The odds of being hit by lightning each year are only about 1 in 750,000 in the U.S. And yet this rare phenomenon has inspired both fear and fascination for thousands of years. In this ground-breaking, brilliantly researched book, journalist John S. Friedman probes lightning's scientific,spiritual, and cultural roots. Blending vibrant history with riveting first-hand accounts of those who have clashed with lightning and lived to tell about it, Out of the Blue charts an extraordinary journey across the ages that explores our awe and dread in the face of one of nature's most fearsome spectacles.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

AN AWESOME FLAME

THE MOUNTAIN CLIMBER: THE ASCENT

THE ANGRY SKY

STORM CHASER

FRANKLIN'S HERETICAL ROD

THE ODD COUPLE

THE MOUNTAIN CLIMBER: THE SUMMIT

UNEXPECTED CONSEQUENCES

MEDICAL DETECTIVES

A GATHERING OF ANGELS

THE MOUNTAIN CLIMBER: THE DESCENT

EPILOGUE

BIBLIOGRAPHY

NOTES

INDEX