100 Words for Rain: A surprising and entertaining guide to Britain’s favourite subject – our weather (National Trust)

The media could not be loaded. I have to be honest, I initially wondered whether or not to order this book, thinking it might be a bit boring. How wrong could I be ? This is a little gem of a book.We all know how “Us Brits” love to talk about the weather, in particular – rain ! The book is a small format (13.9 x 19 cms), and has 176 pages. It is published by the National Trust, which was one of the reasons I chose it, as their books are always interesting and informative. The front cover of the book has a really nice effect with clear glossy lines made to look like rain, which I thought was a great idea. The book is divided into 14 Chapters talking about things such as “Fog & Mist”, “How weather affects Behaviour” amongst many others, one of my favourites being the Regional words. I will share just one of my favourite snippets which comes under “Five Obsolete Weather Words to Bring Back”. The word is “Apricity” meaning warm sun in Winter ! I think it’s a lovely word. There are black and white illustrations throughout. It is the type of book to keep on the coffee table ready to keep dipping in to.Being a Manchunian I maybe should have written the book myself, but I can assure you that Alex Johnson has done a much better job !So if this review has whet your appetite, I suggest you get yourself a copy of this lovely book – just don’t save it for a rainy day.Thank you for reading my review and I hope along with my short video, you have found it helpful.

Alex Johnson is a journalist, magazine editor, designer and author. This is a lovely book about the British national obsession - the weather - that mixes folklore, local dialects, psychology, economics and, of course, the weather itself. There are loads of facts and nuggets grouped around different types of weather and, yes, there are 100 words for rain as well. It’s a perfect read to enjoy in your garden on a warm sunny day with a cold drink.Johnson has organised the book into 14 chapters, such as Snow and Ice, How Weather Affects Behaviour, War, Sun, Folkore, Rain and so on. Each chapter has a lot of interesting facts about that topic with Johnson drawing on literature, folklore, local dialects and languages (including Welsh, Scots Gaelic and Irish), history and psychology to pull together things to say about each. A lot of thought has been put into each and Johnson is careful to keep the tone light and informative, not overly dwelling on any particular topic but instead allowing the reader enough to keep them entertained before moving onto the next point.If I had a complaint (and I say this realising that it’s unfair given the title of the book) it’s that the long lists of different terms and words for various weather types do go on a bit. I do recognise that I’m being churlish saying that because they’re not uninteresting but they do go on for a couple of pages.All in all though, this is a really pleasant read. It gives you plenty to think about and is informative at the same time. It’s the kind of book that you can happily read while sitting in your garden during the summer with the radio on and a cool drink by your side and that is no mean feat to achieve.

Let's face it the weather is something in the UK that we just can't stop talking about. For me there's nothing more cosy that being tucked up safely in bed at night with the sound of rain or a storm outside. I have childhood memories of long hot summers (or so they seemed), sitting in a school classroom watching the rain outside, fixing fences in stormy winds and much more.As reading material goes this book from Alex Johnson is quite unique but also fascinating. Published in 2024 it's right up to date as I write this review, and it's an easy one-sitting read cover to cover as well as a reference you can keep coming back to.Published by National Trust Books the 176 pages are printed in colour on nicely weighted paper with generous margins and line spacing. The use of colour helps to distinguish chapters and their sub headings, and there are a few monochrome line drawings to help break up the text and add visual interest.Beginning with a historical journey into discussing the weather, the author then takes you on a chapter-by-chapter journey of weather elements from wind, rain, fog and mist, through to snow, ice, storms and sun. Amongst this are some fascinating references to folklore, common terms and phrases, talking points, and even how weather can affect human behaviours.In summary it's a fascinating insight into something we all take for granted but is equally instrumental in shaping our lives and mood. A great coffee table book, reference and a relaxing read that should have a place on everyone's bookshelf.

Whilst the internet is crammed with quick info hits at a click of a search engine button, there's nothing like a book in your hand on a single subject! This national Trust publication "100 Words for Rain" compiled by Alex Johnson is informative, factual and fun, a truly rainy day book! If you are a Quizzer, this is a great book for you; plenty of random facts and '"did you know that"s to impress - or not - friends and family. So here's one: did you know that 40% of people feel that talking about the weather is a typical British Habit? (YouGov Poll)Often these books end up in the bathroom, but I think it's for the coffee table, the office desk, your outside space, for those idle moments when your interest is wanting to be elsewhere rather than a screen.I have a friend who is a Meteorologist, so this little book will help me understand the world he moves in in an informed and fun way. So, if. you love the weather, enjoy books, this is definitely one for you.It's a 5 from me.......