The Secret Life of Snow: The science and the stories behind nature's greatest wonder - Softcover

Whittell, Giles

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1780724071 ISBN 13: 9781780724072

Publisher: Short Books Ltd, 2019

Synopsis

**The Financial Times' Travel Book of the Year 2018** How many snowflakes does it take to build a snowman? Where is the snowiest place on Earth? When will the last snowflake fall? Snow has a lot in common with religion. It comes from heaven. It changes everything. It creates an alternative reality and brings on irrational behaviour in humans. But unlike most religions, snow has never had a bible, until now. Giles Whittell, a passionate snow enthusiast, takes the reader on a quest through centuries and continents to reveal the wonders of snow. Along the way he uncovers the mysteries of snow crystal morphology, why avalanches happen, how snow saved a British prime minister's life, and the terrifying truth about the opening ceremony of the 1960 winter Olympics. The Secret Life of Snow is the next best thing to a white Christmas, an anthropology and travelogue for everyone from ski addicts to the millions of people who have never even seen it.

About this title

About the Author:

Giles Whittell is chief leader writer for The Times, and was previously the paper's correspondent in Los Angeles, Moscow and Washington. He has written five previous books - Bridge of Spies, Spitfire Women of World War II, Extreme Continental, Central Asia and Lambada County. He lives with his wife, Karen Stirgwolt, and three sons in south London.

About this edition

• Publisher: Short Books Ltd
• Publication date: 2019
• ISBN 10: 1780724071
• ISBN 13: 9781780724072
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 320