![]() Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded: August 27,
1883 by Simon Winchester the world at the time of the volcano |
I
have enjoyed a couple of Simon Winchester's books, the Surgeon of Crowthorne and Atlantic. Published a decade ago, I was hoping in Krakatoa for the gentle, informative and compassionate voice of the Surgeon and the worldly, eclectic yet incisive prose of Atlantic. Krakatoa delivers this and more. Winchester's very thorough research on the state of the world, especially the Sunda Strait, in 1883, and the history of exploration and empire leading up to that year is thorough and his analysis balanced. The parallel geological history of tectonic and subduction processes and of their impact in the archipelago around Java, Sumatra and the rest of the world is conveyed with geological expertise and interesting detail. Interweaving stories such as those of the Wallace Line, the political impact of the volcano and the biological succession on the most impacted and new islands are introduced seamlessly. Anecdotes about Lord Grey marmalade and religious turbulence serve to make the story of the greatest volcano in recorded history both complete and memorable, and as engaging as a period novel. |