Series:

P.S.

Main description:

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.

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“A good read.”

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“A rattling good read.”

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“A real-life story bigger than any Hollywood blockbuster.”

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“Brilliant...One of the best books ever written about the history and significance of a natural disaster.”

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“Krakatoa is a pleasure from beginning to end.”

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“Masterful build-up of literary and geological tension.”

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“Supremely well told: a fine exception to the dull run of most geological writing.” starred Kirkus Review

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“The rich and fascinating KRAKATOA confirms [Winchester’s] preeminence. Janet Maslin

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“Winchester dramatically delivers...the book is absorbing...”

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“Winchester once again demonstrates a keen knack for balancing rich and often rigorous historical detail with dramatic tension and storytelling.”

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“Winchester scores.” (byline Baltimore Sun, printed in Pittsburg Post-Gazette)

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“Winchester’s exceptional attention to detail never falters.”

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“Winchester...is noted for his ability to turn scholarly history into engrossing narrative.”