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The Day the World Ended Paperback – January 1, 1991
- Print length306 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherScarborough House
- Publication dateJanuary 1, 1991
- ISBN-100812885104
- ISBN-13978-0812885101
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Product details
- Publisher : Scarborough House (January 1, 1991)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 306 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0812885104
- ISBN-13 : 978-0812885101
- Item Weight : 6.4 ounces
- Best Sellers Rank: #1,443,019 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #682 in Natural Disasters (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
Gordon Thomas is a political and investigative journalist and the author of 53 books, published in more than 30 countries and in dozens of languages. The total sales of his works exceed 45 million copies.
Thomas’ most recent bestseller is Gideon’s Spies: Mossad’s Secret Warriors. Published in 16 languages and 40 countries Gideon’s Spies is known throughout the world as the leading resource on Israeli intelligence. An updated edition will be published in 2012 by St. Martin’s Press. Gideon’s Spies was made into a major documentary for Channel Four in Britain, which Thomas wrote and narrated, called The Spy Machine. The Observer called The Spy Machine a “clear” picture of Israeli intelligence operations, and The Times called it “impressive,” and ”chilling.”
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book an interesting account of a historical event. They praise the well-written story with vivid descriptions and foreshadowing. Readers describe it as an engaging, page-turning read that is easy to follow. The research is considered thorough and informative. However, some customers feel the death rate was excessive. Opinions differ on the storyline, with some finding it fascinating and heartwarming while others consider it heartbreaking.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the book interesting and well-researched. They appreciate the story and foreshadowing. The interactions between characters are intriguing.
"This is an absolutely riveting account of one week in May 1902, in the lives of the unfortunate inhabitants of the city of St. Pierre, on the island..." Read more
"...It is also a snapshot of the time period, detailing how life in a French colony was, including the rampant sexism and racism...." Read more
"...The writer sets the scene well, and with the benefit of his crafty foreshadowing we can guess at what is going to happen and what the outcome will be..." Read more
"...The book was a page turning treat, history combined with some social history of Martinique coupled with first hand accounts and the personalities..." Read more
Customers find the book well-written and engaging. They appreciate the author's skillful setting of the scene and suspenseful storytelling. The book is described as descriptive, accurate, and easy to read.
"...Minor critiques. Overall, a fabulous, compelling and extremely well-written book!" Read more
"This book was a thrilling page turner about the Mount Pelée explosion of 1902...." Read more
"...The writer sets the scene well, and with the benefit of his crafty foreshadowing we can guess at what is going to happen and what the outcome will be..." Read more
"The book is very well written and well-researched, but the subject matter is disheartening and distasteful...." Read more
Customers find the book engaging and well-researched. They describe it as a page-turner.
"...Minor critiques. Overall, a fabulous, compelling and extremely well-written book!" Read more
"...Its essential reading but i think the book has a couple of shortcomings...." Read more
"This is a very well researched book, a real page-turner, as it tells the tales of the pitifully few survivors of the cataclysmic eruption of the..." Read more
"And it really happened. The book was a page turning treat, history combined with some social history of Martinique coupled with first hand accounts..." Read more
Customers appreciate the book's research quality. They find it well-researched, informative, and factual. The book is based on interviews, which gives it an immediacy. However, some readers feel the accuracy is not very accurate.
"This is a very well researched book, a real page-turner, as it tells the tales of the pitifully few survivors of the cataclysmic eruption of the..." Read more
"The book is very well written and well-researched, but the subject matter is disheartening and distasteful...." Read more
"...I get the feeling it was based very much on interviews, which gives it an immediacy not as apparent in the other two books: The Last Days of St...." Read more
"...I thought it was well written and extensively researched. I recommend it." Read more
Customers enjoy reading the book. They find it engaging and easy to follow.
"...This book was hard to put down. I read this book using immersion reading while listening to the audio book...." Read more
"...A book I could not put down. It is well written and easy to follow." Read more
"This book was hard to put down. The characters really came alive and their interactions were so intriguing...." Read more
"...Hard to put down and well worth the read." Read more
Customers find the book's account of the eruption interesting and complete. They say it provides a true account of the eruption and society during that time.
