Eighteenth-century Europe1965

The eruption of Laki is one of history's great untold natural disasters. The eruption, spewing out a poisionous fog, lasted for eight months, but its effects lingered across Europe for years, causing the death of people as far away as the Nile, and creating famine that may have triggered the French revolution. 'Island on Fire' is the story not only of a volcano but also of the people whose lives it changed. It is the story, too, of modern volcanology, and looks at how events might work out should Laki erupt again in our time.