A Crack in the Edge of the World: America and the Great California Earthquake of 1906

The book was extremely well written, sparing no information that was pertinent to the topic. I especially appreciated the fact that the reader was the actual author. You could sense his love of the subject.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

This book is Simon Winchester at his best. Like Krakatoa, the research is deep and credible. Mr. Winchester pulls every thread and every one is interesting. As always, the narration is crisp and easy to understand. Although it is long, I was sorry when it ended. The interview with the author at the end was a plus.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I enjoyed this book. Yes, it is detailed and talks about the history of geology and theories on earthquakes over time, Chinatown, immigration, the Gold Rush, San Francisco culture, even Pentelcostalism. But in doing so, the author gives the background in why the 1906 earthquake was so devastating. It is informative, well-written, and detailed. If you are a fan of Simon Winchester books, or of history, this book is a treat.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I really liked the book. I felt I learned a lot from it. However, when listening to this book, one must remember books by Michener - you may have to plow through a lot of background information before geting to the gist of the book. It's well worth it as it all fits into his story.

While I typically love the author, this book was "all over the place", long, and directionless. He talks about the SF Earthquake, but he also talks about lots of other so many other topics, that I continuously waited for him to get to his point. And, at the end, not sure he had one. His narrative style was engaging, but in search of some editorial succinctness.

I found this book a bit "rambling" at times as the author seemed to feel that it was necessary to tell everything he knows about the subject of geology. Do not listen to this if you are expecting it to be solely about the 1906 San Francisco earthquake as that is a very small part of the book. This book is really about what causes earthquakes.

Another great book from Simon Winchester and a good companion book to Krakatoa. What I like about his style is that he sets out the framework of the times, socially, politically, geographically, in addition to providing a great primer on geology and plate tectonics in layman terms. And he does it in a way that keeps the reader listening. Other reviewers have complained that The Earthquake doesn't really appear until well into the book, and that is because so much time is spent setting the scene for what is about to happen. Really enjoyed it.

This book was amazing!! It is not a quick read or a down and dirty account of death and destruction. It is an in-depth analysis of the conditions that ultimately led to the destruction of San Francisco and how and why it rose from the rubble as it did. Just about everything you can think of is included, from the migration of continents around the globe to the amount of rust on the pipes running beneath SF in the early 1900's. Though a bit slow at times, well worth the listen!

I was enthralled by this book. I thought I had a decent understanding of earthquakes and geology, but this book proved me wrong. I was actually disappointed when the author (and reader) finally got down to serious coverage of the SF quake, the story of our world's birth and development had been so fascinating. No, this is not a quick book...if you want something fast and easy look elsewhere. The author/reader is an Oxford-educated Brit (now living in the USA) and his writing and speaking are beautiful and eloquent. If he is a bit long-winded at times, the flow of his language is such a pleasure to hear that I didn't mind. Plus, he brings a different perspective to San Francisco's story. To me the 10 cds were far too short.

Meticulously researched and highly entertaining story of the San Francisco earthquake of 1906. What a treat to hear the author retell his own story with humor and passion. Mr. Winchester is a master at providing layman's analogies to explain even the most complex geological phenomenon. Well worth the listen.