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Eric Sloane's Weather Book
"Amateur weather forecasters (which includes just about everyone) will find this volume an informative and entertaining account of the why and how of the weather." — The Nation
In simple language, Eric Sloane explains the whys and wherefores of weather and weather forecasting — and does it in a style that's universally appealing.
With humor and common sense shining through in a book that's also lively and informative, Sloane shows readers how to predict the weather by "reading" such natural phenomena as winds, skies, and animal sounds. This beautifully illustrated and practical treasure trove of climate lore will enlighten outdoorsmen, farmers, sailors, and anyone else who has ever wondered what a large halo around the moon means, why birds "sit it out" before a storm, and whether or not to take an umbrella when leaving the house.
In simple language, Eric Sloane explains the whys and wherefores of weather and weather forecasting — and does it in a style that's universally appealing.
With humor and common sense shining through in a book that's also lively and informative, Sloane shows readers how to predict the weather by "reading" such natural phenomena as winds, skies, and animal sounds. This beautifully illustrated and practical treasure trove of climate lore will enlighten outdoorsmen, farmers, sailors, and anyone else who has ever wondered what a large halo around the moon means, why birds "sit it out" before a storm, and whether or not to take an umbrella when leaving the house.
96 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1952
49 people are currently reading
391 people want to read
About the author
Eric Sloane
100 books58 followersEric Sloane (born Everard Jean Hinrichs) was an American landscape painter and author of illustrated works of cultural history and folklore. He is considered a member of the Hudson River School of painting.
Eric Sloane was born in New York City. As a child, he was a neighbor of noted sign painter and type designer Frederick W. Goudy. Sloane studied art and lettering with Goudy. While he attended the Art Students League of New York City, he changed his name because George Luks and John French Sloan suggested that young students should paint under an assumed name so that early inferior works would not be attached to them. He took the name Eric from the middle letters of America and Sloane from his mentor's name.
In the summer of 1925, Sloane ran away from home, working his way across the country as a sign painter, creating advertisements for everything from Red Man Tobacco to Bull Durham. Unique hand calligraphy and lettering became a characteristic of his illustrated books.
Sloane eventually returned to New York and settled in Connecticut, where he began painting rustic landscapes in the tradition of the Hudson River School. In the 1950s, he began spending part of the year in Taos, New Mexico, where he painted western landscapes and particularly luminous depictions of the desert sky. In his career as a painter, he produced over 15,000 works. His fascination with the sky and weather led to commissions to paint works for the U.S. Air Force and the production of a number of illustrated works on meteorology and weather forecasting. Sloane is even credited with creating the first televised weather reporting network, by arranging for local farmers to call in reports to a New England broadcasting station.
Sloane also had a great interest in New England folk culture, Colonial daily life, and Americana. He wrote and illustrated scores of Colonial era books on tools, architecture, farming techniques, folklore, and rural wisdom. Every book included detailed illustrations, hand lettered titles, and his characteristic folksy wit and observations. He developed an impressive collection of historic tools which became the nucleus of the collection in the Sloane-Stanley Tool Museum in Kent, Connecticut.
Sloane died in New York in 1985, while walking down the street to a luncheon held in his honor.
Sloane's best known books are A Reverence for Wood, which examines the history and tools of woodworking, as well as the philosophy of the woodworker; The Cracker Barrel, which is a compendium of folk wit and wisdom; and Diary of an Early American Boy: Noah Blake-1805, based on a diary he discovered at a local library book sale. His most famous painted work is probably the skyscape mural, Earth Flight Environment, which is still on display in the Independence Avenue Lobby in the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum.
Eric Sloane was born in New York City. As a child, he was a neighbor of noted sign painter and type designer Frederick W. Goudy. Sloane studied art and lettering with Goudy. While he attended the Art Students League of New York City, he changed his name because George Luks and John French Sloan suggested that young students should paint under an assumed name so that early inferior works would not be attached to them. He took the name Eric from the middle letters of America and Sloane from his mentor's name.
