Lightning Protection - Practical for Engineers and Students

In this review of Lightning Protection by R H Golde the book is presented as a focused, technical resource for engineers, researchers and advanced students who need a thorough grounding in lightning phenomena and protection practice. The single biggest reason to buy is its methodical treatment of both the physical behaviour of thunderstorms and the engineering principles behind lightning conductors, making it a useful reference for design work and classroom study where clear, historically informed explanations matter.

Key Features

• Comprehensive scope: Covers historical background through detailed analysis of thunderclouds, lightning discharge and frequency, helping readers connect theory to practical protection needs.
• Mechanics of strike: Explains the mechanism of strike and striking distance so designers can assess the likelihood of hits on structures.
• Protection principles: Presents principles of protection and design considerations including thermal, mechanical and electrical factors to guide real-world installation decisions.
• Materials and dimensions: Discusses conductors for use above ground and material choices, useful when selecting components for a protection system.
• Focused chapters on conductors: Dedicated treatment of the lightning conductor, protective zone and frequency of strikes to a structure aids risk assessment.

Who It's For

This book is best suited to practicing electrical engineers, structural engineers, utility engineers and graduate students who require an in-depth, technical review of lightning phenomena and design decisions for protection systems. It is particularly valuable when a practitioner needs to justify design choices or calculate striking distance and conductor sizing based on documented theory.

Readers seeking a step-by-step installation manual, a modern codebook, or an introductory primer for a general audience should look elsewhere; this text assumes some prior familiarity with electrical concepts and focuses on theory and engineering principles rather than on contemporary standards or installation checklists.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Thorough treatment of physical background and historical survey that supports engineering judgments.
• Clear chapters on the lightning conductor, protective zone and mechanisms of strike that aid design calculations.
• Discussion of thermal, mechanical and electrical considerations provides a well-rounded view of protection requirements.

Cons

• Not a modern code handbook or step-by-step installation guide, so additional standards references are needed for compliance work.
• Assumes technical background, which limits accessibility for casual readers or nontechnical stakeholders.

Specifications

Our Verdict

Lightning Protection is a solid, technically focused reference for engineers and advanced students who need a rigorous explanation of lightning behaviour and protection design. It offers strong theoretical foundations and practical design considerations, making it good value for professionals who will supplement it with current standards for installation and compliance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the book cover how to size conductors?
The book discusses materials and dimensions and provides guidance on conductors for use above ground to inform sizing decisions.

Is this a step-by-step installation guide?
No. It focuses on theory, mechanisms of strike and design principles rather than prescriptive installation procedures or modern code excerpts.

Who will benefit most from this book?
Electrical and structural engineers, utility engineers and graduate students seeking a rigorous understanding of lightning phenomena and protection design will benefit most.