James A. Taylor – författare

Victoria, Princess Royal, known as Vicky, is best known as the eldest daughter of Queen Victoria and the mother of Kaiser Wilhelm II. Yet, she is a fascinating figure in her own right. Intelligent, strong-willed, opinionated and politically liberal, she faced opposition at the conservative German Royal Court. With the death of her father Albert in December 1861, Vicky lost her mentor and teacher. This left her politically exposed and also meant she has to take on the role of close confidante to her mother. Their relationship is fully described in their 40-year correspondence and in Queen Victoria’s journals.Despite all their hardships, Vicky and Fritz’s love story is a genuine one. A meeting as children led to a long and happy marriage – in a similar way to that of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. With Queen Victoria as her mother, Wilhelm II as her son and Bismarck as her political nemesis, Vicky’s story is central to the era. An eyewitness to the wars which led to German unification, Vicky’s thoughts are recorded in her correspondence, which gives us the opportunity to see these events through her eyes.

Weather Economics presents the papers and discussions at a symposium held at the Welsh Plant Breeding Station on March 13, 1968. The book discusses the cost of British weather; the effect of the weather on farm organization and farm management; and the weather and machinery work-days. The text also describes the basic frost, irrigation and degree-day data for planning purpose; the variations in the marginal value of agricultural labor due to weather factors; and the areal patterns in the value of early potato production in Southwest Wales in 1967. The weather and risk in forestry, as well as the use of cost/benefit studies in the interpretation of probability forecasts for agriculture and industry are also encompassed.

Weather and Agriculture presents the major principles involved in the integrated study of weather and agriculture. The book is divided into three sections. Part I discusses the aspects of environmental factors and their validity and measurement. Part II presents a selection of the weather hazards and their relation to agricultural practice. The last section focuses on productivity, the efficient maximization of available resources towards economic ends. Meteorologists, agriculturists, and pedologists will find the book invaluable.