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The Year Without Summer

1816 and the Volcano That Darkened the World and Changed History
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Mar 22, 2014dionyzus rated this title 1 out of 5 stars
Sorry, but this is pretty boring. Not recommended unless you have a serious historical interest in this time period. The first chapter is good and discusses the eruption of Tambora in Indonesia, and how the ash from the eruption eventually blocked sunlight and cooled global temperatures in 1816. However the rest of the book is a series of dry facts about rainfall, temperatures and harvests in the U.S. and Europe in 1816. It's like reading a Farmer's Almanac. A few historical figures are discussed from Napoleon to Lord Byron, but again it's not compelling to read. If you want a better book about a volcanic eruption in the 1800's, I would recommend Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded by Simon Winchester.