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)

Great subject, great writing, great voice

About a month ago I requested this title from audible and was very excited to find it available now. The author is a geologist and writes in a very pleasant style, easy to follow and very unique. Interesting facts about the catastrophe itself but also about the world, the technology and the people of 1883 are connected and very well projected. I admire the author for his reading skills. Often I find that authors should not read their own books and leave that task to the professional actors, in this case though, I enjoyed it very much. He has an excellent voice, and since he describes a few personal encounters, it is very delightful that he reads those to the listener himself. If people don't like this book, they may expect something else than this first class science report. It is not a love story, nor an imaginary tale. If you read scientific american, enjoy good writing and a new voice to read to you, you will enjoy this book.

Depends on what you're looking for...

If you love books full of details and in-depth history, as well as anecdotal tales and evidence, this book is for you! If you've read the Publisher's Summary and are expecting a book that's, well, "lively", you should probably look elsewhere. Case-in-point: It took nearly five hours to get to the explosion of Krakatoa! I'd seen this book in the book store and was beside myself with excitement when I saw it on Audible.com. Having just finished "Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency" by Douglas Adams, I was looking for something a bit more serious and dramatic. Unfortunately, "Krakatoa" wasn't what I was expecting, explaining everything from the political and economical history of the area to plate tectonics and Darwinism. Obviously, the author is very knowledgable on the subject, and a tremendous amount of research must have gone into this book -- and on the subject of Krakatoa, I personally found the latter half of the book, following the explosion, much more interesting...especially the discussion about Islam. I just depends what you're looking for.

Almost great, but more smoke than heat

Krakatoa is almost amazing, but ends up merely good. All the elements of an excellent book are there: Simon Winchester is funny and engaging; the science is interesting; the period of history is fascinating; and Krakatoa has important implications for today's world. Further, Winchester covers all of this - the science, the history, and the modern implications. So, the problem isn't the facts, or the underlying material, instead it is in the way that he weaves them together.

The book aims for Bill Bryson, using Krakatoa to discuss various fascinating issues, but, unlike Bryson, Winchester can't seem to bring them all together very well. Many interesting points are raised, but never truly connect, making most of the book feel disjointed. For example, the history of Batavia is a major story early in Krakatoa, but Batavia itself is undamaged by the volcano, and there is little follow-up to help us understand why the author spent so much time on the city. Or take the intellectual history of plate tectonics, which is introduced through some plummy personal anecdotes, but then mostly abandoned later in the story. A stronger narrative might have concentrated on a few people or institutions, and how they were effected by Krakatoa, but instead we are taken on a whirlwind tour where little sticks in the memory.

It certainly isn't bad, and I did learn a lot about a fascinating period, but between the somewhat disjointed story and the occasional over-reach (Krakatoa lead to the rise of fundamentalist Islamic terrorism?), I often found my attention wandering while listening.

Paid by the word or was the editor on strike?

Being a historian, I dismissed the comments of earlier reviewers, thinking that they just probably didn't like details. But in this case, the criticisms are more than justified. While each detail might be interesting, a good editor needed to tear Winchester away from his notes. The book made me so impatient in places (I was stuck with it on a long fight) that I imagined the author being paid by the word or in love with the sound of his own voice. I only read unabridged books, but an abridged version might have earned Winchester the literary prize worthy of the book's fascinating subject matter.

Superb and entertaining

Krakatoa is a superb book that goes into great depth to set the stage for why one of the biggest volcanic explosions in the history of man was so important. Winchester reads his own book in an excellent voice. He is a bit too quick, but it is a long book and so it is easy to understand why he sets such a brisk pace. The book goes into wonderful depth about the cultural, historical, and geological history and impact of the eruption, but it is all at a "dinner party" level - one does not need an advanced degree to understand all of it.

Highly recommended.

Wonderful book

There is not a single boring paragraph in the entire book. The author covers a myriad of subjects, directly and indirectly related to the Krakatoa eruption. Each chapter is fascinating. The reader is so in tune with the spirit of the book that he seemed to have written it himself. And, after checking with the book information, I see that he did! I'm glad I didn't miss this one.

Though not his best seller I say it's his best

Simon Windchester is my favorite non-fiction author. And this must be my favorite book. This is my second listen (to go with two hardcover readings) and I rarely go through anything more than once. Geology must be harder to explain than rocket science, let alone actually making it interesting (which he does). But, as Mr. Windchester demonstrates, it can have a profound effect in all spheres of the natural world and human endeavors.

This book is brilliantly researched and wonderfully written and narrated. Most
of the scientific terms have failed to stay in my memory but the descriptions of each of those terms - what they mean and the processes they entail - have been permanently etched there.

If you want to listen to something that you probably know little about with high drama, intriguing stories and wonderful examples and explanations, I definitely recommend this. Don M of Queen Creek, AZ

Dynamite!

Winchester lights the fuse with great background and historical preamble to the event, from the first westerners to view the subject, through the cataclysm. He describes with all possible detail the blast as witnessed by contemporary observers worldwide, and examines the fallout both obvious and obscure with the perspective of a modern historian. It requires some intellectual energy on the part of the reader to keep it all together, but the insight gained into the history of the event itself and the times in which that history unfolds is well worth the effort.

A Thriller where you already know the end...

What made the experience of listening to Krakatoa the most enjoyable?

All the different stories threading up to the event.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Krakatoa?

You can probably guess this one yourself...the knowing doesn't lessen the reaction.

Which scene was your favorite?

Too intertwined they build on each other.

If you could give Krakatoa a new subtitle, what would it be?

Climate Change through Geophysics

Any additional comments?

The included science adds to the story and our understanding of how one natural event can effect so many lives around the globe.

You Either Love It Or Hate It

Simon Winchester tackles on the history of Krakatoa along with my Bookclub. This seemed to be a loved it or hated type of book. We have members who didn’t make it through the preface and then one member who read the book and some of the additional suggested readings. I found Mr. Winchester’s book scattered and what he actually wrote about the volcano could fit in a pamphlet.

My Bookclub gave it an average of 🌟🌟 .8 stars (not quite three); I gave it 🌟🌟. What was written about the science and the volcano was very good. But it took three chapters to get started then he was lost again until chapter eight.

Even with those chapters Mr. Winchester looses focus tells us so much unrelated information he looses readers. Or at least my Bookclub readers, which usually is hard to do.

I think Mr Winchester would be a very interesting dinner guest and I would be very hesitant to ever pick up another book of his.

Sorry.