In recent years, the problem of seeing through the atmosphere has been given intensive and costly consideration in several quarters, but particularly in the Untied States and Great Britain. A problem which once concerned mainly the meteorologists has become of great importance in military tactics as well as in peacetime transportation.
The present volume is the only full account in English of the physical, physiological, and psychological factors which lie at the basis of the calculation of the range of vision through the atmosphere. There is an extended chapter on instruments and one on the author's own theory of the colours of distant objects.
The figures are from many sources althrough many of them have been drawn specially for this book. The bibliography contains 420 entries nearly all of which are directly referred to in the text.

W.E. Knowles Middleton was associated with the National Research Council from 1946 until 1963. He is the author of The History of the Barometer, The Experimenters: A Study of the Accademia del Cimento, Physics at the National Research Council of Canada, 1929-1952 (WLU Press, 1979), Lorenzo Magalotti at the Court of Charles II (WLU Press, 1980), and Radar Development in Canada: The Radio Branch of the National Research Council 1939-1946 (WLU Press, 1981). He has received honorary degrees from Boston University and McGill University.

W.E.K. Middleton's profile page

"To those already familiar with Dr. Middleton's writings, it will not be necessary to add that the book is written in a very clear, concise style, with however the few personal touches which distinguish a living text from a dry one."

World Meteorological Organization Bulletin

"A valuable summary of the state of knowledge in regard to visibility under atmospheric conditions. … The book must be considered a most valuable addition to the literature on visibility, for which meteorologists are indebted to the author."

Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society