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Original Essays | April 29, 2013

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Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded: August 27, 1883

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Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded: August 27, 1883 Cover

 

Staff Pick

Krakatoa is the eloquent narrative of the cataclysmic destruction in 1883 of the volcanic island of the same name. Killing nearly 40,000 people (mostly from the resultant tsunamis), this violent eruption was "the most violent explosion ever recorded and experienced by modern man." With his flair for conveying considerable detail in dramatic storyteller fashion, Winchester once again exhibits his great talent for recounting an episode in history that keeps readers fixed to the page.
Recommended by Michal D., Powells.com

Synopses & Reviews

Please note that used books may not include additional media (study guides, CDs, DVDs, solutions manuals, etc.) as described in the publisher comments.

Publisher Comments:

Simon Winchester, New York Times bestselling author of The Professor and the Madman, examines the legendary annihilation in 1883 of the volcano-island of Krakatoa, which was followed by an immense tsunami that killed nearly forty thousand people. The effects of the immense waves were felt as far away as France. Barometers in Bogotá and Washington, D.C., 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. Krakatoa gives us an entirely new perspective on this fascinating and iconic event.

This P.S. edition features an extra 16 pages of insights into the book, including author interviews, recommended reading, and more.

Review:

"[T]his eloquent British writer submits a fascinating account....All readers, science-prone or not, will be delighted by this experience-expanding book." Booklist (Starred Review)

Review:

"[E]rudite, fascinating....[Winchester's] investigations have produced a work that is relevant to scholars and intriguing to others, who will relish it footnotes and all." Publishers Weekly

Review:

"Krakatoa is volcanic." Time Magazine

Review:

"Building thriller-like suspense, Winchester gives voice to firsthand accounts....If you've ever sat through a dry geology lecture, Winchester's human-oriented volcanology will grip you." USA Today

Review:

"[T]hrilling, 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

Review:

"A vivid reconstruction....Supremely well told: a fine exception to the dull run of most geological writing." Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)

Synopsis:

Now in paperback comes the New York Times bestseller on the catastrophic eruption of the volcano Krakatoa in 1883, and its lasting and world-changing effects. 57 line drawings. 18 halftones & maps.
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About the Author

Simon Winchester is the acclaimed author of many books, including The Professor and the Madman, The Man Who Loved China, A Crack in the Edge of the World, and Krakatoa. Those books were New York Times bestsellers and appeared on numerous best and notable lists. In 2006, Mr. Winchester was made an officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by her Majesty the Queen. He lives in Manhattan and in western Massachusetts.
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What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 2 comments:
oceanlover, March 3, 2011 (view all comments by oceanlover)
You have to really appreciate the historical research that goes into creating a book like this. Digging out the facts that make both the story elements and the scientific elements work. Winchester's efforts show in a very readable book that also is very informative. A very enjoyable read.
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Shoshana, May 17, 2008 (view all comments by Shoshana)
I like Winchester, and I like volcanoes and other geological formations, but this did not quite cohere in a compelling way. It's hard to say why, since I enjoyed the history, first-person accounts, digressions into topics such as transcontinental communication, and discussion of subduction zones. However, I was never gripped by the narrative. Maybe this edition's very small print contributed to the problem, but I felt like I was slogging along. This is puzzling since Winchester's ostensibly less gripping topics, such as The Map That Changed the World, held my attention just fine. I'll try again in a while with A Crack in the Edge of the World, which is about The San Francisco earthquake of 1906.
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Product Details

ISBN:
9780060838591
Author:
Winchester, Simon
Publisher:
Harper Perennial
Author:
by Simon Winchester
Author:
by Simon Winchester
Subject:
History
Subject:
Natural Disasters
Subject:
Earthquakes & Volcanoes
Subject:
Asia - Southeast Asia
Subject:
General History
Subject:
Krakatoa (Indonesia) Eruption, 1883.
Subject:
Volcanoes - Indonesia - History -
Subject:
World History-Southeast Asia
Copyright:
2005
Edition Description:
Trade PB
Series:
P.S.
Publication Date:
July 2005
Binding:
TRADE PAPER
Grade Level:
General/trade
Language:
English
Illustrations:
Y
Pages:
464
Dimensions:
8.10x5.30x1.16 in. .87 lbs.
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Related Subjects

History and Social Science » Asia » India » Ancient and General
History and Social Science » Asia » Indonesia Malaysia and Singapore
History and Social Science » World History » India
History and Social Science » World History » South Pacific
History and Social Science » World History » Southeast Asia
Reference » Science Reference » General
Science and Mathematics » Geology » Earthquakes and Volcanoes
Science and Mathematics » Geology » General
Science and Mathematics » Physics » Meteorology

Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded: August 27, 1883 Used Trade Paper
0 stars - 0 reviews
$8.00 In Stock
Product details 464 pages Harper Perennial - English 9780060838591 Reviews:
"Staff Pick" by ,

Krakatoa is the eloquent narrative of the cataclysmic destruction in 1883 of the volcanic island of the same name. Killing nearly 40,000 people (mostly from the resultant tsunamis), this violent eruption was "the most violent explosion ever recorded and experienced by modern man." With his flair for conveying considerable detail in dramatic storyteller fashion, Winchester once again exhibits his great talent for recounting an episode in history that keeps readers fixed to the page.

by Michal D.
"Review" by , "[T]his eloquent British writer submits a fascinating account....All readers, science-prone or not, will be delighted by this experience-expanding book."
"Review" by , "[E]rudite, fascinating....[Winchester's] investigations have produced a work that is relevant to scholars and intriguing to others, who will relish it footnotes and all."
"Review" by , "Krakatoa is volcanic."
"Review" by , "Building thriller-like suspense, Winchester gives voice to firsthand accounts....If you've ever sat through a dry geology lecture, Winchester's human-oriented volcanology will grip you."
"Review" by , "[T]hrilling, 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."
"Review" by , "A vivid reconstruction....Supremely well told: a fine exception to the dull run of most geological writing."
"Synopsis" by , Now in paperback comes the New York Times bestseller on the catastrophic eruption of the volcano Krakatoa in 1883, and its lasting and world-changing effects. 57 line drawings. 18 halftones & maps.
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