Island on Fire

The Extraordinary Story of a Forgotten Volcano That Changed the World

De: Alexandra Witze, Jeff Kanipe

Narrado por: John Lescault

Can a single explosion change the course of history? An eruption at the end of the 18th century led to years of climate change while igniting famine, disease, and even perhaps revolution.

Laki is Iceland's largest volcano - and its most fearsome. Its eruption in 1783 is one of history's great untold natural disasters. Spewing out sun-blocking ash and then a poisonous fog for eight long months, the effects of the eruption lingered across the world for years. It caused the deaths of people as far away as the Nile and created catastrophic conditions throughout Europe.

Island on Fire is the story not only of a single eruption but the people whose lives it changed, the dawn of modern volcanology, as well as the history - and potential - of other super-volcanoes like Laki around the world. And perhaps most pertinently, in the wake of the eruption of another Icelandic volcano, Eyjafjallajokull, which closed European air space in 2010, acclaimed science writers Witze and Kanipe look at what might transpire should Laki erupt again in our lifetime.

©2019 Alexandra Witze and Jeff Kanipe (P)2019 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Interesting and Pertinent Topic!

Alexandra Witze and Jeff Kanipe highlight the historical affects of Iceland's Laki volcanic eruption of 1783 and how it significantly influenced the field of volcanology. They do a good job of describing the science of volcanoes and what we understand about eruption events while walking us through what many people experienced because of Laki in 1783-1784. This is a good book to read about volcanoes from the vantage point of an under-discussed eruption from the land of ice and fire.

The book then shifts to incorporate our understanding of Iceland's 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption. Because the Laki eruption was larger in magnitude and severity than the Eyjafjallajökull eruption of living memory, they make a good argument for how much more devastating a modern Laki-level eruption would be by comparing the two incidents. The air travel groundings and supply chain disruptions definitely rang true because of what we're going through with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some sections weren't the best, however, which is why I only give this book 4/5 stars. They seem to jump around from topic to topic, which may be because this book has two authors. Better editing to stitch topics together and write better transition passages could have remedied these hiccups.

Nonetheless, I enjoyed reading about volcanoes, volcanology, science, geology, science history, Iceland, and Icelandic history. It's my dream to visit Iceland someday, but I hadn't read much of its history other than "The Sagas of Icelanders" by Ornolfur Thorsson, so I'm glad I picked this up.

Good, but I wasn’t blown away

If you were into this kind of thing, a pretty specific volcano, it does a pretty good job of explaining the historic impact of Iceland’s volcanoes. I’ve definitely read more riveting books, but I’ve definitely quit way more. I guess it says some thing that I finished an obscure nonfiction book about a volcano in Iceland. No regrets here but it probably won’t be a second listen.

Wonderful blend of history and science

This is a fascinating book from beginning to end. The volcanologist authors take the 1783 eruption of Laki as an entry point into a broad sweep of the history and science of volcanoes. The central Icelandic story was at turns charming, riveting and poignant, and comparing the structure and threats of volcanoes around the world was fascinating.

Fascinating history of Icelandic volcanoes

Super book, easy to understand. Makes me want to book a trip to Iceland and visit some of these sights.

grim

Depressing and in places horrificly graphic. Not a light listen, for children, or anyone at bedtime,

Fascinating!

I learned so much about volcanoes and what it can be like to live in their shadow and aftermath. The authors even include a chapter about how many ways a volcano can kill.

Interesting and engrossing Volcano info centered on Iceland

This was very interesting info on several historic volcanic eruptions / the way they developed and unfolded (esp Iceland’s Laki) and the horrific effects on people, livestock and landscapes often thousands of miles away from the actual volcanoes.

Ramifications for the impact of a future mega volcano on today’s more densely populated and international transport dependent is astounding and frightening!

Interesting in the Covid pandemic era was the author’s discussion about the run in N95 masks and panic buying that would occur should the world know about an impending mega eruption. Similar to what we experienced in 2020. Very prescient!

Full of facts interestedly told

A very enjoyable book. Well read. It revealed volcano information new to me and beyond lava flow and pyroclastic gas. The stories of the aftermath of large volcanic action were horrific and heartbreaking. Really a great book.

Fire and Ice

There have been some catastrophic volcanic eruptions that many of us have heard about. Many of us remember the explosion of Mount St. Helen and the huge undersea volcano that swamped some Pacific islands with a tsunami a few years ago. Others in ancient history have been studied as much as possible from the distance of time, but this book is about an eruption for which we have detailed documentation by someone on the scene and it occurs in one of the most volcanically active countries in the world, Iceland. Some may remember how European air travel was shut down for 8 days in 2010 by a volcano in Iceland but in 1783, the eruption of the volcano Laki was far more consequential.
“Island on Fire - The Extraordinary Story of a Forgotten Volcano That Covered a Continent in Darkness” by Alexandra Witze and Jeff Kanipe give us some background on the geography and volcanism of Iceland by telling the story of Laki’s eruption. Laki’s was not an explosive eruption, but one that continued for months and was very high in ash and toxic gases spewing out so much into the atmosphere that it affected the world’s climate for years. The summer of 1783 (the year that the peace treaty was finally signed between the US and Britain, recognizing the independence of the 13 colonies) lasted longer than normal in the northern hemisphere but the following winter was one of the coldest in centuries. The Mississippi River froze in New Orleans, many in Europe froze to death and resulting crop failures have been suggested as one of the causes of the French Revolution. The African monsoons failed and the Nile floods didn’t come, causing one-sixth of Egypt’s population to flee. In Iceland alone, the official death toll was about 9,000 but globally, the tally was far greater.
The people near the Laki fissure could escape the lava as it moved slowly across the landscape. The disaster came from the ash that covered crops and choked livestock, the toxic gas that killed people and animals, and the starvation that followed. Much of the book is based on the diary of a pastor who kept a detailed account of not only the eruption, but of the lives of the people and livestock downwind of Laki. The toxic gases even traveled as far as Europe and affected people with lung problems there.
The authors look at other similar volcanoes around the world, those that produce more toxic vapors in Africa and Indonesia, but the main focus is on Laki and the story of the people, and the heroes who lived through it.
You may find some of the descriptions of the suffering hard to read but it is still an interesting look both at geology and at the strength and heroism seen in the struggle of those who lived there.

So Interesting

Volcano fan here. This book uniquely focuses on the activities of specific volcanoes. it also explains the physics and other processes in easily understood language. Very informative and -gulp - entertaining?