Cold Charms: Ice in Human History

Long before the appearance of humans, the Earth was covered in 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 spheres, and scientific achievements would be unimaginable without it. In the pages of this book, you will meet Winston Churchill, mammoths, the 'iceman' Ötzi, and Sir John Franklin, whose expedition Dan Simmons wrote the novel 'The Terror' about. The Ice Age in the Middle Ages, paleontological excavations, and the development of weapons during World War II – ice has always been a silent hero of human history.
'Ice was one of the most important bridges connecting us with the natural world… It influenced human development back in ancient times, accompanying farmers and nomads of the prehistoric era… Without ice, we wouldn't be able to feed ourselves and treat the sick as we do now. Science wouldn't have developed in the directions it is developing. Without ice, our cities, villages, seas, and oceans would look completely different, and many masterpieces adorning galleries and libraries would simply not exist' (Max Leonard).