Cold Charms: Ice in Human History

Long before the appearance of humans, the Earth was covered with ice. Snow-capped mountain peaks, glaciers, and our refrigerators hide one of the most interesting states of the H2O molecule. Ice gives and takes life, it is used in many... fields, and without it, the achievements of science would be inconceivable. In the pages of this book, you will meet Winston Churchill, mammoths, the "Ice Man" Ötzi, and Sir John Franklin, about whose expedition Dan Simmons wrote the novel "The Terror." The Ice Age in the Middle Ages, paleontological excavations, and the development of weapons in World War II - ice has always been a silent hero of human history.
"Ice has been one of the most important bridges connecting us to the natural world... It influenced human development even in ancient times, accompanying prehistoric farmers and nomads... Without ice, we could not feed ourselves and heal the sick as we do now. Science would not have developed in the directions it has. Without ice, our cities, villages, seas, and oceans would look completely different, and many masterpieces gracing galleries and libraries simply would not exist" (Max Leonard).