Defining the Wind: The Beaufort Scale and How a 19th-Century Admiral Turned Science into Poetry
by Scott Huler
Description
This engaging history traces the origins of the Beaufort wind force scale, the deceptively simple system that transformed sailors’ observations into a universal language for measuring the sea. At its center is Admiral Francis Beaufort, whose fascination with weather, navigation, and precise description helped turn practical seamanship into a lasting scientific tool. Blending biography, maritime history, and the poetry of natural observation, the book explores how humans seek order in the shifting forces of the natural world. It is both a portrait of an inventive nineteenth-century mind and a compelling meditation on the relationship between language, science, and experience.
Available Editions
paperback
Three Rivers Press
Published Jun 28, 2005
304 pages
ISBN: 9781400048854
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Details
First Published
2004
Language
eng
Content Warnings
No content warnings identified.