In the summer of 1925, Sloane ran away from home, working his way across the country as a sign painter, creating advertisements for everything from Red Man Tobacco to Bull Durham. Unique hand calligraphy and lettering became a characteristic of his illustrated books.
Sloane eventually returned to New York and settled in Connecticut, where he began painting rustic landscapes in the tradition of the Hudson River School. In the 1950s, he began spending part of the year in Taos, New Mexico, where he painted western landscapes and particularly luminous depictions of the desert sky. In his career as a painter, he produced over 15,000 works. His fascination with the sky and weather led to commissions to paint works for the U.S. Air Force and the production of a number of illustrated works on meteorology and weather forecasting. Sloane is even credited with creating the first televised weather reporting network, by arranging for local farmers to call in reports to a New England broadcasting station.
Sloane also had a great interest in New England folk culture, Colonial daily life, and Americana. He wrote and illustrated scores of Colonial era books on tools, architecture, farming techniques, folklore, and rural wisdom. Every book included detailed illustrations, hand lettered titles, and his characteristic folksy wit and observations. He developed an impressive collection of historic tools which became the nucleus of the collection in the Sloane-Stanley Tool Museum in Kent, Connecticut.
Sloane died in New York in 1985, while walking down the street to a luncheon held in his honor.
Sloane's best known books are A Reverence for Wood, which examines the history and tools of woodworking, as well as the philosophy of the woodworker; The Cracker Barrel, which is a compendium of folk wit and wisdom; and Diary of an Early American Boy: Noah Blake-1805, based on a diary he discovered at a local library book sale. His most famous painted work is probably the skyscape mural, Earth Flight Environment, which is still on display in the Independence Avenue Lobby in the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
November 17, 2014
Eric Sloane was an American Leonardo Da Vinci. He was able to tackle interesting subjects from Barns, Covered Bridges, Tools, devices from the past, and even meteorology and explain them in a wonderfully succinct and understandable way. His illustrations were the key to his work. By providing excellent pen & ink (and sometimes watercolor) illustrations, he was able to convey complex ideas in an easily understandable manner. This work is the epitome of his science writing for the public. Any one who has wanted a better understanding of air currents, air pressure, warm & cold fronts, clouds,storms, and any other weather phenomena, would do well to take a look at this book. You will never look at a weather map in the same way. Weather should be visualized in a 3-D fashion, and Sloane is able to show this on a two-dimensional page.
June 22, 2010
"Eric Sloane's Weather Book" was a very fun, easy-to-understand, and fascinating book about weather. He explained ways that a person can predict the weather by looking at the sky, how to read weather maps--what all the symbols mean--and use weather instruments. He covered information about our atmosphere, air, winds, heat, and clouds, and how it all works together to create weather.
The author has a gift for making difficult ideas very easy to understand. He also included many black and white illustrations that reinforced what was taught in the text and made it clear. The book was packed full of practical information on how to become weather-wise. This book was first written some time ago (in 1949) and was based off of articles that the author wrote for sailors and aviators. Most of the information is still completely relevant, but it does show it's age in a few places.
I'd highly-recommend this well-written and interesting book to anyone who's curious about how weather is created and how to predict it.
The author has a gift for making difficult ideas very easy to understand. He also included many black and white illustrations that reinforced what was taught in the text and made it clear. The book was packed full of practical information on how to become weather-wise. This book was first written some time ago (in 1949) and was based off of articles that the author wrote for sailors and aviators. Most of the information is still completely relevant, but it does show it's age in a few places.
I'd highly-recommend this well-written and interesting book to anyone who's curious about how weather is created and how to predict it.
January 13, 2018
Wow! When I first got the book, I thought what is this with all the silly drawings and put it on my shelf. I’m glad I finally pulled it out! It is probably the best and most practical book on weather I have read Zane I have read quite a few! Great practical illustrations of how the weather works. I will likely reread it down the road to reinforce what I have read! Great stuff...I’m going to read more by this author!
