The Year Without Summer

1816 and the Volcano That Darkened the World and Changed History

By: William K. Klingaman, Nicholas P. Klingaman

Narrated by: David Colacci

1816 was a remarkable year - mostly for the fact that there was no summer. As a result of a volcanic eruption at Mount Tambora in Indonesia, weather patterns were disrupted worldwide for months, allowing for excessive rain, frost, and snowfall through much of the Northeastern US and Europe in the summer of 1816.

In the US, the extraordinary weather produced food shortages, religious revivals, and extensive migration from New England to the Midwest. In Europe, the cold and wet summer led to famine, food riots, the transformation of stable communities into wandering beggars, and one of the worst typhus epidemics in history. 1816 was the year Frankenstein was written. It was also the year Turner painted his fiery sunsets. All of these things are linked to global climate change - something we are quite aware of now, but that was utterly mysterious to people in the 19th century, who concocted all sorts of reasons for such an ungenial season.

Making use of a wealth of source material and employing a compelling narrative approach featuring peasants and royalty, politicians, writers, and scientists, The Year Without Summer by William K. Klingaman and Nicholas P. Klingaman examines not only the climate change engendered by the volcano, but also its effects on politics, the economy, the arts, and social structures.

©2013 William K. Klingaman and nicholas P. Klingaman (P)2019 Tantor

19th century slow apocalypse

Surprisingly devastating effects of a volcanic eruption. The re many good details of life in the west of the time. Europe was especially vulnerable because it had been at war for decades in the Napoleonic wars which had only just ended.

A decidedly western view

I enjoyed hearing about how the volcanic eruption changed and shaped so many things, but it really only focuses on Western Europe and the US, with a little Quebec thrown in for good measure. I’m not sure if that’s intentional or just these authors’ focus, but I feel like there’s a lot left out. What about Native American impressions of what was happening? Or Asian and Pacific Islander POVs? It was a long book, but I would have listened to a longer book if there was more of a global perspective.

A Terrific Blending of Anthropological and Earth Histories

Great details help blend a deep understanding of how one volcanic eruption drove histories throughout the Northern Hemisphere for many years.

Good history lesson.

How people create hysteria and how easy it is to fall back into that mindset.

Mind blown!

I absolutely love this book! I have listened to it in entirety several time! Absolutely fascinating how an event on one side of the world could effect some many places