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In Krakatoa, the author of The Map That Changed the World and The Professor and the Madman focuses his considerable research powers on one of the most cataclysmic events of modern history: the volcanic eruption, in 1883, of the Southeast Asian island of Krakatoa, which resulted in the deaths of 36,000 people and sent shock-waves around the world. But what at the time was a mysterious, almost supernatural phenomenon has become, under the precepts of the contemporary science of plate tectonics, explicable if no less tragic. Winchester veers between eyewitness accounts by survivors and the limited scientific measurements of the time in an attempt to describe the indescribable. The event "is still said to be the most violent explosion ever recorded and experienced by modern man," he writes. "Six cubic miles of rock had been blasted out of existence, had been turned into pumice and ash and uncountable billions of particles of dust." Yet words and numbers can barely hint at the scale of the calamity, which resulted in tsunamis that washed whole villages into the ocean and forever changed the very topography of the area. The author also explores the social and cultural topography, noting, "Orthodox Islam, its revival in part triggered by tragic events such as the great cataclysm, was totally transformed in Java during the nineteenth century, with fundamentalism, militancy, and profound hostility to non-Muslims its watchwords." At times Winchester seems to overstate his case, and the link he finds between Krakatoa and the rise of anti-Western sentiment in the Islamic world isn’t especially convincing. But, by weaving together the disaster with science, communications, politics, religion, and economics, he has come up with a comprehensive and often fascinating glimpse into the way the world, and our perception of it, can change in an instant. --Shawn Conner
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
From Publishers Weekly
An erudite, fascinating account by one of the foremost purveyors of contemporary nonfiction, this book chronicles the underlying causes, utter devastation and lasting effects of the cataclysmic 1883 eruption of the volcano island Krakatoa in what is now Indonesia. Winchester (The Professor and the Madman; The Map That Changed the World) once again demonstrates a keen knack for balancing rich and often rigorous historical detail with dramatic tension and storytelling. Rather than start with brimstone images of the fateful event itself, Winchester takes a broader approach, beginning with his own viewing of the now peaceful remains of the mountain for a second time in a span of 25 years-and being awed by how much it had grown in that time. This nod to the earth's ceaseless rejuvenation informs the entire project, and Winchester uses the first half of the text to carefully explain the discovery and methods of such geological theories as continental drift and plate tectonics. In this way, the vivid descriptions of Krakatoa's destruction that follow will resonate more completely with readers, who will come to appreciate the awesome powers that were churning beneath the surface before it gave way. And while Winchester graphically illustrates, through eyewitness reports and extant data, the human tragedy and captivating scientific aftershocks of the explosion, he is also clearly intrigued with how it was "a demonstration of the utterly confident way that the world, however badly it has been wounded, picks itself up, continues to unfold its magic and its marvels, and sets itself back on its endless trail of evolutionary progress yet again." His investigations have produced a work that is relevant to scholars and intriguing to others, who will relish it footnotes and all.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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First Sentence
Though we think first of Java as an eponym for coffee (or, to some today, a computer language), it is in fact the trading of aromatic tropical spices on which the fortunes of the great island colonizers and western discoverers were first found. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
Though we think first of Java as an eponym for coffee (or, to some today, a computer language), it is in fact the trading of aromatic tropical spices on which the fortunes of the great island colonizers and western discoverers were first found. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars
Tedious and Over Rated,
By A Customer
This review is from: Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded: August 27, 1883 (Hardcover)
I loved Simon Winchester's book, the Professor and the Madman, but Krakatoa was very slow and, I must say, poorly written. There is a section in here in which Winchester goes on for 100 pages describing tectonic plates, and much of what he does is just summarizing. His conclusion, that Krakatoa led to the rise of Islam in the region, is based on tons of supposition: was Islam not on the rise when Krakatoa was destroyed? It appears that Mr. Winchester is now cranking them out to take advantage of his rising stardom, something that happens with too many writers. I read a story in the L.A. Times that he was doing a book on the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake, and allocating three months to the effort. I find that a little absurd: I have read every major book written about the great earthquake, and there are two extraordinary books. One is Gladys Hanson's Denial of Disaster, and the other, which I just finished, is a new novel called 1906 by James Dallessando. Ms. Hanson's book reveals the huge coverup in the death toll from the quake. Mr. Dalessandro's 1906 novel paints an unbelievable portrait of the city and the events that followed, shows an incredible amount of research and still captures the human element. It's a fantastic novel. I'll be curious to see how Mr. Winchester's earthquake book stacks up: whether it will just more hype or a legitimate competitor to two marvelous books.
4.0 out of 5 stars
An enjoyable read,
By C. J. Thompson "Arctic John" (Pond Inlet, Nunavut Canada) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded: August 27, 1883 (Paperback)
I can't say I have ever had more than a passing interest in the 1883 eruption of Krakatoa, but I generally enjoy Simon Winchester's writing and this book did not disappoint. Surprisingly, the relatively brief section of the book that actually deals with the eruption itself is the least interesting part of the entire story. What makes the book so good is the scientific detail, chiefly geological, that Winchester presents to the reader. He discusses plate tectonics, general geological principles, and the underlying geology of the region in a lucid, and entertaining manner and manages to make some fairly technical stuff very accessible to the layman. My only real criticism with the book is that the maps were disappointingly inadequate. At the beginning of the book there are three maps of the relevant area in various scales and there are a few others scattered through the text. In the main, however, I often found it difficult to orient myself between maps, or to locate places that are discussed. In addition, although Winchesters descriptions of subduction zones and the like were fairly easy to follow, many of the accompanying diagrams were not that well done and sometimes only served to confuse things. On the whole, though, I really enjoyed this book and regard it as one of Winchester's best.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Read About A World Review,
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This review is from: Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded: August 27, 1883 (Paperback)
In "Krakatoa" author Simon Winchester examines the great explosion of August 27, 1883 from all angles, including historical, scientific, social, political and religious. He starts by explaining the social structure in the Dutch East Indies at the time. He then goes on to explain the scientific explanations for what happened and why. A fascinating portion is the story of the scientific studies which recorded the effects of the blast including water waves thousands of miles away and the air wave which circled the globe seven times during the first fifteen days. As the book progresses he impact the blast had on the natives and Europeans living in the area. He eventually suggests that the rise in Muslim devotion in the Dutch East Indies may have been the result of a fundamentalist turn to Allah after the catastrophe. The book ends by chronicling the volcanic activity and the island at the site of Krakatoa in the years since the explosion.Krakatoa was the first major natural catastrophe to occur after the network of underground cables united the world. This made it a "World Event" which has fascinated readers ever since. I had long heard of Krakatoa and appreciate the opportunity to gain a better understanding it and its implications. It raised an interest in other scientific histories and the history of the Dutch East Indies. A book than can do that merits a recommendation.
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