September 1, 2012
Published before I was born, the pictures in this book make understanding weather and all accompanying phenomena (air, temperature, wind, rain, snow, climate, etc) much easier and straightforward than the college class I took on the same subject.
I interrupted my wife several times while reading this book to share with her a tidbit or two.
I interrupted my wife several times while reading this book to share with her a tidbit or two.
November 15, 2015
I really enjoyed reading this book. I found myself checking the sky more. I also understand some of the meaning to saying that I have heard over the years.Thank you so much. I look forward to reading the rest of the books in the collection.
February 3, 2017
Excellent book on weather phenomena without all the technical jargon. A must read for weather geeks without mathematical boredom.
October 26, 2017
This is a great little book explaining North American weather simply for the common layman like me. It was written in the 50s, so it has drawings (!), but they're very good and add to the charm.
October 2, 2019
This book will require two or three read-throughs, I think. There is just too much information crammed in for the average person to remember it all, unless you already have a background in weather science. My favorite part of this book is the copious amount of illustrations to help me understand the ideas being described. The only downsides I can think of are:
1) Since this book is older than my parents, devices like "weather maps" (as in, physical maps with hot and cold fronts printed on them for the average citizen to pick up every day) and "portable victrolas" (in other words, portable record players) aren't very good reference points for today's reader any longer. He especially lingers on the way to read weather maps, making me feel sad I can't apply my new knowledge of them. (Alas, weather.com does not provide stationary weather maps....)
2) Sometimes the chapters really do feel like a dump of information, as if the author brainstormed everything he could say about a topic and then strung it all together. Paragraphs will switch subjects somewhat abruptly and sometimes leave me wishing he had explained a little further before moving on. Also, sometimes the author takes for granted the experiences of his audience which may have been entirely fair in the 1950s but aren't so obvious today, such as "Most of us have been swimming during a rain when each rain drop hit the water's surface with a little sparkling light." Whoa, raindrops will sparkle when they hit the water? Wait, since when do 'most' of us swim during the rain? Is this really common knowledge? Tell me more! He doesn't elaborate. I guess it was just too obvious.
Now I'm not only lamenting the loss of weather maps, but also the magical connection with the weather than Eric Sloane took for granted!
1) Since this book is older than my parents, devices like "weather maps" (as in, physical maps with hot and cold fronts printed on them for the average citizen to pick up every day) and "portable victrolas" (in other words, portable record players) aren't very good reference points for today's reader any longer. He especially lingers on the way to read weather maps, making me feel sad I can't apply my new knowledge of them. (Alas, weather.com does not provide stationary weather maps....)
2) Sometimes the chapters really do feel like a dump of information, as if the author brainstormed everything he could say about a topic and then strung it all together. Paragraphs will switch subjects somewhat abruptly and sometimes leave me wishing he had explained a little further before moving on. Also, sometimes the author takes for granted the experiences of his audience which may have been entirely fair in the 1950s but aren't so obvious today, such as "Most of us have been swimming during a rain when each rain drop hit the water's surface with a little sparkling light." Whoa, raindrops will sparkle when they hit the water? Wait, since when do 'most' of us swim during the rain? Is this really common knowledge? Tell me more! He doesn't elaborate. I guess it was just too obvious.
Now I'm not only lamenting the loss of weather maps, but also the magical connection with the weather than Eric Sloane took for granted!
January 13, 2021
My first attempt to learn about metrology ended up like the Calvin and Hobbes cartoon where Calvin asks his dad what causes wind; to which his dad responds, "trees sneezing." When Calvin asks if that's true his father responds, "no, but the truth is more complicated."
Seeing all of the Algebra in just the first few pages of the intro to metrology book I quickly opted for this book.
It was given to me as a gift and the gift giver, having evidently perused through it before wrapping, said, "so I basically bought you a children's book?"
The book, filled with pictures, is a great way to get a cursory, non mathematical overview of the basics of weather systems. I highly, highly recommend it if you have a casual interest in how weather systems work.
Seeing all of the Algebra in just the first few pages of the intro to metrology book I quickly opted for this book.
