Book Review of Krakatoa, The Day the World Exploded August 27, 1883

As in Winchester's other books his style is straightforward and easy to read. For many readers the thought of reading a book that covers both geology and history may seem daunting and dry, but Winchester envelopes the reader with a rich and vibrant writing style combined with over 50 wonderful illustrations, maps, and photos that keeps you turning page after page. We experience the eruption of Krakatoa from many perspectives, those of sailors traveling through the Sunda Strait at the time of the eruption, to colonial administrators living along the Straits. We are immersed in the lives of those people that experienced the eruption first hand and those that struggled to interpret and study the volcano's activities. In the end Winchester takes us up to the summit of Anak Krakatoa - the child of Krakatoa, the volcano reborn from the sea to experience the rebirth of this amazing island first hand.

I highly recommend Krakatoa, The Day the World Exploded August 27, 1883 to anybody interested in geology, or history, or with a passion for both (like me). You will come away with a deeper understanding of the geology of plate tectonics and the area of the Java Trench as well as the history of Indonesia and how events on a small island on the morning of August 27, 1883 started us down a path to a connected, global community.

Krakatoa, The Day the World Exploded August 27, 1883 by Simon Winchester, Harper Collins publishers, 416 pages, illustrated and indexed. Suggested retail (hardback) $25.95.

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