Ravings of a Textual Deviant

Just finished reading Erik Durchmeid’s The Weather Factor: How Nature Has Changed History, which contains an account what may well be the only instance in which cavalry captured a fleet (French and Dutch, respectively, mid-1790s). Other accounts include the sinking of the Mongol invasion fleet during its attack on Japan in 1281 (taifun), the complete destruction of Roman legions in the forests of Germany (fog), how Tecumseh was ultimately defeated in the War of 1812 (fog again), and General Winter’s defense of Russia against both Napoleon and Hitler (Russian winters–need I say more). I’m a huge alternate history buff, and this sort of situation interests me. The book itself is well-researched and the final chapter (Mekong Delta/Vietnam War) is based on the author’s personal experience as a war correspondent. However, the going is slow at times, and parts of it are a bit of a wade. I was also a bit disappointed by very military focus of the book–the only non-war chapter is about the Irish potato famine, which actually seems almost out of context with the rest of the book. One last caveat: if you’re looking for scientific information about the weather, look somewhere else.

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