Throughout history, natural elements have been responsible for the deaths of more people than the spear, bullet or atomic bomb. Floods have drowned millions, droughts and famines wiped out entire populations, frost has halted invincible armies, and storms have sunk unsinkable fleets.

When facing the weather, its unpredictability can lead to incredible disasters. Though we have made major advancements in collecting and forecasting the weather, huge seas, skies, rain-falls and freezes have confounded us since the days when Noah was forced to take to the Ark.

Erik Durschmied uses his formidable knowledge of military strategy and his skill at human observation to give examples of how man can never prepare for the unexpected.