Krakatoa by Simon Winchester, Viking/Penguin, £16.99, ISBN 0670911267 Reviewed by Roy Herbert
THE explosion that destroyed the volcanic island of Krakatoa near Java is still the biggest and most terrifying eruption ever recorded. Forty thousand people were killed and its effects were felt around the world. In Krakatoa, Simon Winchester goes as far as calling 27 August 1883 the day the world exploded, which is more Hollywood than fact.
When the eruption is reached, however, Winchester can make your hair stand on end, especially in describing the portents of coming disaster. It is a pity that his love of inconsequent…
