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Distributed for Reaktion Books

Wind

Nature and Culture

Distributed for Reaktion Books

Wind

Nature and Culture

A natural and cultural history of wind from ancient deity to Twister.
 
By turns creative and destructive, wind spreads seeds, fills sails, and disperses the energy of the sun. Worshipped since antiquity, wind has molded planets, determined battles, and shaped the evolution of life on earth—yet this invisible element remains intangible and unpredictable. In this book, Louise M. Pryke explores wind’s natural history as well as its cultural life in myth, religion, art, and literature. Beyond these ancient imaginings, Pryke also traces how wind inspired modern scientific innovations and appeared in artistic works as diverse as the art of Van Gogh, the poetry of Keats, and the blockbuster film.

240 pages | 84 color plates, 21 halftones | 5 3/4 x 8 1/4 | © 2023

Earth

Earth Sciences: Environment


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Reviews

"Plenty of stimulating tidbits."

Publishers Weekly

"The cultural history of wind is a wide-ranging subject that Pryke has managed to condense into this fascinating book. The prose feels authoritative without reading like an academic book. It is really nicely produced with high-quality pictures making it a fine addition to the Earth series of books."

Half-Man, Half-Book

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