"On 27 August 1883 the most terrifying volcanic eruption occurred on the island of Krakatoa, five miles of the western tip of Java. The island was destroyed and almost 40,000 people were killed. The impact was truly global : ships sailing in the Red Sea were covered in ash ; barometers went haywire in Washington ; the seas were disturbed in Devon ; stunning sunsets burned over London ; immense rafts of pumice floated to Africa." - book jacket.