It was given to me as a gift and the gift giver, having evidently perused through it before wrapping, said, "so I basically bought you a children's book?"
The book, filled with pictures, is a great way to get a cursory, non mathematical overview of the basics of weather systems. I highly, highly recommend it if you have a casual interest in how weather systems work.
March 28, 2021
Interesting book on weather! Pretty much the only one I could find that wasn't a meteorology textbook. I definitely learned a lot that I didn't know before, and it was quite an interesting and understandable read.
Some drawbacks were that it felt a bit dated, and I didn't always know when I could trust the information he gave because it didn't always seem like he made verified claims. Some typos like about the point below which half of all air resides is at times 1500ft and others 15,000ft.
I felt like the first chapters were quite exciting in how much weather knowledge it gave in the form of adages, but it didn't seem to follow through on in-depth explanations for those sayings throughout the book, which would have been appreciated.
Some drawbacks were that it felt a bit dated, and I didn't always know when I could trust the information he gave because it didn't always seem like he made verified claims. Some typos like about the point below which half of all air resides is at times 1500ft and others 15,000ft.
I felt like the first chapters were quite exciting in how much weather knowledge it gave in the form of adages, but it didn't seem to follow through on in-depth explanations for those sayings throughout the book, which would have been appreciated.
January 21, 2021
Sloane's "Weather Book" is a deceptively slim volume that contains a great level of science and folklore pertaining to weather, with a tight focus on helping individuals develop an intuitive understanding of weather systems. There are wonderful illustrations about every other pages, and these show models that assist the beginner in comprehending climate cycles and the physical elements of weather, many of which are invisible to the casual observer. This will make a nice addition to the outdoor/environment section of my library.
March 2, 2022
If all of my teachers explained subjects like Eric Sloane, I would be a genius. His pragmatic explanation of complex weather systems makes the subject immensely understandable. The plethora of detailed, informative and gorgeously drawn pictures make it all the more understandable and enjoyable. A trained artist, Sloane was commissioned by the Air Force to illustrate meteorology and weather forecasting for pilots. If you enjoy this one, you will probably enjoy A Reverence for Wood as well. If you have an interest in learning more about weather, this is the book for you.
November 18, 2019
This is a brilliant introduction to meteorology with simple explanations and so many beautiful, helpful illustrations. While not a weather forecasting handbook per se, this book provides a solid education in the mechanics of weather. It's an old volume (originally published in 1949) but it has aged very well. I recommend this book to anyone who wants a solid, basic education in the workings of our atmosphere.
February 26, 2023
An excellent book written for the layperson. Mr. Sloane explains everything about weather so well and includes myriad charts. The combination of his explanations with the charts and drawings made clear to me so many things that have previously eluded me. Anyone involved in sailing, flying, radio, or sound would probably gain interesting insights. Highly recommend!
April 21, 2023
Eric Sloane's book are all nothing short of delightful as recreational reading. This one is no different. Despite its short length, this book is dense with both folk and scientific understanding of a wide range of weather phenomena. If you are more interested in "reading" and understanding the weather in your daily life, this is the book you want.
January 11, 2024
Five stars for a book on weather. It was easy to understand, charming, and even had really great diagrams throughout. I understand weather better than I have my whole life, and I really appreciate that.
December 31, 2018
A book I bought for my son and couldn't wait for him to finish so I could read it. Interesting and cute drawings.
January 11, 2020
loved the illustrations in this as a kid
March 24, 2021
A nice summary of a huge topic, perfect for people like me that find odd topics suddenly very intriguing for a short period of time.
August 24, 2022
In memory of the author/ illustrator!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 23, 2023
Slightly dated, but a wonderful introduction to meteorology. Loved the illustrations!
June 28, 2023
Yay, another Y7 finished!
Actually more enjoyable than I ever thought a book on weather could be! 😆👏
Actually more enjoyable than I ever thought a book on weather could be! 😆👏
June 15, 2025
homeschool book. fascinating read. definitely has me watching the clouds!
March 1, 2024
Read along with Ben
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews