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.