Review: Before readers become concerned about the location of this text there are some very good reasons for reading on! If we look at the number of really good introductory texts on the atmosphere then we are reduced to a handful most of which are UK- or US-centric. This is a pity for a variety of reasons. Firstly, the idea of global warming suggests the need for a global appreciation of the atmosphere. Secondly, the processes that seem common in the Northern hemisphere are not so in the Southern. Put simply, if we limit ourselves to models from just one area we fail to appreciate the significance of phenomena elsewhere. For those of us working in the Southern hemisphere the need for regional texts is more immediate but perhaps it's also possible to appreciate just how different the situation is here (the same goes for ecology where it could be argued that the Northern hemisphere paradigm doesn't always work South of the equator!).

The book is divided into four parts. The first part looks at the basics of atmospherics and global meteorology. Chapter one is a good overview of the global atmospheric system. Chapter two looks at the physical structure of the atmosphere and the energy flows from both outside and within. This leads us to chapter three which deals with the circulation patterns both globally and within the region. To this point there is little that would seem at of place. The text highlights key concepts and gives some local variations where important. Part two changes scale with a look at synoptic-scale phenomena. Thus chapter four start with an examination of air masses and vertical stability i.e. the temperature/moisture curves and the implications of these. From the vertical we move to the horizontal with an overview of winds and wind patterns both at ground level and in the upper atmosphere. Chapter six describes local phenomena e.g. cyclones and anti-cyclones which leads on to a major chapter on weather systems. It's here that we get to see the real differences between North and South. This is crucial because the systems that in key areas of the environment e.g. Amazon, differ markedly in their characteristics compared with those of Northern temperate regions. Whatever the changes the next area is more familiar: weather forecasting and a review of both practical and theoretical perspectives. Chapter 9 is the first part of section three which focusses on meso-scale phenomena such as frontal weather systems. This is followed by a study of climates at both regional and local scale. Part four is a study of climate change where the two chapters look, respectively, at 'natural' climate change through time and recent/future changes.

There is much to recommend in this text. As an introductory book it is clearly written, well illustrated and can deal with quite complex issues relatively simply. If we then take the location into account we find that it is one of the few books dealing with the other half of the world! These two points alone make it worthwhile reading but one must also add that it looks at climatic phenomena either ignored or dealt with less fully by other texts. Thus this text is ideal for those in the region where it provides one of the best examples in its field. For those living elsewhere but studying Southern hemisphere phenomena this book is an ideal introduction which fills in many of the gaps found elsewhere.