A Crack in the Edge of the World

The Great American Earthquake of 1906

Simon Winchester

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English

Penguin
02 July 2007

History of the Americas; 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000; Mathematics & Sciences; The Earth: natural history general

Published to coincide with the centenary of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake

A burgeoning new city is built on the dreams of the American gold rush. It is also built upon a landscape that has been stretching, sliding and breaking apart for millennia. In 1906 the dreams of this city came crashing down beneath the rippling wave of a horrifying earthquake that turned roads into great rippling rivers, that set buildings ablaze for days on end, that made homes collapse upon themselves.

Simon Winchester's breathtaking story delves deep beneath the surface of the earth and explains to us why the world moves as it does; and breaks apart with such devastating results. At the same time he never lets us forget the human story- what happened in this new, seemingly blessed city on the 18th April 1906. As he vividly portrays the lives of the people who suffered and survived the devastation he also tells a universal story- the hubris of man as he ignores the warnings of nature and how we respond and try to understand the world around us. Compelling, moving and enlightening, Simon Winchester brings to light the world beneath our feet and through the story of this one terrifying event one hundred years ago, begins to make sense of our world now.

By: Simon Winchester
Imprint: Penguin
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 198mm, Width: 129mm, Spine: 35mm
Weight: 500g
ISBN: 9780141016344
ISBN 10: 0141016345
Pages: 464
Publication Date: 02 July 2007
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

A bestselling author in both Britain and America, Simon Winchester was born and educated in England and now lives in Massachusetts. Having reported from almost everywhere during more than thirty years as a foreign correspondent, he now contributes to a variety of American and British magazines and newspapers.