Thunder and Lightning

This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design. Thunder and Lightning is a vivid, scientifically minded exploration of atmospheric electricity that turns storms into a source of both wonder and inquiry. Camille Flammarion, celebrated for making complex science accessible, gathers dramatic eyewitness accounts of fireballs, lightning strikes, and their strange effects on people, animals, buildings, and the landscape. A globe of fire may drift through a room, pass through a chimney, or explode after seeming harmless, while other bolts kill, strip, displace, or spare their victims with baffling selectivity. From these uncanny incidents, Flammarion moves into broader reflection on thunder, auroras, and the electrical balance between earth and sky, then traces humanity's understanding of electricity from ancient superstition to the discoveries of Guericke, Wall, Franklin, and the Leyden jar. He examines lightning conductors, the hidden currents of nature, and the curious "pictures" lightning can create, all while preserving the mystery that still surrounds the force. Richly illustrated and full of startling detail, the book blends science, history, and awe.