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)

I Am Delighted to Have Found This Author

Krakatoa displays outstanding research, writing and narration. My next read/listen will be from Simon Winchester.

enjoyed

I enjoyed the book. Had many interesting tidbits and connections to various situations and happenings

interesting history of the region

If thou were looking for a book that dissects the eruption: causes, plate tectonics, chemical effects etc, thus isn't it. this is a history book. it covers the history of the region, experiences during, and experiences after. it touches a bit on politics, a bit on the personalities and drama of the sciences, but doesn't get to deep into the scientific. more the drama and controversy. so, for a good history book yes, good science book, less so. but I thought thoroughly enjoyable.

Riveting

A magnificent book, thoroughly absorbing and beautifully read. Simon Winchester always comes through with fascinating tales of somewhat obscure bits of history, deftly woven into an engrossing narrative. I have never been disappointed by any of his books.

Phenomenal book

This book was so much more than I expected. I was expecting a book just about the disaster, but it covered so much more. It starts off covering the initially Portuguese, and subsequently Dutch, colonial history of Indonesia and the Phillipines. Then, onto a thorough discourse about the development of the theory of evolution through natural selection, but focused on the discoveries of Alfred Russel Wallace as I have never heard that story told. Then he follows that with the discovery of the only other unifying scientific theory: Plate Tectonics. Then he gets into the geology of the Indonesian archipelago, and finally, the disaster. He describes both the disaster itself from a natural and geologic standpoint, but then he follows that up with first-hand accounts of the people who survived it. Then, a discourse on the after effects of the volcano, both from a scientific and cultural/political angle. The book is incredibly well written and narrated as all Simon Winchester's works are. With a wry wit, he tells the story of the greatest volcanic disaster in modern history in an unforgettable way. Highly recommend.

On the Fence on This One!

This is the second book I’ve listened to by Simon Winchester, which I was prompted to do by his title The Professor and the Madman. This book seemed to be the most interesting of all his other titles beyond that book, but as good as that book was this book simply does not measure up on any level. This book left me feeling flat and unsated. While I did finish the book in a reasonably swift manner I was doing so more in hopes that it would suddenly, and without warning, grab me and pull me in. It never did.

Krakatoa is overly detailed and it has far too much ancillary filler history about the colonial ambitions of the Europeans, about the location, and the goings on of the people in Batavia; so on and so forth. It reads more like a history text book then what a book like this, by this caliber of writer, should read like. It simply does not focus enough on the event itself in my view. A small glimmer of hope is that Winchester managed to weave enough interesting scientific information into the entire telling that I did learn something and I found those parts particularly good and of value.

Winchester is a very good narrator, but narration alone cannot invest someone in a book. I have mixed emotions about this book because I judge my books based on how much I learn, how many bookmarks I place for later reference, how I feel about listening to the book again, and if the writer can stick to the facts without bias or embellishment. I definitely learned new things from this book, but I placed only two book marks, I’m not sure about listening again, and I'm not sure how biased some of the story is? So, I sit on the fence wondering what I should do because as I write this I honestly cannot say 'get the book', or, 'avoid the book'. I wish Audible allowed updates to reviews so I could give it another go and if I find I am wrong update this! I regret being of no help in your decision!

Brilliant

Leaves no stone unturned as to the reasons and effects of this famous eruption. Winchester's research and understanding of the ramifications are breathtaking.

great history book

As always, Simon is able to pull so much worldly knowledge into one subject. Absolutely brilliant. he hasn't disappointed me yet. So far my favorite book of his is Atlantic.

Fantastic!!!

This is a fantastic book! I have read and enjoyed several of Winchester's books and find them all fascinating and well written. He weaves geology and history together in unanticipated ways. Since reading the Map That Changed the World, I have a new found respect/interest in the effects that geology shapes culture, and this book brings this notion to a new level, providing insights that are fundamental to my understaning of both the physical evolution of the planet and human history. I highly recommend this book if you are interested in either understanding how culture/society are shaped and changed and the emergence of the concept of a global village or in the history of our understanding of the earths geology. Also I highly recommend the Map That Changed the Wold as well as (not by Winchester) A History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson. These three books together will gave me a profound respect/understanding of the link between earth history and human history.

Best writing I've ever encountered!

Narrator and author of this masterpiece composed layers of research and brilliant descriptions. Simon winchester is a true artist and I'll be searching for more titles from him now. This book looks at Krakatoa as a geological event and as catalyst for many other types of scientific and social improvement.