Editorial Review:
When the volcano Tambora erupted in Indonesia in 1815, as many as 100,000 people perished as a result of the blast and an ensuing famine caused by the destruction of rice fields on Sumbawa and neighboring islands. Gases and dust particles ejected into the atmosphere changed weather patterns around the world, resulting in the infamous ''year without a summer'' in North America, food riots in Europe, and a widespread cholera epidemic. And the gloomy weather inspired Mary Shelley to write the gothic novel Frankenstein. This book tells the story of nine such epic volcanic events, explaining the related geology for the general reader and exploring the myriad ways in which the earth's volcanism has affected human history. Zeilinga de Boer and Sanders describe in depth how volcanic activity has had long-lasting effects on societies, cultures, and the environment. After introducing the origins and mechanisms of volcanism, the authors draw on ancient as well as modern accounts--from folklore to poetry and from philosophy to literature. Beginning with the Bronze Age eruption that caused the demise of Minoan Crete, the book tells the human and geological stories of eruptions of such volcanoes as Vesuvius, Krakatau, Mount Pelée, and Tristan da Cunha. Along the way, it shows how volcanism shaped religion in Hawaii, permeated Icelandic mythology and literature, caused widespread population migrations, and spurred scientific discovery. From the prodigious eruption of Thera more than 3,600 years ago to the relative burp of Mount St. Helens in 1980, the results of volcanism attest to the enduring connections between geology and human destiny.
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Customer Reviews
Average Customer Rating: 
Well-written and fascinating  2008-07-07
This book offers a very well told story of some of the classical volcanic eruptions.
Even though factual informations are plentiful the text never dries up or dies out on you.
The stories are also kept in a sober voice without the irritating "CATASTROPHY-the-world-is-coming-to-an-end-today" rhetoric, but still the stories are frightening and thrilling by their own account.
I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the evolution of humans and their societies as well as all volcano enthusiasts.
Historical  2007-10-14
Volcanoes in Human History- The Far-reaching Effects of Major Eruptions. This book gives stimulating, factual information on some of the worlds most influential Volcanic Eruptions. Volcanoes have influenced the worlds ecological existance from the begining of time, with some of the major eruptions being in recent times. this book is a great book for anyone who finds the field of Volcanology and Vocanoes interesting.
Every educated person 2005-06-26
The messages of this work are necessary for every educated person, and this book delivers its messages notably well.
As soon as a person begins to become educated so as to have some sense of one's place in time and space, and cause and effect, one's perception of things, and the awareness of the interconnectedness of things becomes compelling, and utterly fascinating.
This is the stuff of Volcanoes in Human History. This book is wonderfully accessible to any reasonably intelligent reader because it is brief and the text is clear and readable. If one is new to earth science, this book will educate him or her about the subject at hand, and will provide fascinating examples of dramatic geological events and their sometimes long lasting effects -- what they call the vibrating string.
Most people know at least something about Pompeii, many have at least heard of Krakatau, and all Americans know about Mt St Helens. But few readers will probably have heard before about Tambora and its virtually worldwide effects, or about a place call Toba, whose prehistoric eruption perhaps nearly extinquished the human species.
I highly recommend this book, and give thanks to the authors, Jelle Zeilinga de Boer (whose name is guaranteed to wake up your spell checker) and Donald Theodore Sanders for bringing it to us.
Science and Humanity 2003-03-13
This book is written in a clear and engaging style that conveys a scientific understanding of vulcanoloy and the consequences, both positive and negative, of volcanic activity on human life and society.The authors incorporate a discussion of the physical processes that drive volcanic activity with vivid descriptions of historic eruptions. The book includes nine well-chosen case studies that highight differences in type, intensity and effects of eruption. The authors vividly describe the effects of volcanic eruptions on natural and human environments, human history and human behavior. Throughout the book are highly explanatory yet simple illustrations of the natural processes at work and the specific volcanoes under study. The authors convey the inspiring power of volcanic acitivity and place natural and human impacts within short and long-term perspectives. This book is clear and informative science coupled with thought provoking history and engaging human interest. From plate tectonics and environmental impact, to entertaining stories of the effects of volcanic eruptions on art and literature or the creation of mythology, to thought-provoking effects on human life, migration and economic decline - its all here.
Volcanoes in Human History 2002-11-04
Volcanoes in Human History: The Far-Reaching Effects of Major Eruptions written by Jelle Zeilinga de Boer and Donald Theodore Sanders is an engaging book about the awesome power of volcanoes its effects and how volcanoes are born. This book takes the reader on a short journey through time as we explore the origins and mechanisms of volcanism and shoing us how this affected human history, societies, cultures, and the environment. This book explores nine volcanic eruptions, diccussing the geological setting in terms of plate tectonics; the theory that virtually rigid segments of the earth's crust move about over a less rigid layer and collide, and that the collisions give rise to earthquakes and volcanic activity. Then the book goes over the human terms following the aftereffects of volcanic eruption. Volcanism is the surface manifestation of a living earth, the author likens a volcanic eruption as the plucking of a long tight-stretched string representing time: when the string is plucked it vibrates. Where the string is plucked is the volcanic activity or eruption where a great deal of energy is being released, the vibrations will have high amplitudes and short wavelengths. These vibrations will be powerful, but only last for a short time. But, as the vibration flows down the string (time), the amplitudes will decrease and the wavelengths increase, whithat the aftereffects will become less intense and they will last longer. The eruption will last days, volcanic aftereffects will last months, Climate change, Famine, epidemics, diaspora will last years; Economic and ecologic revival will last decades, and cultural effects will last centuries. The books narrative is easy to read and is very understandable making this subject easy to understand. Most of us see a volcano erupt on the news and that is all we know until the news shows us another eruption. What we are not given is the far-reaching effects of what is really happening within the earth. Volcanism is the earth's way of renewing itself and releaving the tremendous pressures from deep within. Reading this book will give the reader a greater appreciation about what really goes on, on the earth we walk upon. As the population of the earth increases, the effects of volcanism will be magnified, it is crucial that we understand the origin of volcanism as well as the devastation it can cause, and the aftereffects, for good or ill, that can linger for years, even decades, to come. This is an incrediblly well-told story that is informative but nontechinical.
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