As a child in Bréhat, an island off the coast of Brittany, Érik Orsenna was taught to give thanks for the Gulf Stream, the Atlantic Ocean current that brings warmth to the waters of Europe and gives us our relatively benign climate. Spanning thousands of years of history, this book weaves between poetry and science to trace the influence of this current on Europe’s culture and climate.

“Since childhood I have been in love with ocean currents, in love with those rivers hidden in the water.”

Érik Orsenna “Portrait of the Gulf Stream: In praise of currents”. Originally published in 2005. Translated from the French by Moishe Black. Published in English by Haus Publishing in 2008. Bought by the Sea Library 💙

Photos by Anna Iltnere / Sea Library