"This history of an important volcanic eruption was interesting and complete...." Read more
"Great, great account f the eruption of Pelee and the crhronological account of events before...." Read more
"True accounting of the eruption and the society during that time..." Read more
Customers have different views on the storyline. Some find it fascinating and thrilling, providing a look into the lives of people on a peaceful Caribbean island. The book details the recollections of several survivors and recreates the horror of the tragedy using personal interviews and surviving documents. However, others describe the story as heartbreaking and disturbing.
"...A page-turning story-telling of the lives of diverse people, from lovers to businessmen, from captains to politicians, from priests to prisoners,..." Read more
"...This book details the recollections of several survivors and gives a thrilling account of the sadly preventable disaster...." Read more
"...It is shocking and disturbing. Maybe this is why Pompei gets all the attention. What happened at St. Pierre is purely gut-wrenching...." Read more
"...Recreating the events of May, 1902 A thrilling, suspenseful real-life tragedy that claimed 30,000 lives, the eruption of Mount Pelee is a story that..." Read more
Customers are unhappy about the death rate. They mention it's unnecessary and bureaucrats are to blame.
"...And I did. What a tragedy. Stupid bureaucrats. Needless deaths. Good book." Read more
"...Very horrible politicians and the deaths were unnecessary. I like true stories of disasters." Read more
"...So many lives were lost needlessly." Read more
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2021This is an absolutely riveting account of one week in May 1902, in the lives of the unfortunate inhabitants of the city of St. Pierre, on the island of Martinique. A page-turning story-telling of the lives of diverse people, from lovers to businessmen, from captains to politicians, from priests to prisoners, all intertwined in this devastating account of one of the most tremendous volcanic eruptions in history.
Mount Pelée—the “bald mountain”—asleep for 51 years, awakens slowly and with warning, but is not taken seriously by most of the people or the politicians. The slow buildup deludes most into believing an eruption couldn’t happen. In a scenario all too familiar in 2020-21, an upcoming political election dwarfs the warnings of impending human tragedy. Keep the people distracted and calm, avert talk of the warnings, use the media to calm hysteria and mislead people is vital to the politicians’ success. The story paints what life was like for the French ex-pats, the island’s black population, and for the role religion and voodoo played in their lives. It is overall a peaceful existence, until doomsday.
The cast of characters are almost too amazing to be real, the story seems to be out of Hollywood; in fact, I’m not sure why a movie has not yet been made of this. The authors immediately involve the reader in the story and the many players, while providing a brief backdrop into the history of the volcano and the politics, while never bogging us down in it. The story moves along, until its dire conclusion. There are heroes and victims, though mostly victims, thirty times the number of Pompeii.
The bizarre coincidences and tragic accidents compound the eruption: a smallpox outbreak happening in the poor quarters; telegraph lines disconnected; and worst of all, a volcanic eruption the day before in neighboring St. Vincent island, tricking ships at sea to interpret Pelée’s smoke and ash as residue from St. Vincent.
The authors have an extensive bibliography, are acclaimed journalists and conducted live interviews as well as quote from sources, so I am not sure why one reviewer claims the stories are not true. My only questions are: why is the title May 7, when the main event was May 8? And they identify Dr. Guillotin as the inventor of the guillotine, which he technically wasn’t. Minor critiques. Overall, a fabulous, compelling and extremely well-written book!
