Portrait of the Gulf Stream

by Érik Orsenna, Moishe Black (Translator)

'It so happens that ever since childhood I have been in love with ocean currents, in love with those rivers hidden in the water.' As a child in Brehat, an island off the coast of Brittany, Érik Orsenna was told to give thanks for the Gulf Stream, the Atlantic ocean current that brings warmth to the waters of Europe and gives us our relatively benign climate. It is his passion and concern for the Gulf Stream that is the motivation behind this book, in which he asks 'What is the Gulf Stream?', 'Where does it begin and end?', 'Will global warming stop its flow?'. In search of answers to these questions, Orsenna travels from Cape Hatteras to the legendary Maelström off Norway, to meet the scholars and scientists who hold the key to the mysteries of this powerful ocean current. Spanning thousands of years of history, this fascinating book weaves between poetry and science to trace the influence of ocean currents on European climate and culture, from ancient Phoenician seafarers to the captains of 21st-century ballistic missile submarines, from Scottish rhododendron growers to Breton fishermen, and gives new insight into the potential for catastrophic climate change.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, History, Travel

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Érik Orsenna, pseudonyme d'Erik Arnoult est un romancier français. Après des études de philosophie et de sciences politiques, il a fait des études en Angleterre (London School of Economics). Son pseudonyme Orsenna est le nom de la vieille ville du Rivage des Syrtes, de Julien Gracq.

Érik Orsenna, nom de plume of Erik Arnoult is a French novelist. After studying philosophy and political science, he studied economics at the London School of Economics. His pseudonym Orsenna is the name of the old town of The Opposing Shore by Julien Gracq.

Reviews

[Nina Bedin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un livre qui aide en partie à comprendre le climat d’aujourd’hui. Si vous souhaitez en apprendre davantage sur les courants sous-marins tout en y mêlant quelques histoires et légendes, ce livre est un premier pas, une introduction à cette matière infinie qu’est l’analyse des courants. Je l’ai lu assez vite.

[Tittirossa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chi l'avrebbe mai detto che ci fosse così tanta poesia dietro ad una corrente?
Un libro che sembra quasi un romanzo nel narrare le vicissitudini della Corrente del Golfo, che corre e scalda il mare, con i suoi vortici, camini, correnti dense e leggere ....

[Mark Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this eclectic and personal approach to gathering stories about the gulf stream. This is a book to turn to when in need of an outlandish, strange-but-true tale from lesser known corners of the Atlantic. One to keep on the shelf and dip back into.

[Frédéric De · Rating 4 out of 5]

Il est rare de lire un livre de géographie, encore plus rare sur les courants marins. L’auteur sait vulgariser une affaire complexe. À la fin on ne comprend toujours pas vraiment, mais on passe un bon moment avec ces jolies anecdotes de vieux fous savants et ces voyages dans le grand nord, là où se perd le Gulf Stream, ce courant d’air chaud venu du golfe du Mexique qui a tant d’influence sur le monde, son climat et notre bien-être

[Nisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Très bien écrit, se lit presque comme une oeuvre de fiction- on est emporté par le courant du Gulf Stream et par ses aventures !

[Alessandro Balestra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un saggio a suo modo romantico e poetico, "poco scientifico" ma molto piacevole.

[Alain · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un sujet scientifique bien écrit. Intéressant. Pour toutes ses petites découvertes culturelles