In The Breath of the Gods, Simon Winchester 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.
A lifetime of reading has convinced me that books are more likely to get worse — not better — as they go. The Breath of the Gods bucks that trend ... There’s too much hot air in its first half...but [Winchester] hits his stride in the second half ... Even when it’s a familiar topic, Winchester finds fascinating ways in ... Winchester also is a great synthesizer of material ... Winchester also includes breathtaking, minute-by-minute accounts of ships wrecked by high winds and Japanese cities decimated by bombs during World War II ... It requires some perseverance when you start The Breath of the Gods. But hold on. Once you get into it, Winchester’s writing is a breath of fresh air.
Delightful ... Winchester serves up memorable portraits of figures who devoted their lives to harnessing the wind ... Winchester’s book meanders at times, and there are inevitable omissions ... And though references to Winchester’s own adventurous life are fascinating, they sometimes come off as humble brags ... But this is a thoroughly enjoyable book, brimming over with historical nuggets and contemplations about the future.
