Krakatoa

The Day the World Exploded, August 27, 1883

By: Simon Winchester

Narrated by: Simon Winchester

Length: 12 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's summary

The best-selling author of The Professor and the Madman and The Map That Changed the World examines the enduring and world-changing effects of the catastrophic eruption off the coast of Java of the earth's most dangerous volcano - Krakatoa.

The legendary annihilation in 1883 of the volcano-island of Krakatoa - the name has since become a byword for a cataclysmic disaster - was followed by an immense tsunami that killed nearly 40,000 people. Beyond the purely physical horrors of an event that has only very recently been properly understood, the eruption changed the world in more ways than could possibly be imagined. Dust swirled round die planet for years, causing temperatures to plummet and sunsets to turn vivid with lurid and unsettling displays of light. The effects of the immense waves were felt as far away as France. Barometers in Bogotá and Washington, DC, 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.

Simon Winchester's long experience in the world wandering as well as his knowledge of history and geology give us an entirely new perspective on this fascinating and iconic event as he brings it telling back to life.

©2003 Simon Winchester (P)2003 HarperCollinsPublishers, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Thrilling, comprehensive, literate, meticulously researched and scientifically accurate....It is one of the best books ever written about the history and significance of a natural disaster." (The New York Times Book Review)

"If you're looking for drama, you'll certainly find it here....Winchester manages a dry and ironic delivery, very much in keeping with his writing style. But the main point of interest when the dust has settled is the far-flung ramifications of this eruption upon world events. This is a winner." (AudioFile)

"All readers, science-prone or not, will be delighted by this experience-expanding book." (Booklist)

Detailed account of the history and details around the volcanic eruption of Krakatoa.

Detailed account of the history and details around the volcanic eruption of Krakatoa. Very nice prose and narration.

The shot heard 'round the world.

I agree with one reviewer who said that your opinion of this book may depend on what you’re looking for. If you want a rip-snorting disaster epic, this won’t work. If you delight in grand historic events placed in context with history, politics, geography and science, told with a generous dollop of wry humor, you’re in the right place. The research is impressive, made accessible by the comfortably expert delivery. Who would have thought that plate tectonics could be not merely interesting, but entertaining? Winchester’s talent with words, his obvious affection for his subject, and his spot-on reading made this truth better than fiction. My only caveat, and the reason for only 4 stars overall, is that those who listen while driving don’t have the option of looking at maps while listening in order to keep the specific geographic points straight as they are described. But the story deserves full marks for successfully making history and science a riveting “read”. I learned much more than I expected, not just about the eruption, but about the global context of the event and its aftermath, including the cliffhanger that it is likely to happen again.

Fascinating and comprehensive

Half the joy of this book are the digressions...in telling the tale of the Krakatoa eruption, Winchester also gives the history of everything touching on Krakatoa, inlcuding (but not limited to) the spice trade's origins in antiquity, the history of map-making, Dutch colonialism in Indonesia, the origins of the Reuters news service, the birth of the first global communications network in the 19th century (via undersea telegraph lines), the mechanics of vulcanism and plate tectonics, the history of geologic thought and theory, the origins of radical Islam in Indonesia...

I found this book very interesting and enjoyable, and Simon Winchester does an excellent job of narrating his own book. Definitely worth the credit, and I'm now going to see what else Audible has available that's authored by him.

Informative if arguably somewhat dry

From an educational standpoint, the amount of information in this book is phenomenal. No aspect of the eruption is missed, from the volcano's history to its science to its political ramifications. The author's personal experience with geology, volcanoes in general, and this specific volcano clearly shows. The downside of this mass of information is that the book often feels like it is off on a tangent. The writing is eloquent yet often dry, as can be the author's narration. Listening to it in the car, I found myself often losing interest and turning on something else. I love the subject matter, but I just didn't find this book captivating.

Lets start at the beginning of time

Well! over all its an interesting book but i never thought i would get such a detailed history lesson of the region. I am better for knowing about the pepper trade'the dutch and the day to day life of the inhabitants then i was before i started.
I wish i was still taking geology i got a better explination of plate techtonics here then i did from my college instructor.
all in all very good but it might have been a thought to get a dramatic reader to voice the book <james eral jones does krakatoa> just a thought.
in closeing i did learn much more then i expected a good listen.
thank you.

A grand tour, superbly rendered

The iconic megacatastrophe, in rich and comprehensive context. Winchester's reading of his own elegant and and supple writing was an unmitigated pleasure.

Histroy Reborn

Listening to the author, one can have the book come alive for him. A complete narrative of the event and its results.

Good Read!

I enjoyed learning both the science and history of Krakatoa. If you can get past the lengthy sentences (fine for literature, but somewhat irritating for nonfiction - see what I mean?), you'll enjoy it.

The lighter side of disaster!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

yes i would because it is well written, includes historical background, much humor and although an author-narrated book usually doesn't work for me, this books has me hoping Simon Winchester narrates all of his book himself! This is one of my favorite listens of all time.

Which character – as performed by Simon Winchester – was your favorite?

the Dutch colonial officials and the elephant

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

there is much humor in this book but the author's description/narration of the circus characters stands out as well as his tale of the student dinner/ lecture at Oxford.

Author’s voice is amazing

I could listen to that deliciously snobby Oxford voice endlessly. I think I will. His writing is is amazing to match.