Catastrophe: A Quest for the Origins of the Modern World by David Keys,
Ballantine, $25, ISBN 0345408764 336
AN AGREEABLE climate, a landscape dotted with vineyards and rich fields
stretching above sheltered bays—what more could a holidaymaker want? Good
links with the capital city, theatres, races, yachts? Both towns had them. A
dead volcano added a touch of drama to the view.
Sadly, both inhabitants and holidaymakers were wrong about the volcano. After
the briefest of warnings—a shower of ash and cinder that was ignored by
most—a deadly pyroclastic blast buried them. The surrounding countryside
was covered…