- Reviewed in the United States on December 20, 2019This is an event that doesn't get as much attention as it should. Anyone who has read up on Pompei should take a look at this book, for it dwarfs the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in terms of human tragedy. And here in St. Pierre and Pelee we have eyewitness accounts. Its essential reading but i think the book has a couple of shortcomings. One is that a lot of pages are spent on details of social events, like a party and a wedding, leading up that tragic day. I would have preferred more information about the natural forces - the science - of what led to Mother Nature's atomic bomb. The second issue i have with the book is that the last chapter, which describes in awful detail what exactly happened to the doomed population of St. Pierre, is tough to read. The human suffering is beyond imagination. Imagine what happens to people when a giant blowtorch suddenly descends upon them. If you read the last chapter you will learn in exquisite detail. It is shocking and disturbing. Maybe this is why Pompei gets all the attention. What happened at St. Pierre is purely gut-wrenching. There isn't the romance of ancient Rome, nor is there the passage of thousands of years to help us cope with disaster.
I think the author should be more sensitive as to how readers might react to the last chapter. It's important to know what happened on the ground, to the men, women and even children , but enough is enough. It borders on ghoulishness.
My advice is to steel yourself for the last chapter's details, or just put the book down after the final eruption of the volcano is physically described. Otherwise prepare yourself to be shocked and probably sickened.
- Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2020This book was a thrilling page turner about the Mount Pelée explosion of 1902. I had not known about this particular event and was interested in learning about it. This book details the recollections of several survivors and gives a thrilling account of the sadly preventable disaster. It is also a snapshot of the time period, detailing how life in a French colony was, including the rampant sexism and racism. The description of the actions taken and not taken by several prominent community leaders, including the Church are noted. The lives of 29,233 victims could have been saved and no one was held accountable. This book was hard to put down. I read this book using immersion reading while listening to the audio book. The narrator had a gravely voice that handled the French nomenclature easily. Highly recommend this book for the account of one of the worst volcanic disasters many have never heard of.
- Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2014This is a very well researched book, a real page-turner, as it tells the tales of the pitifully few survivors of the cataclysmic eruption of the volcano Mt Pelee in Martinique in 1902, when virtually the entire population of nearly 30 000 in the capital city, St Pierre was wiped out in a second. The writer sets the scene well, and with the benefit of his crafty foreshadowing we can guess at what is going to happen and what the outcome will be. The book also vividly portrays what a tenuous hold we humans have on the planet, and how suddenly Nature can turn on us and reduce all our efforts to nothing in a matter of a few moments. All in all, an engrossing read with a humbling "after-taste".
Bill YP.
- Reviewed in the United States on November 27, 2013The book is very well written and well-researched, but the subject matter is disheartening and distasteful. Sadly, the whole event is what it is, and so we give the book 4 stars. Very accurate, quite vivid and descriptive, and puts the political scene in an easily understood manner.
Top reviews from other countries
- Thinks-he's-an-expert BillReviewed in Canada on October 21, 2020
5.0 out of 5 stars A disaster that nobody knows about!
Although I lived in the Caribbean for 7 years I knew nothing about this disaster. The facts of this disaster occurring in Martinique in 1902 would be almost unbelievable if presented in a "disaster" movie. The book is based on survivor accounts from many different sources, many of them articles written at the time in various periodicals. Highly recommended.
- Kindle CustomerReviewed in the United Kingdom on November 2, 2018
5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely brilliant!
This the first book I have read on this disaster. It is well-written, informative, factual and engaging. It is like reading a novel as you learn about the characters, the setting, the plot and the fast-moving action. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in volcanoes and the impact they can have on our lives.
One word of warning - don't start reading it before you go to bed as you will have a very late night as it is difficult to put it down!
- cathieReviewed in Canada on October 25, 2020
4.0 out of 5 stars Good book
- A. CloseReviewed in Canada on October 22, 2020
3.0 out of 5 stars Room for Improvement
Generally a good read but in a work where geography plays a critical role maps are essential. The Kindle version contained not a single map. I should not be driven to use Google Earth for the maps I need to follow events.
- Mr. Christopher D. JonesReviewed in the United Kingdom on March 11, 2017
5.0 out of 5 stars Now I know.
Having visited Martinique and walked the streets of St. Pierre, I can now place events and places more surely in my mind thanks to this splendidly descriptive book. Clearly a great deal of research has been undertaken to arrive at such a comprehensive account of this huge tragedy.