Reviews for Turbulence

The average rating for Turbulence based on 2 reviews is 3 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2020-05-02 00:00:00 Travis Rymon Turbulence was very good indeed and another one in a sequence of excellent novels from Giles Foden. Written as a memoir by the fictional Henry Meadows and based upon real events, Turbulence illuminates an aspect of WW II that we generally don't get to hear about. Namely, the importance of forecasting the weather for the day of the D-Day invasion. Even though this is essentially a work of fiction, it's clear that if the military men and politicians didn't pay heed to the scientists then the outcome of the whole war could have been vastly different. A point that seems quite apt when you consider the crisis that the whole world is experiencing at the moment. The book is quite science heavy and complex but Giles Foden is such a skilful writer that he makes it accessible. A classy book from a classy writer.

Review # 2 was written on 2010-02-18 00:00:00 James Fox Foden's novel opens with the fantastical vision of icebergs being towed from Antarctica to Saudi Arabia to water the Sheikh's desert. Taking in sea lions trained to detect mines, frissons and debate, the horror and waste of war, and the fragility of genius, the tale of Allied scientists attempting to provide a weather forecast for the D-Day landings could have been an intriguing take on the historical period. What lets it down is the fact that, having evidently carried out vast research, Foden has crammed all his findings into the book. The result is that, in large part, it reads more like a textbook on meteorology than a novel. If you happen to have a passion for meteorology, it will likely be an educational and interesting experience. If not, it's 350 pages of talking about the weather, interspersed with glimpses of what might have been an engrossing read.