Simon Winchester has long been one of our most wide-ranging non-fiction storytellers bringing curiosity and clarity to subjects as varied as dictionaries, oceans, earthquakes, and the technologies that have knit together the modern world. His new book “The Breath of the Gods: The History and Future of the Wind” continues that tradition with an expansive exploration of the invisible force that has shaped life on Earth since its beginning.
The book is not only a history Winchester also considers the planetary future at a time when intensifying winds, shifting jet streams, and increasingly volatile weather patterns signal profound environmental change. With his signature narrative sweep and global perspective, he illuminates how wind connects us scientifically, historically, and existentially.
