few weeks ago

    What exactly did they discuss in this documentary?


  • Registered Users Posts: 13,477 ✭✭✭✭sryanbruen


    SpitfireIV wrote: »
    Not sure if its of interest, but a few years ago I picked up an excellent book in the local library on the 1798 rebellion, but the book was written from the perspective of the weather during that period by analysing records, diarys, sea reports etc etc and how the weather helped/hindered the rebellion. Can't think of the name of it now.

    Thanks, I will look out for it.

    I did glance at this document by Met Éireann before on the conditions of Summer 1798 during said rebellion.

    http://www.met.ie/climate-ireland/weather-events/Summer1798.pdf


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 695 ✭✭✭beefburrito


    sryanbruen wrote: »
    I was previously given the recommendation a few months ago by beefburrito to get the book Ireland's Arctic Siege of 1947: The Big Freeze of 1947. I do not regret listening to his recommendation because man, what a treat receiving this book was. It has really pulled me in and made me to want to picture myself of how the experience would be for me baring the brunt of bitter and snowy easterlies of February 1947.

    Due to how good I found this recommendation and book, I'm asking here for more recommendations on weather history or natural disaster books for the UK and or Ireland.

    I've thought of getting these books.

    This book I have not gotten to see a preview on so I don't know the content the book has. Opinions on this book if you have it or read it would be much appreciated.

    rznQ0qR.jpg

    This one by Ian McCaskill I think is a definite for me to get as it looks great for weather history enthusiasts like myself going by the preview on Amazon and hey, it's by the classic that is Ian McCaskill himself (rip Ian :().

    4uHq3H9.jpg

    Are there any other books out there I should get that suits my field of interest?

    Hi syranbruen,

    Glad you enjoyed the book.
    It's intense reading especially around late November early December,sitting away by the fireside......


  • Registered Users Posts: 13,477 ✭✭✭✭sryanbruen


    Ok, I have read all the books I ordered in February, they were all a great read. I'd love to see a sequel to Deluge: Ireland's weather disasters 2009-10 on 2010-11. I ordered this book too at the time, the history of weather in the UK was very intriguing for me. I enjoyed this one also.

    Frozen Britain was fine, just wish it had a bit more statistics ;). Other than that, lots of great pictures to take a look at from each of the notable Winters of 1946-47, 1962-63, 1978-79, 2009-10 and 2010-11, also historical cold ones that involved the great frost of 1740 for example.

    kaJjHZm.jpg

    I'll be ordering the next load soon and it will be of books you guys recommended to me here including that Little Ice Age, El Nino and the Historic Storms ones.

    I might buy these ones in future:

    nIBPaMp.jpg

    ZwqPE5Y.jpg


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  • Registered Users Posts: 13,477 ✭✭✭✭sryanbruen


    All my books bar the El Nino book have now arrived. The El Nino book is expected to arrive at the end of May.......

    I'm really loving these, cannot wait til I make me own. Oh wait. ;)

    From what I've read, these are my ratings for each of the books:

    Deluge Ireland's Weather Disasters 2009-10; 7/10
    Frozen Britain; 7/10
    Ireland's Arctic Siege The Big Freeze of 1947; 8/10
    And Now... The Weather; 6.5/10
    The 1953 Essex Disaster The People's Story; 7/10
    Storm Force Britain's Wildest Weather; 8/10
    The Little Ice Age; 7/10
    Historic Storms of the North Sea, British Isles and Northwest Europe; 7/10
    The Weather of the 1780s Over Europe; 7/10

    None of them have disappointed me thus far.


  • Registered Users Posts: 13,477 ✭✭✭✭sryanbruen


    I am still waiting on the El Nino book to be delivered here.

    Really have been enjoying these books. I normally do not like reading that much but these are very intriguing.

    Think I should get these books by Philip Eden next.

    FXI2HCk.jpg

    nmDXIEB.jpg


  • Registered Users Posts: 13,477 ✭✭✭✭sryanbruen


    Looks like my El Nino book never arrived although I have since gotten some of Philip Eden's books.

    Seems Joanna Donnelly has made her own book on Irish weather which will be released in September.

    8w7kUnk.jpg

    https://www.amazon.co.uk/Great-Irish-Weather-Book/dp/071718093X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1533746142&sr=1-1&keywords=Joanna+Donnelly


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,685 ✭✭✭Mobhi1


    SpitfireIV wrote: »
    Not sure if its of interest, but a few years ago I picked up an excellent book in the local library on the 1798 rebellion, but the book was written from the perspective of the weather during that period by analysing records, diarys, sea reports etc etc and how the weather helped/hindered the rebellion. Can't think of the name of it now.

    I think I've read that book too but I also can't remember what it's called. But I thought I had it so I must look around and see if I can find it.


  • Registered Users Posts: 13,477 ✭✭✭✭sryanbruen




  • Registered Users Posts: 13,477 ✭✭✭✭sryanbruen


    Finally got my copy of Joanna's book and it is an excellent book for the young weather enthusiast whom is wanting to learn about the weather regardless of your level of knowledge on the subject. It gives you simple explanations on understanding how different phenomena in weather are created such as rainbows, explaining things like how weather forecasts are made and what numerical weather prediction models are etc. There's even a section on historical extreme weather with events like Ophelia and the Beast from the East 2018 included (nice one Joanna ;) ).

    Saying all the above, what can catch your eye instantly as much as the brilliant content is the vivid and stunning imagery illustrated by Fuchsia MacAree.

    Even if you are knowledgeable on the weather, I think it's totally worth your buck to pick up when you come across one and add it to your collection of other books you may have lying around like the ones posted in this thread.

    What a lovely book that I recommend to all weather enthusiasts regardless of your skill level and age. It's a 9/10 from me. Why not the 10/10? More stats please :D. Ok, that's just me being my pick ol' self with a strange obsession over stats.

    Just wanted to make this quick review, thank you for reading.


  • Registered Users Posts: 18,996 ✭✭✭✭gozunda


    Perhaps somewhat of an aside - contemprary accounts give the the winter of 1683-84 starting with an deep and intense frost, which not only froze every piece of standing water, but also streams, rivers including the Thames and even parts of the English Channel.

    That winter is very evocatively described in RD Blackmore's book - Lorna Doone. 


  • Registered Users Posts: 27 Ckit1




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