Fire in the Sea: The Santorini Volcano: Natural History and the Legend of Atlantis

by Walter L. Friedrich, Alexander R. McBirney (Translator)

The legend of the lost city of Atlantis has captivated the human imagination for centuries. Did this city actually exist, and, if so, what happened to it? Was it destroyed in the greatest cataclysmic event of the Bronze Age? While the truth behind the legend of Atlantis may never be known, Fire in the Sea tells the story of one of the largest and most devastating natural disasters of classical history that may also hold vital clues to the possible existence and fate of the lost city. In vivid prose, author Walter L. Friedrich describes the eruption of the Greek island of Santorini, or Thera, sometime in the 17th or 16th century BC. This eruption, perhaps one of the largest explosions ever witnessed by humankind, sent a giant cloud of volcanic ash into the air that eventually covered settlements on the island. Friedrich relates how this event forever altered the course of civilization in the region, and inspired a mystery that has fired humanity's imagination ever since. More than 160 elegant, full-color photographs and vivid prose capture the beauty, the geology, archaeology, history, peoples and environmental setting of Santorini. Fire in the Sea will readily appeal to the general reader interested in natural catastrophies as well as the beauty of the region. It will also enchant anyone who has ever dreamt about uncovering the mystery of the legend of Atlantis. Walter Friedrich is currently an associate professor at the Department of Earth Sciences, University of Aarhus, Denmark. He has visited Santorini at least 35 times since 1975 and has published numerous scientific articles in such international journals as Nature, Lethaia, Spektrum der Wissenschaft, and other publications.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, History

272 pages, Hardcover

First published May 18, 2000

Reviews

[Gilda Felt · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book, though I would have preferred more about the people, and the legend, than the natural history. A learned about volcanoes in high school Earth/Space Science class, and I really wasn’t interested how much and what type of rocks were deposited on the different islands, though I was intrigued in how the islands have changed over the centuries as each new eruption leaves its mark.

Still, I would have liked for the author to get more into the history of the civilization. Though he declares that the eruption in the 16th century BC altered the course of the civilization in the region, he doesn’t go into depth as to how. Quotes from the time are given, mostly to set the exact time of the eruption, but they give no clue as to how the rest of the region was affected.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author Walter L Friedrich is a geologist and the book primarily about geology, specifically, volcanism. He uses his knowledge to describe the natural history of Santorini against the stories of Atlantis. The writing moves from prehistoric time, before any known volcanic activity in the area of Santorini, through a few pre-Minoan eruptions and into the present, tying geology with history in some unexpected ways. In one place, where the language does get rather technical, the author writes:

"The gigantic [granite] intrusion [into metamorphic rocks near Athinios] converted the limestone to skarns with a variety of minerals, including dendritic deposits and veins of pyrophyllite, magnetite, chalcopyrite and talc. The various colors of these minerals made them a possible source for pigments used in frescoes...."

Please read the rest of the review here.