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

Front Cover
Harper Collins, Oct 10, 2006 - History - 512 pages

Unleashed by ancient geologic forces, a magnitude 8.25 earthquake rocked San Francisco in the early hours of April 18, 1906. Less than a minute later, the city lay in ruins. Bestselling author Simon Winchester brings his inimitable storytelling abilities to this extraordinary event, exploring the legendary earthquake and fires that spread horror across San Francisco and northern California in 1906 as well as its startling impact on American history and, just as important, what science has recently revealed about the fascinating subterranean processes that produced it—and almost certainly will cause it to strike again.

From inside the book

Contents

PROLOGUE
1
A Year of Living Dangerously
23
TWO The Temporary City
29
Such Almost Modern Times
49
SEVEN The Mischief Maker
157
City of Mint and Smoke
201
ELEVEN Ripples on the Surface of the Pond
335
Ice and Fire
369
APPENDIX On Taking an Earthquakes Measure
387
Index
435
Copyright

Other editions - View all

Common terms and phrases

About the author (2006)

Simon Winchester is the acclaimed author of many books, including The Professor and the Madman, The Man Who Loved China, A Crack in the Edge of the World, and Krakatoa. Those books were New York Times bestsellers and appeared on numerous best and notable lists. In 2006, Mr. Winchester was made an officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by her Majesty the Queen. He lives in Manhattan and in western Massachusetts.

Bibliographic information