Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded: August 27, 1883 1st Edition Edition

by Simon Winchester (Author)

438 customer reviews

ISBN-13: 978-0060838591

ISBN-10: 0060838590

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Simon Winchester, New York Times bestselling author of The Professor and the Madman, examines the legendary annihilation in 1883 of the volcano-island of Krakatoa, which was followed by an immense tsunami that killed nearly forty thousand people. The effects of the immense waves were felt as far away as France. Barometers in Bogotá and Washington, D.C., went haywire. Bodies were washed up in Zanzibar. The sound of the island's destruction was heard in Australia and India and on islands thousands of miles away. Most significant of all -- in view of today's new political climate -- the eruption helped to trigger in Java a wave of murderous anti-Western militancy among fundamentalist Muslims, one of the first outbreaks of Islamic-inspired killings anywhere. Krakatoa gives us an entirely new perspective on this fascinating and iconic event.

This P.S. edition features an extra 16 pages of insights into the book, including author interviews, recommended reading, and more.

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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Brilliant...One of the best books ever written about the history and significance of a natural disaster.” (New York Times)

“Supremely well told: a fine exception to the dull run of most geological writing.” starred Kirkus Review (Kirkus Review (starred review))

“Winchester once again demonstrates a keen knack for balancing rich and often rigorous historical detail with dramatic tension and storytelling.” (Publishers Weekly (starred review))

“A good read.” (Washington Post Book World)

“Masterful build-up of literary and geological tension.” (The Economist)

“A real-life story bigger than any Hollywood blockbuster.” (Entertainment Weekly)

“Winchester...is noted for his ability to turn scholarly history into engrossing narrative.” (Chicago Sun-Times)

“Winchester’s exceptional attention to detail never falters.” (San Francisco Chronicle)

“Winchester scores.” (byline Baltimore Sun, printed in Pittsburg Post-Gazette) (Baltimore Sun)

“Winchester dramatically delivers...the book is absorbing...” (Daily News)

About the Author

Simon Winchester is the acclaimed author of many books, including The Professor and the Madman, The Men Who United the States, The Map That Changed the World, The Man Who Loved China, A Crack in the Edge of the World, and Krakatoa, all of which were New York Times bestsellers and appeared on numerous best and notable lists. In 2006, Winchester was made an officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Her Majesty the Queen. He resides in western Massachusetts.

Product details

Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Harper Perennial; 1st Edition edition (July 5, 2005)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0060838590
ISBN-13: 978-0060838591
Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 1 x 8 inches
Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 438 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #50,322 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1 in Books > Science & Math > Earth Sciences > Geology > Volcanology
- #3 in Books > Science & Math > Earth Sciences > Seismology
- #4 in Books > Science & Math > Earth Sciences > Earthquakes & Volcanoes

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Excellent; revised and updated version would be even better.

February 4, 2016

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I enjoyed reading it. However, there are some clear scientific errors in the figures and figure captions (e.g., location/name of some cities; offshore Vancouver is referred to as Northwestern Pacific, instead of northeastern; thickness of oceanic/continental crust).

I have been using this book as a textbook for my class (introductory scientific English class) at a Japanese university over the past three years, but I had to clarify these errors to students every time we encounter such an error while reading together. Before clarification, I ask students if they have spot any mistakes in the figure, caption, paragraph, and so on. Toward the end of the semester, students are getting better at spotting these errors (they are earth-science major, so the content itself is easy for them but translating/understanding long English sentences correctly are the major problem for Japanese students). We do not discuss grammatical errors or get deep into the controversial topics, though, where it is difficult for undergraduate students to judge the statement is scientifically correct or factual enough.

Among the scientific community, after the publication of this book, there have also been many changes regarding the scenario of how the eruption/explosion of Krakatoa and consequent pyroclastic flow/surge and tsunamis occurred in August 1883. It is even more dramatic than the book describes (even though the author appeared in BBC's (2006) documentary film `Krakatoa - the Last Days' with updated info, and some volcanologists believe that the tsunamis created by Krakatoa were so high that the seabed around Krakatoa was exposed to the atmosphere:

[...]

Others believe that the colorful sky in the painting "the Scream" by Edvard Munch (1893) reflects his observation of extraordinarily red and orange sky at sunset caused by the fine volcanic ash and aerosol brought to the air by the Krakatoa's 1883 eruption.

I do hope Simon Winchester will write and publish an updated version of Krakatoa with these new discoveries as well as citations of similar volcanic disasters with vivid graphic descriptions which the author is exquisite at.

10 people found this helpful

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Old Enough to Know Better

January 22, 2015

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

The story of Krakatoa fascinates us over 130 after its eruption and does so for good reason. Volcanoes and earthquakes are potent reminders of how little influence we truly have in the face of the forces that govern our home planet. If a volcano decides to erupt, all any of us can do is to get the hell away as quickly as possible. Besides that, their effects are quite wide ranging. I was over 1,000 miles away from Mount St. Helens but it's ash pitted the finish of a new car I had bought scarcely two weeks before. Compared to Krakatoa, Mount St. Helens was a firecracker.

Winchester's book covers the history of the region, especially as a Dutch colony and gives a good working description of plate tectonics and the history of that discovery. As a technophile I found that quite interesting. Overall, the book is good, but I won't say perfect. At times it seemed to be a bit slow paced and there were a few times I wondered why the author had chosen to spend so much effort on points that probably needed little coverage. Overall, nonetheless, it was an interesting read

4 people found this helpful

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For a school book, this is pretty readable.

June 27, 2012

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

"Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded is in essence a scientific book, but written in the style of popular science that the general public is able to understand and to enjoy. The book thus takes on a very novel-esque feeling and tone. As someone who does not prefer to read nonfiction books, I personally felt that Krakatoa was an enjoyable read for the three-hundred some pages that it consisted. Considering that Krakatoa is able to address the many different aspects of the volcanic eruption that are very little addressed in such an entertaining way, I believe that Krakatoa makes the famous explosion very understandable and approachable, serving as the scientific and historical explanation for the common man."

Simon Winchester's goal in writing this book is listed on the back cover as intending to provide "an entirely new perspective on this fascinating and iconic event as he brings it tellingly back to life." As Winchester has had experience relevant to the events described in the book, his personal experience and injections of anecdote add color and extra details, such as his discussion of his excursions in Greenland as relevant to the reversal of the poles, which relates to Krakatoa and the magnetic stripes on the bottom of the seafloor. In addition, the book effectively presents the events of August 27, 1883 not simply as the majority of people remember it - the catastrophe that slaughtered tens of thousands in one blow - but as a calculated and quantifiable result of plate tectonics as it fits within the contexts of Dutch colonization and trading. This historical context is what makes the book unique and truly adds an interesting quality to Winchester's work."

The above is from my book review for this nonfiction book for my college's Honors Geography course. We were required to do a book review for each of three books, this being the first. Though I am an avid reader, I tend to despise assigned reading. However, this book was well written for its 300-plus pages, and I enjoyed much of it. While it tends to drag at certain points (and let's be honest, what nonfiction book doesn't?) it still has a certain rhythm to it that makes this scientific book quite reminiscent of fiction in tone. An enjoyable read.

10 people found this helpful

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