Defining the

wind: the
Beaufort scale
and how a
nineteenthcentury
admiral
turned
science into
poetry
By Scott Huler
Crown Publishers (New York) 2004
304 pp. Hardback $23.00

Dennis Wheeler
doi:10.1256/wea.76.05

ISBN: 1 4000 4884 2

As the 200th anniversary of Beaufort
committing to paper the scale that bears
his name is approaching, we can expect a
number of publications on this theme to
appear. The title is intriguing, but those
concerned that science and poetry make
odd literary bedfellows, should not dismiss
out-of-hand this richly instructive and, it
must be emphasised, entertaining text.
Huler remains faithful to his stated aim of
exploring the Beaufort scale and is not
drawn into competition with Alfred
Friendlys, or more recently, Nicholas
Courtneys biographies of Francis Beaufort.
Professional meteorologists familiar with
the Beaufort scale from their daily duties
might well enquire how 250 pages could be
extracted from such a theme. Let them be
assured that Hulers book will repay the
reading. The text is engagingly quirky,
non-scientific and exhaustive without ever

Climate
Change,
Causes, effects
and solutions

ecology, ecological impacts and policy. It is

divided into three sections, each of four
chapters, examining past, present and
future climate change; the ecological effects
of climate change, and human aspects of
climate change. Each chapter has its own
reference section and most of the references
are drawn from relatively recent literature.
There are many illustrations throughout,
and eight colour plates. The three appendices provide information on, respectively,
units and their conversions, abbreviations
and chemical symbols, and websites relating to aspects of climate change.
Although the book is written in a highly
readable style, I have two main criticisms of
it. First, the majority of examples and case
studies are taken from work relating to
North America. Although perhaps not a
major issue, this immediately reduces the
impact of the book (and the message about
climate change) for audiences elsewhere in
the world. More European examples (at
least) would have been helpful. My second
concern is more fundamental, in that the
book has been poorly proof-read, and some
of the underlying science is not presented
clearly or accurately. There are several misleading or confusing sections of text (including, for example, the old greenhouse glass
analogy to the atmospheric greenhouse
effect, differing dates for the Little Ice Age,
and suggesting that sunspots and solar
flares are synonymous) and there are a
significant number of typographical errors
and inconsistencies of style (especially in the
presentation of units). At times I was left
wondering whether I could trust the text
and, cumulatively, these issues could lead
less well-informed readers astray.
Anybody seeking summary information
on the recent consequences of climate
change (especially its impacts on the natural
world) should gain a useful overview from
this book, but I cannot recommend it as a
detailed text on climate change science.
Instead, I would urge readers to look elsewhere for explanations of the underlying
processes.

Weather October 2005, Vol. 60, No. 10

John Methven
doi: 10.1256/wea.266.04

being exhausting. Certainly there will be

some familiar material, and the origins of
the Beaufort scale are given a thorough, but
helpfully fresh, airing. On the other hand,
freed from the constraint of focusing on
the man himself, the writer can dwell on
characters such as Alexander Dalrymple
(should the scale be his and not Beauforts?),
John Smeaton, Robert FitzRoy, Daniel Defoe
and many others going back to the thinkers
of classical antiquity who first attempted to
bring order to the description of a phenomenon that cannot be seen, but the consequences of which, are all too apparent. Of
equal interest is the exploration of some
unlikely avenues showing how the Beaufort
scale has been variously adapted and adopted. Designers of postage stamps, artists,
even musicians, seem to have been inspired
by its character and content. In pursuing
these seemingly idiosyncratic lines of
thought, the author convinces us that the
Beaufort scale has its place in poetry and the
arts in general, and that the appeal of its
structure and logic of its ambition extends
well beyond the world of meteorology.
The authors style is informal yet informative. The accounts are often based on his
first-hand experiences, be they following in
Beauforts footsteps to Montevideo, or using
a hand-held anemometer in his garden. This
anecdotal, almost casual, style may require
some initial effort for familiarisation by
those who are accustomed to more formal
academic texts. Such minor reservations
notwithstanding, this is a fascinating book
that will be of interest to Society members
whether they are from professional groups
and academics or from the happy band of
enthusiastic amateurs.

Book reviews

models have extended beyond sound scientific basis and that recent climate change
may not be attributable to human activity,
he nevertheless points out that concern
about potential for climate change is not
unfounded. Extreme events within the
variability of the climate system are, by far,
the largest cause of natural disasters worldwide. Continued support for the climaterelated research programmes is essential for
the development of strategies to mitigate
the impacts that regularly contribute to
human suffering.
While not a balanced view in the sense
that its purpose is to criticise the IPCC, I
recommend this book for that very reason.
Can you, the reader, defend your own views
on human influence on climate change (or
perhaps your own chapter in the imminent
Fourth Assessment Report of the IPCC)?

P. J. A. Burt
doi: 10.1256/wea.125.04

By John T. Hardy
Wiley, Chichester, 2003
xii + 247 pp.
Paperback 22.00
ISBN 0 470 85019 1
This book provides a synthesis of recent
research in aspects of climate change and
an outline of the underlying science, drawing on aspects of climate change science,

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