A quirky, clever guide for everyone who loves to look up. Where do clouds come from? Why do they look the way they do? And why have they captured the imagination of timeless artists, Romantic poets, and every kid who's ever held a crayon? Journalist and lifelong sky watcher Gavin Pretor-Pinney reveals everything there is to know about clouds, from history and science to art and pop culture. Cumulus, nimbostratus, and the dramatic and seemingly surfable Morning Glory cloud are just a few of the varieties explored in this smart, witty, and eclectic tour through the skies. Generously illustrated with striking photographs and line drawings featuring everything from classical paintings to lava lamps, children's drawings, and Roman coins, The Cloudspotter's Guidewill have science and history buffs, weather watchers, and the just plain curious floating on cloud nine.

Gavin Pretor-Pinney is the co-founder of The Idler magazine in England. A former science nerd and a graduate of Oxford University, he has been obsessed with clouds since childhood. His writing has appeared in The Telegraph, The Evening Standard, and other publications in England, including The Idler Book of Crap Towns. Currently living in London, Gavin is the founder of the Cloud Appreciation Society.