Bernd Brunner

Winterlust - Finding Beauty in the Fiercest Season

"In this enjoyable examination of the enduring human fascination with snow and cold, Mr. Brunner rekindles the heat in our frozen childhood memories and offers insight into the history, art and science of winter. ... Mr. Brunner’s winning book is a reassuring, nostalgic reminder that winter is the season of both play and regeneration, which may yet turn to glorious summer."
The Wall Street Journal

"This book will forever change how you think about winter."
Apple Books

"An unwritten law of meteorology is that we believe other people have better weather than we do. This illusion sustains the whole travel industry, and “winterlust” is one aspect of it — a longing for snow and ice that even rational people are prone to. Bernd Brunner is clearly in thrall to it, and unfolds the wonders of winter through a mix of poetry, science and history. ... A fascinating read."
The Sunday Times (London)

"In an age of climate change, any writing about the dazzling beauty of winter takes on a subdued—almost nostalgic—tenor. Such is the case with Bernd Brunner’s slim, thoughtful meditation ... But the book isn’t all elegy. On the contrary, it celebrates the rituals and customs of winter taking place right now, all the world over, from the Indigenous communities of the Arctic to the sunny villas of Brazil, where beachcombers lament their 75-degree winters wrapped in parkas and wool hats. Whereas most people find danger and darkness in the “fiercest season,” Brunner finds beauty, even enchantment."
Literary Hub

"Brunner renders his research with a light, lyrical touch, evoking the tone of conversation rather than classroom instruction."
The Christian Science Monitor

"A smart and enthusiastic ode to the cold and snowy time of the year around the world, from a distinctive writer who combines science, history and culture."
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

"In this thoughtful and meditative book on winter, essayist Brunner opts not to bemoan the season’s faults, but to find reasons to sing its praises. In direct and accessible prose, he introduces the titular notion, an admirable variation on wanderlust, zeroing in on “the particular enchantments of this time of year.”
Publishers Weekly

"A wonder-filled journey through humanity’s multifaceted relationships with this most endangered of seasons. Brunner’s explorations reveal how we shape and are shaped by the environments in which we live."
David George Haskell, author of The Songs of Trees and Pulitzer finalist, The Forest Unseen

"Many people in the modern world do their best to push winter away with their thermostats, shopping malls and annual escapes to sunnier climes. Brunner masterfully does in words what resilient and adventurous people have done in their lives for centuries; he finds beauty in blizzards and ice and the crystallized enchantment of snow."
Dan Egan, Pulitzer finalist and author of The Death and Life of the Great Lakes

"Brunner considers both winter's terrors and it's fascination. ... His winter's tales are edifying as well, because even as he explores the past he looks to a present and future marked by climate change."
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

"With this book, Brunner presents a successful cultural history of winter. It captures the fascination of "real" winter and goes beyond Christmas and winter sports to explore what makes the season special."
Spektrum der Wissenschaft



Germany: Galiani Berlin bei Kiepenheuer & Witsch
USA/Canada/UK: Greystone Books
China: ThinKingdom Media Group
Spain: Acantilado
World Arabic: Al Arabi, Cairo