Scan barcode
davechua's review against another edition
4.0
While often compelling, the directions this recounting of Krakotoa's historic eruption sometimes deviates a little too far.
sonya1968's review against another edition
4.0
Simon Winchester is a great storyteller and this is a great story. I appreciate the wider context that Winchester brings to his books, the cultural and historical as well as the scientific. Because of the telegraph news of the explosion traveled around the world relatively quickly. And because of the fascination with emerging weather science, barometric readings were recorded all over the world (but strangely not temperature readings). I had no idea plate tectonics was confirmed in the 1960s. I thought it was much earlier. There's an interesting discussion about the political effects of the explosion, that it may have contributed to the anti-colonial sentiments that began to solidify. Winchester doesn't go into a lot of detail about the human destruction which I'm fine with, but a little more about the difficulty of rebuilding lives and the economy would have been helpful.
Winchester is also an enjoyable narrator. I loved the affectation of his voice when he read from scientific reports of the time.
Winchester is also an enjoyable narrator. I loved the affectation of his voice when he read from scientific reports of the time.
mapdock's review against another edition
5.0
The best of what I look for in non-fiction, it ties together a huge amount of history and science, but is never dull. Winchester crams more than seems possible into the context around the 1883 explosion, including links to current events. My favorite so far of his books.
_lilbey_'s review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
4.0
Very interesting. I disagree with other reviewers who took issue with the lengthy chapters on geology and plate tectonics- I thought this was interesting and very relevant to the eruptions. However I do agree that the weird and short chapter about how the eruption led to anti-western sentiment among the Muslim native population out of place, unsupported, and unnecessary. Islam was addressed for maybe a page before this chapter appeared in the last quarter of the book, so there was not much groundwork laid (descriptions of Java and Sumatra at the time were light on discussing native folks in general and mostly focused on the colonizers- which, not ideal) for this weird side-quest that seemed to simply be trying to reinforce Western anti-Muslim sentiment in the era immediately following 9/11. Otherwise, this was a very detailed and informative account of the history of this volcano and it's lasting legacy.
pennsnape's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars. If you want to know every detail possible relating to Krakatoa, this is the book for you. The author dives into the history, geography, politics and more surrounding the eruption of Krakatoa. I found some parts dry and uninteresting, but the information on plate tectonics and the people fascinating. I wouldn’t have made it through this book if I hadn’t listened to it on audiobook.